REG Files How to Create Edit and Use Them in Windows
REG Files: How to Create, Edit, and Use Them in Windows GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > File Types
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\Parameters]
"CrashOnCtrlScroll"=dword:00000001
That CrashOnCtrlScroll value isn't included in the registry by default. You could open Registry Editor and create it yourself, manually, or you could build those instructions in a REG file and have it added automatically. Another way to look at these files is to think of them as tools to edit the registry. You can save lots of time when making the same registry changes on multiple computers. Just create one REG file with the changes you want to make and then apply them instantly on multiple PCs.
[\\]
"Value name"=:
Although neither the contents of a REG file nor the keys in the Windows Registry are case sensitive, some registry values are, so keep that in mind when authoring or editing them.
How to Create, Edit, and Use REG Files
A Registration file contains data from the Windows Registry
By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 7, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email File Types File Types Apps Windows MS Office Linux Google Drive Backup & Utilities Design CryptocurrencyWhat to Know
REG files are text files: Create them within a text editor when you save a file with the .reg extension.On Windows, right-click a REG file and open it with Notepad, or the text editor of your choice, to edit it.To use a REG file, simply open it and its contents will be added to the Windows Registry. A file with the .reg file extension is a Registration file used by the Windows Registry. These files can contain hives, keys, and values. These files can be created from scratch in a text editor or can be produced by the Windows Registry when backing up parts of it.What REG Files Are Used For
There are two major ways to edit the Windows registry: Open Registry Editor and then make registry changes manually. Use a REG file. Think of a REG file as a set of instructions for changing the Windows Registry. Everything in it explains the changes that should be made to the current state of the registry. In other words, and in general, any differences between the REG file being executed and the Windows Registry will result in an addition or removal of whatever keys and values are involved.Example REG File
For example, here are the contents of a simple 3-line REG file that adds value to a specific key in the registry. In this case, the goal is to add the data necessary for the classic fake Blue Screen of Death: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\Parameters]
"CrashOnCtrlScroll"=dword:00000001
That CrashOnCtrlScroll value isn't included in the registry by default. You could open Registry Editor and create it yourself, manually, or you could build those instructions in a REG file and have it added automatically. Another way to look at these files is to think of them as tools to edit the registry. You can save lots of time when making the same registry changes on multiple computers. Just create one REG file with the changes you want to make and then apply them instantly on multiple PCs.
How to View Change and Build REG Files
These are text-based files. Looking back at the example above, you can clearly see the numbers, path, and letters that make it up. This means you can open one and read everything in it, as well as edit it, using nothing more than a text editor. Windows Notepad is the text editor included in Windows. You can use that program with a REG file by right-clicking or tapping-and-holding the file and choosing Edit. If you like, you can use Windows Notepad every time you need to read or edit the file, but there are other free text editor tools that are easier to work with if you plan on working with these files a lot. Since REG files are nothing more than text files, any text editor can also be used to build a brand new one from scratch. Using our example from above yet again, all you have to do to create the file is open the text editor and then type those instructions exactly as they're written. Next, choose All Files (*.*) as the Save as type, and save it as something memorable, with the .REG extension, of course, like FakeBSOD.REG. It's very easy to accidentally pass over the Save as type option when saving. If you forget to do this and instead save as a TXT file (or any type of file other than REG), you won't be able to use it for registry editing.Syntax for REG Files
Just like you see in the example from above, all REG files must follow the following syntax in order for Registry Editor to understand them: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[\\]
"Value name"=:
Although neither the contents of a REG file nor the keys in the Windows Registry are case sensitive, some registry values are, so keep that in mind when authoring or editing them.