Examples of Windows 7 .Reg Files

Windows 7 Registry .Reg Files

The purpose of this page is to provide examples of Windows 7 .reg files.  In addition, I will show you how to merge, import apply these text files with your registry.

• How to Import .Reg Files Into the Registry
• What To Do Once You Have Imported The .Reg File?
• AutoAdminLogon
• Autoplay – Disable with NoDriveTypeAutoRun
• Build Number and PaintDesktopVersion
• DontDisplayLastUsername
• Hide the Public Folder from the Vista Desktop
• Increase Simultaneous Downloads
• NoControlPanel – Disable the Control Panel
• Rename the Computer Icon
• Registered Owner – Classic Registry Editor Example
• Roaming Profile – Disable
• Shortcut – Remove Arrow
• UAC – Disable ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin

 ♦

How To Import .Reg Files Into the Registry

The concept is simple; create a text file with notepad, then type, or copy and paste the relevant settings.  Crucially, save not as a .txt, but as a .reg file.

Once you have the information about the key, settings and values in that file, typical Microsoft, there are at least three ways of importing the information into your registry.  There are also a couple of tricky ways that I only mention for completeness.

1. Double-click the .reg file.
2. Right-click the .reg file, select Merge from the drop-down menu.
3. Launch Regedit then select, File (menu) Import.
4. Execute the command: Regedit /s path to xyz.reg.
5. Create a VBScript or PowerShell script.

Trap with .Reg Files

With .Reg files remember that the second line should be blank.

The only oher problem with .reg files is their power.  It’s like holding a loaded gun, if you fire it, then the text instructions shoot into the registry.  Just make sure they hit the right spot.  Unlike a real gun if you miss then nothing bad happens, it just does not work.

Tip for Windows 7 .Reg Files

A simple idea, but effective tip is to launch regedit.  This editor provides a two-way troubleshooting street, you can see where in the registry your script changes values.  Also, you can export registry settings to (re)create .reg files.

Favorites Menu

If you are working on a section in the registry, click on Favorites (Menu), Add to favorites.  Such a simple idea to remember obscure registry settings, but so few people take advantage of this time-saver.

What To Do Once You Have Imported The .Reg File?

Once you have added the new values to the registry, what next?  How do you view the new settings?  You could take the ruthless approach and reboot the machine.  Alternatively, you could run through this progression:

• Press F5 – This simple technique works in some contexts, e.g. desktop settings.
• Close, then reopen the interface, e.g. Control Panel.
• Log off / Log on.  Works well for many of the HKCU settings.
• Reboot, it’s often the only way to see changes in the HKLM hive.

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Specific Examples of .Reg Files to Import Into Your Registry

AutoAdminLogon

Here are the settings (xxx) that you must change in order for my example file to work on your system.

"AutoAdminLogon"="1"
"DefaultUserName"="xxx"
"DefaultPassword"="xxxx0xxxx"
"DefaultDomainName"="xxx.xxx".  Definitely needed in a domain situation.

Copy the settings below into a text file.  Make the amendments to suit your machine and username, save the file with .reg extension, for example Auto.reg. If necessary, refer to How to transfer the .reg settings into the registry.

Setting AutoAdminLogon requires you to restart the operating system.

Note 1: The setting "DefaultPassword"= does not normally exist in Winlogon, thus the script needs to create it.

Note 2: AutoAdminLogon = 1 means ‘On’, while a zero would mean ‘Off’ – no automatic logon.

Note 3: Even in Windows 7 the registry editor reports as version 5.00 and not 6.0 or even 7.

For lots more information on Auto Logon see here

Examples of Windows 7 .Reg Files

Autoplay – Disable With NoDriveTypeAutoRun

Media Change Notification (MCN) messages from the CD-ROM driver will trigger AutoPlay.  However, if these messages are suppressed then the CD will not automatically start playing.  You can disable Autoplay by configuring the appropriate value of NoDriveTypeAutoRun.  Here is an example .reg file.

See more on NoDriveTypeAutoRun

Monitor Your Network with the Real-time Traffic Analyzer

The main reason to monitor your network is to check that your all your servers are available.  If there is a network problem you want an interface to show the scope of the problem at a glance.

Even when all servers and routers are available, sooner or later you will be curious to know who, or what, is hogging your precious network’s bandwidth.  A GUI showing the top 10 users makes interesting reading.

Another reason to monitor network traffic is to learn more about your server’s response times and the use of resources.  To take the pain out of capturing frames and analysing the raw data, Guy recommends that you download a copy of the SolarWindsfree Real-time NetFlow Analyzer.

Build Number and PaintDesktopVersion

What this Windows .reg file does is add a message displaying the Build Number to the bottom right of you desktop.

