Import

Importing reads a .reg file and writes its keys and values into the registry. This is how you restore an exported branch or apply a .reg file supplied by someone else.

Import A File

1. Open the File menu and choose Import.
2. Select the .reg file you want to import and confirm.

The keys and values in the file are created or updated in the registry. Existing values with the same name are overwritten with the data from the file.

Import From The Command Line

You can also import a file by starting O&O RegEditor with the path of a .reg file as an argument. O&O RegEditor asks for confirmation before it applies the file.

Importing changes the registry

An import writes directly to the registry and can overwrite existing values. Only import files whose contents you trust and understand. When in doubt, open the .reg file in a text editor first to see exactly which keys and values it changes.

Compatibility

O&O RegEditor reads standard Windows .reg files, including:

• All value types, including binary-encoded types such as REG_NONE.
• Comment lines that begin with a semicolon (;), which are ignored.
• Quoted strings with escaped quotes (\") and escaped backslashes (\\), which are decoded correctly — including paths that end in a backslash.

The file must be a valid Windows registry file. If a line cannot be interpreted, the import reports an error identifying the line so you can correct the file.

Restoring After A Mistake

If a change causes a problem and you exported the key beforehand, import that exported file to put the original data back. See Export.