Question Help, I corrupted my registry and PC won't boot Windows.

Apr 24, 2019
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I really care about my first HDD and so I called a friend and he told me that I could just install Windows into my second HDD and restore the registry using the backup OR salvage my data and wipe the first HDD

Better yet, I remember having a copy of Linux on a USB lying around that can boot and migrate all the data I need! (Although neither me nor my friend are too familiar with Linux to know if this will work...)

So, which option is best to do? If you would want to know more, please ask!
 
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First of all you can’t just install windows and then restore a registry from that.

Install windows to a fresh drive and then connect the bad one externally to get data off of it That is probably your best bet since you’re not familiar with Linux
 
Apr 24, 2019
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System restore would be the fastest way to restore pc operation.
Boot from windows installation media, run system restore and restore to time before registry was corrupted.

Sorry for the late reply I was quite busy. But restoring did not work. It gave an error saying "System Restore failed to extract the file (D:\Windows\System32\drivers\WdBoot.sys) from the restore point. An unspecified error has occurred during System Restore" (0x80071160)
 
Apr 24, 2019
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It's complicated. Both C and D are separate partitions on the same drive. D is supposed to be a digital recovery but it's not doing its job. Also this is an issue that was happening before all this when I first tried to solve an unrelated problem.
 
It's complicated. Both C and D are separate partitions on the same drive. D is supposed to be a digital recovery but it's not doing its job. Also this is an issue that was happening before all this when I first tried to solve an unrelated problem.
In which case I’d get another drive. Take out the drive with the important data, install Windows on the new drive and then connect the old drive but make sure to boot off the new drive and rescue your data. Then start a proper backup plan of your important data as having on a single drive is asking from trouble.
 
Apr 24, 2019
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In which case I’d get another drive. Take out the drive with the important data, install Windows on the new drive and then connect the old drive but make sure to boot off the new drive and rescue your data. Then start a proper backup plan of your important data as having on a single drive is asking from trouble.
Would that work? The corrupt registry didn't corrupt my data? If so I would have done this first thing!
 
Apr 24, 2019
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Ok so I have gone and installed Windows into my second drive. How do I go about saving my data in one go without the corrupted Windows? Although I do have a registry backup made on my old drive right before I messed everything up, so maybe I can run registry edit from my second and fix my first?
 
One way to edit the registry of your non-booting drive is to copy the registry save from the booting drive (second) and place it on a usb. Then using a rescue disc or windows install disc boot the non-booting disk and choose to repair the disc and go to choice of using a command line. Once you've logged into the command line, type "regedit" and the registry editor will open up same as when you are in Windows . Choose import and go to the location of the registry save on the USB. Choose the registry saved file, and regedit will replace the current registry with the imported registry. Reboot and see if it will boot with the new imported registry.
 
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I remember there were someway to go into a boot mode that will try to boot from the latest working registry files, but really don't remember how
Windows used to save a default registry for such a purpose, but they did away with it with the 1803 ver of Windows 10. The best work around is to do a registry saves on a regular bases so you can go to them if some occurs (this should especially be done anytime to edit the registry).