There are many settings in your computer that default to a mode of operation that is less than ideal.  Some of these settings can be changed using the Control Panel, however, some can only be changed by editing the Registry.

Warning!

editing the registry can be dangerous.  Always back up the registry before you edit it.

Backing up the registry

How to Backup the whole registry

To back up the registry, start the Backup utility by going to the Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.

Click the button marked Emergency Repair Disk. The Emergency Repair Diskette dialog box will appear prompting you to insert a floppy disk.  It contains an option to back up the registry to the repair directory.  Click the box to put a check mark in it, and click on the Ok button.

How to Backup individual registry keys

It's also possible to back up individual registry keys.  To do this, open the registry editor by typing regedt32 in the Start menu Run dialog box.  Select the key you want to export, and click on Save Key on the Registry menu.  Give the key a name and press the Enter key.

Or

Open the registry editor by typing regedit in the Start menu Run dialog box, select the key you want to export, and then click on Export Registry File on the Registry menu.  Give the file a name and press the Enter key.

Regedit is a slimmed down version of the registry editor which does not have as many options as regedt32.  However, it does have a better search facility.

How to Restore the Registry

How to Restore Registry Keys

To restore registry keys that you have previously exported, follow these steps:
Type regedt32 in the Start Menu Run dialog box, and then click OK.  On the Registry menu, click Restore.  Select the file that you saved, and then click Open.  Click Yes to continue.

How to Restore the Whole Registry

To restore the whole registry, restore the System State from a backup.

Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.
Click the Restore tab.
Click the appropriate backup media and the system state to restore.

NOTE: If you choose to restore a file to an alternative location or to a single file, not all system state data is restored. This option is used mostly for boot files or registry keys.

Click Start Restore.  After the restore process is finished, restart the computer.
 

NOTE: If you use the option to back up the registry when you create an ERD, Backup also creates updated copies of the registry files in the %SystemRoot%\Repair\Regback folder. If you cannot start Windows 2000 after you edit the registry, you can manually replace the registry files in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder with the copies in the %SystemRoot%\Repair\Regback folder by using Recovery Console.
 

Registry Tweaks

Adding the 'Open With' option to the Explorer context menu.

Adding Rename and Delete to the Recycle Bin context menu.

Renaming My Computer.