How to get settings back from registry-files of crashed pc?

General questions about using TextPad

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Zaippa
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 4:30 pm

How to get settings back from registry-files of crashed pc?

Post by Zaippa »

Hi guys.
Sorry if this is a stupid question... (i've been googling for some time, but i'm still kind a' clueless)

About a week ago my harddisk crashed. I now have a new harddisk. I managed to get the "registry database"-files back from the old harddisk:

%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\Default
%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\Sam
%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\Security
%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\Software
%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\System
%SystemRoot%\Profiles\%UserName%\ntuser.dat
%SystemRoot%\Profiles\%UserName%\usrclass.dat


(i think these are the files that makes the registry, right?) (i'm using WinXP)

I would like to get my old textpad settings out of these files, so i can put them into the registry database of my new Windows XP installation.
Does any of you guys know (or have a hint on) how to do that?

I'ld be greatful for any help! My prescious textpad settings... :)
(yeah, i know... i should've taken backups.. real men don't do that! But from now on i promise i'll be a wimpy wuss. Hopefully your answers will also be of help to other "real men" out there in the future...)
bveldkamp

Post by bveldkamp »

I never tried this myself, but it should be possible to open a registry file from a non-default path with the command "regedit /R:c:\path\to\ntuser.dat"
Now you can export HKCU\Software\Helios\Textpad 4, exit regedit, and doubleclick the file you just saved.

BTW you might want to make a backup of your current registry first.
Zaippa
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 4:30 pm

Post by Zaippa »

I never tried this myself, but it should be possible to open a registry file from a non-default path with the command "regedit /R:c:\path\to\ntuser.dat"
Now you can export HKCU\Software\Helios\Textpad 4, exit regedit, and doubleclick the file you just saved.
Thank you. I tried but it didn't (seem) to do anything.
(i tried to search for keys i knew was in the old database, but nothing seemed to have been added)
But thanks anyway!
BTW you might want to make a backup of your current registry first.
Hehe, point taken :)

----

I discovered another way though, which i might as well share with you all:

- Log on as Administrator.
- (take a backup of the registry database!! (Backup your harddisk while you're at it :)))
- move cursor to HKEY_USERS
- make a new key (or folder if you will) in HKEY_USERS called "!!!!!!!!!!!" (or something - this will just be a temp-folder to contain the old ntuser.dat)
- make sure the cursor is at "!!!!!!!!!!!"!!! (i think this is very important, so that you don't overwrite your registry-database with crap values from the old one in the next steps!!)
- Go to Files -> Load Hive (yeah, now that menu-item is active!)
- Load the old ntuser.dat
(it's now being loaded into the "!!!!!!!!!!!" folder)
- Now the content of the old ntuser.dat is as subkeys (subfolders) of the "!!!!!!!!!!!" key (folder)
- locate the "TextPad 4"-key and export it as a reg-file
(see http://www.textpad.info/forum/viewtopic ... t+settings )
- move the cursor to "!!!!!!!!!!!" again, and select "Files -> Unload hive" to remove the old temp shit again.

now you have a reg-file. Note however that the keys in this file are relative to "HKEY_USERS\!!!!!!!!!!!" instead of "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", so open a texteditor (textpad!!) and do a search/replace.
(if it complains about "binaries" when you later double click the reg-file, make sure you didn't save it in unicode format)


Simple and easy (once you know it's possible, and how it's possible). Remember, i don't know shit about the registry database, so maybe this will slaughter your computer, but it seems to work ok to me...
Atleast it gave me a textpad.reg-file, and now all my settings are back!
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