Copy the instructions below into a text file, save the file with .reg extension, for example Build.reg. Then refer to How to transfer the .reg settings into the registry.

Note:  this registry setting is a dword (and not a REG_SZ), consequently, observe the colon and the lack of speech marks around the 000000001.

See more on Windows Build Number 7600

More Windows 7 .Reg Files

DontDisplayLastUsername

The idea is to prevent one user inadvertently locking out another user account.  Stops the name of the last user displaying in the Logon dialog box.  Here is my example .reg file:

Copy the instructions below into a text file, save the file with .reg extension, for example NoDisplay.reg.  See more on DontDisplayLastUsername

Increase Simultaneous Downloads

The default in Windows Explorer 7 and earlier was 2.  However, in Windows Explorer 8 this has been increased to 6.  Here is how to increase to 10

Internet Explorer 8 Settings.

Note: dword:0000000a is ten in decimal.

Note: Observer that Internet … Explorer wraps to the next line.

Internet Explorer 7 and Lower Settings

These use FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPER1_0SERVER instead of FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPERSERVER

NoControlPanel – Disable the Control Panel

See more about NoControlPanel here

SolarWinds Firewall Browser

Here is an utility where you can review firewall settings such as access control lists (ACL), or troubleshoot problems with network address translation (NAT).

Other reasons to download this SolarWinds Firewall Browser include managing requests to change your firewall settings, testing firewall rules before you go live, and querying settings with the browser’s powerful search options.

Guy recommends that you download a copy of the SolarWinds free Firewall Browser.

More Examples of Windows 7 .Reg Files

Rename the Computer Icon

Is the example script below voodoo?  It sure is magic.  The code below will change the desktop icon called ‘Computer’ to display:  Username at MachineName.  Copy the instructions below into a text file, save the file with .reg extension, for example Computer.reg.

Perhaps it would be better to review this article before you start with the script below

Notice that LocalizedString=hex(2):  This is the way to script the data type called ‘Expanded String’.  What’s encoded in hex is: %username% at %computername%. If you need to investigate further, then read this article.

Registered Owner Classic Registry Editor Example

Let me take a wild guess.  Your organization is not called "Computer Performance", and, your RegisteredOwner is not "Guy".  My point is that you should make changes before you import my Owner.reg file.

Copy the instructions below into a text file, save the file with .reg extension, for example Owner.reg. Then refer toHow to transfer the .reg settings into the registry.

Here is the story of Evans Twp and RegisteredOwner

Roaming Profile – Disable

Registry tweak to prevent roaming profiles saving on the local machine.  Example registry .reg file.

Shortcut – Remove Arrow

Copy the instructions below into a text file, save the file with .reg extension, for example Arrow.reg.  Note: For this .reg example to work, you must get noarrow.ico, unzip and copy to Vista’s \windows folder.

Note:  In the .reg file you need a double back-slash (D:\\W7\\noarrow.ico),  However, when you merge the .reg file with the registry, one of the back-slashes gets removed.

See more details onhow to remove Windows 7 arrows on shortcuts

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UAC – Disable ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin

Disable the annoying UAC ‘Continue’ pop-up box; copy and paste this .reg example into notepad, save with .reg extension.  Double click and merge with your Vista registry.

• See much more on UAC (User Account Control)
• See more on ConsentPromptBehavior

Dissecting The Window 7.Reg Files

Registry Editor

Quite reasonably, the, very first line of your .reg file contains the name of the Registry editor. For Windows 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server 2003 (8), the correct name is: ‘Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00’.  Older registries such as Windows 95 and NT 4.0 use ‘REGEDIT4’.  Later registries are backwardly compatible, thus Vista understands ‘REGEDIT4’.  Incidentally, even though Vista’s regedit reports to be version 6.0 in its Help / ‘About’ menu, the .reg files that it creates report to be from Version 5.00, strange but true.

Blank Lines

You need a blank line between each set of .reg paths.  There is also a blank line between the Registry Editor Version, and the first path.  There is no need for a blank line between individual entries for the same path.  (See first example in the blue table above.)

; Comments

If you create your own .reg file, then it is possible to place judicious comments by preceding that line with a semi-colon.

; Created by Guy Thomas.  Purpose to display the Build Number on the desktop.

Summary of Windows 7 .Reg Files Examples

The technique is the same for all these files.  Copy my example into notepad, save the file with .reg extension, then double click and merge with your registry.  Remember to include the name of the Registry Editor, also keep the second line blank.  In order to see the fruits of your work, try this progression: press f5 (refresh), logoff / logon, finally try restarting your computer.

If you need more information on producing .reg files then check out this page:How to create .reg files.

More Windows 7 Registry Tweaks