Author: shantanu

This post will help you backup/restore Windows Registry in case a problem related to the registry arises.

Before taking you through the steps to backup/restore Windows registry files in 2023 and beyond, let us first explain to you what are registry files in Windows and why they’re important.

What Are Windows Registry Files?

Ever wondered how your Windows-powered desktop or laptop powers ON and functions perfectly each time?

Well, basically, they launch each time launching the required features, services, and applications with the help of Windows registry files.

So, simply put, you can think of Windows registry files as a collection of configuration files for the Windows OS installed on your computer.

When you power ON your machine, it collects all the information related to account access, applications/services to launch, device drivers, UI elements, your pre-configured device settings, and much more.

How to Create Windows Restore Point Before You Backup/Restore Windows Registry?

It is always recommended to create a “Windows Restore Point” before you attempt to back up/restore the Windows registry.

In case something goes wrong, then the restore point can help you restore your computer to an earlier working condition as it is currently.

Below are the steps to create Windows Restore Point:

1. Click on the “Start” menu.
2. Type “Create a restore point” in the search bar and select the option that appears with the same name.

   

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with the creation of a Windows Restore Point backup.

How to Backup Windows Registry?

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you are not logged in as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

• Launch the “Run” window by pressing the “Windows” key + “R” key on your keyboard.
• Now, type “Regedit” into the search box, and then press “ENTER” on your keyboard. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. (For Windows XP –> start menu-> run-> Regedit)
• Click on My Computer or Computer ( depending on your OS type) Click the File menu, and then click Export.
• In the “Save In” box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy, and then type a name for the backup file in the File name box.
• Click Save.

And that’s it. You have now created a backup of Windows registry files on your computer.

How to Restore Windows Registry Files?

Follow the steps below to restore previously existing Windows registry backup files.

1. Press the “Windows” key and the “R” key on your keyboard to launch the “Run” window.
2. Within the Run window, type “regedit.exe” and click on the “Ok” button within the Run window or press the “Enter” key on your keyboard.
3. The “Registry Editor” window will now launch.
4. Click on the “File” option located on the top menu bar of the Registry Editor window and then click on the “Import” button.
5. Within the window that appears, select the pre-existing Windows registry backup file on your computer and click on the “Open” button.

The Windows registry backup that you selected in step 5 above will now be restored on your computer.

After reading this post you will be able to fix the problems associated with Windows Live photo gallery in Windows 7, Vista, XP. These problems include:

• Windows live photo Gallery Freezes
• Windows Photo gallery screensaver says “ no pictures found”
• Other Photo Gallery related issues.

There are two methods to fix this:

Before starting let’s backup your Windows Registry, as this method includes registry editing. Click here

Method 1:

To fix this problem, you have to regenerate the database for Windows Live Photo Gallery. To do this, follow the appropriate steps for your operating system:

Windows XP

Close Windows Live Photo Gallery.

• Click Start, click Run, type %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Photo Gallery, and then click OK.
• Delete any existing instance of “OLD_Pictures.pd4” and “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”
• Locate and then right-click “Pictures.pd4” or “Pictures.pd5.”
• Rename “Pictures.pd4” to “OLD_Pictures.pd4” or rename “Pictures.pd5” to “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”

Windows Vista

Close Windows Live Photo Gallery.

• Click Start, click Run, type %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Photo Gallery, and then click OK.
• Delete any existing instance of “OLD_Pictures.pd4” and “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”
• Locate and then right-click “Pictures.pd4” or “Pictures.pd5.”
• Rename “Pictures.pd4” to “OLD_Pictures.pd4” or rename “Pictures.pd5” to “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”

Windows 7

Close Windows Live Photo Gallery.

• Click Start, click Run, type%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Photo Gallery, and then click OK.
• Delete any existing instance of “OLD_Pictures.pd4” and “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”
• Locate and then right-click “Pictures.pd4” or “Pictures.pd5.”
• Rename “Pictures.pd4” to “OLD_Pictures.pd4” or rename “Pictures.pd5” to “OLD_Pictures.pd5.”

Make Sure Windows Live Photo Gallery is closed when you perform this repair operation. When you restart Windows Live Photo Gallery, the database will be rebuilt.

 

Method 2:

 

Automatic Method:

After Reading this you will be able to know more about

• Blue/Black Screen Errors
• To find which error you are dealing with
• To resolve the error

A Blue Screen or Black Screen error which is also known as BSOD occurs when Windows faces a serious problem & shuts down or restarts your system to protect it from damage. Sometime when you boot back into Windows you get a message that “Windows has recovered from a serious error”.

There can be many different problems associated with both hardware and software that might case a BSOD. But, we cannot troubleshoot these errors if we don’t know what particular problem we are dealing with.

To know which particular error/problem we are dealing with, the first step would be:

To disable automatic system restart on system failure

To do this, Press the F8 key while booting ( just after you press power button on your computer ).

Select the Advanced Startup options (Windows 7) & select Disable Automatic Restart on system failure.

This will restrict windows to not to shutdown/restart when the problem occurs.  At this moment you can note down the error code & more information displayed on your screen: Example screen below:

and

Both the screen grabs above have highlighted white portions. These are the significant piece of information that you must note down from your BSOD. This will help you narrow down you problem and then solve it.

Once you have the error code & description, search http://support.microsoft.com with the error code or search our website www.troubleshootwindows.com for more information on the error code.

Basic Steps to resolve the Blue Screen errors

• Remove any newly installed hardware & uninstall the driver software associated with it. To uninstall the drivers you can simply remove the hardware first and then boot into safe mode and uninstall them.
• Remove any newly installed software or antivirus program by logging into safe mode.
• Use System Restore, to restore your computer to an earlier time when it was working fine. To learn how to use system restore click here.

Are you looking for ways to Fix the No Sound Problem in Windows Vista/XP/7/8/8.1/10/11?

Then today we are here with a detailed article on the same to help you out.

What Could Be Causing No Sound Problem in Windows?

There can be a number of reasons if your computer doesn’t play any sound at all. Sounds include Windows basic sounds, music, etc.

What to Check:

• Does the computer have sound hardware?
• Does the computer have the device drivers?
• Verify the speaker/headphone wires has proper connections.
• Is the mute button active?
• Does BIOS have Sound/Audio Hardware Enabled?

How to Fix No Sound Problem in Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11?

Solution 1: Check the Sound Hardware/Sound Card:

Sound Hardware is also called the “Sound Card”. If you have a desktop system & have installed an add-on sound card for high-performing sound, the first step would be to open the cabinet and check if the sound card is installed into the slot properly.

If you have a laptop ( notebook/netbook/ultrabook), there are very slight chances that you have an Add-on Sound card installed.

Below are the steps to Check the sound card from within windows:

1. Press the “Windows” key + “R” key on your keyboard to bring up the Run window.
2. Within the Run window, type “devmgmt.msc” and click on the “Ok” button.
3. This will bring up the “Device Manager” window.
4. See the below screenshot and check if the sound, video & game controllers show your Audio hardware installed.

 

Solution 2: Check if Device Drivers are Installed or not

If you see an Exclamation mark on any listed hardware or a yellow question mark saying “Other Devices”, it is quite possible that either the device drivers installed for your device are faulty or there are no drivers installed.

To resolve, right-click the hardware listed either in other devices or with an exclamation mark & click on update drivers & let Windows search the Windows Update service for any new drivers that might be available for your device type.

You can also visit your computer manufacturer’s support website & try downloading the drivers from there. * refer to your computer documentation.

If you see no hardware present within the sound, video & game controllers, you should try pressing the Scan for hardware changes button just below help ( refer to screenshot above). If the device manager fails to respond post-refresh, the chances of hardware issues are high or the audio hardware could be disabled in BIOS. ( To enable the same or to check BIOS settings, go to the end of this page).

Solution 3: Verify the Speakers/Headphone Wires Does Not Have Any Damages

Faulty headphones or speaker wires also cause the no audio issue. Check wires for any damages and ensure the connections do seem proper.

Solution 4: Verify the Wires Connections Does Seem Correct

If on a desktop PC, check out the image below and confirm all the wires connections do seem proper.

Also, check for faulty speakers/headphones.

Check if the audio is on mute.

We may mistakenly turn the speakers into the mute mode, which might be causing the problem. Check the screenshots below to understand if your speakers are on mute or not.

Muted

Unmuted

If you see the muted icon in your taskbar click on it to unmute. Also, check the volume level and increase it if necessary.

Solution 5: Verify BIOS Has Sound/Audio Hardware Enabled

To do this, refer to your motherboard/system maintenance manual & looks for the things given below:

• Press Del or F2 or F10 or any other key depending on your system type & make
• Advanced Options/ Integrated Peripherals
• Enable Onboard Audio/ AC’97/HD Audio
• Enable it
• F10 ( Save & Exit )

Final Words

We hope you found this article on how to fix no sound problem in Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11 versions helpful and informative.

Got any questions? Feel free to reach out and we’re more than happy to help you.