Short Version: I need a registry editor that I can specify where the registry files that I want to edit are, rather than just opening those files in the WINNT\system32\config folder. Long Version: After 8 years of use, a hard drive on a "secondary" W2K computer crashed (it was interesting how the signs that it was going bad were there and I went with my gut to start backing up more frequently, but that's another story). The good news, I had complete backup and lost nothing!!!! My backup was a file backup rather than an image so it was easier to reload the operating system (actually upgrade to XPPro) and then reload the apps that I use the most, and reload the all important, irreplaceable data files. For 1 or 2 of the apps, I didn't have the original disks or installation files so I just restored those program files from backup to their original directories. Now without registry entries, those programs aren't working quite right. The registry backup was a file backup of the WINNT\system32\config folder so I have files called software, system, SAM, etc. now restored to "old registry" folder. I would like to get a registry editor that I can point to the "old registry" folder, and will read those files as "The Registry", and then export those few keys that I need and then load them into the real registry. Loading them in is no problem, getting them fom my old registry is the problem. I see a lot of registry editors and I downloaded and tried 2 of them but so far neither can point to another directory. Rather than continuing this trial and error method, does anyone know of a registry editor that can point to a director of my choosing or alternatively another solution to my problem. Thanks.
Regedit does the trick quite nicely. You open a command prompt, and change to the directory of the 'dead' windows, eg d:\winnt\system32\config, and then you can load various registry files, like reg load HKLM\OSoftware software This will load the old software hive into HKLM\OSoftware when done, unload the key via HKLM unload HKLM\OSoftware You can use any name not in use already. When ye pull the the reg files, just do a serch + replace, eg HKLM\OSoftware with HKLM\Software.