If you are trying to restore your Windows Registry using the regback folder (usually located at C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack ) and finding that the files are missing or showing 0 bytes, you are not alone.
If you are currently facing a broken Windows installation and need to restore registry files, you must first re-enable the backup mechanism and force a backup to populate those files, or use alternative recovery methods. Method 1: Enable Automatic Registry Backup (RegEdit) regback copy not working
If you cannot boot, you can check if Windows created a backup via the RegIdleBackup scheduled task, which is different from the traditional RegBack . Open Command Prompt in Recovery Mode. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config\ . If you are trying to restore your Windows
And it fails with ERROR_BAD_NET_NAME or Access Denied , the issue is usually or open handles . The registry is a live system database. You cannot simply copy a live hive using standard file copy commands. Open Command Prompt in Recovery Mode
Since Microsoft disabled automatic backups, you have two options: or use modern backup methods .
If your RegBack folder is empty, you must rely on other Windows recovery features: