Registry backup - not backed up since 1803

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xpd

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#251574 2-Jul-2019 08:55

"Apparently, there was a significant change in Windows 10 version 1803, starting from which Windows no longer backs up the system registry. Registry backups will still show as successful, but backup files being created in the RegBack folder are now empty! Which really looked like a bug – up until last week, when Microsoft confirmed this was done on purpose and is intended "to help reduce the overall disk footprint size of Windows"."

Registry is a tiny (yet important) part of Windows - reduce footprint, when its only using a toenails worth if that ? :)

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networkn

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#2268247 2-Jul-2019 09:05

I honestly don't get what's going on at MS for the past 3 years. So many odd decisions and weird priorities.

I can't recall the last time I thought about the space consumed by the registry, so it's obviously not that huge.

If they could find a way to downsize the page file without losing performance, THAT would be worth spending time on.

They could fix some of the literally dozens of long-standing annoying issues that have plagued Windows for years.

kiwifidget

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#2268256 2-Jul-2019 09:28

I didn't even know computers had been around that long. ;)

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

xpd

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#2268268 2-Jul-2019 09:44

Do a registry export.... its text. Sure, might end up with a HUGE text file... of about 10MB maybe. ;D

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xpd

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#2268513 2-Jul-2019 14:26

Ah, found out why theyre reducing its footprint.

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sbiddle

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#2268853 2-Jul-2019 21:54

In all seriousness it's stupid that this decision has been made, but the issue is so minor. How many people have ever used a backup registry to recover a PC? I'd pick pretty much close to zero.

networkn

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#2268855 2-Jul-2019 22:02

sbiddle:

In all seriousness it's stupid that this decision has been made, but the issue is so minor. How many people have ever used a backup registry to recover a PC? I'd pick pretty much close to zero.

The issue isn't that it was done, but how it was communicated AND, much more seriously, that it reports backup sucess when it's not.

I do know some specific instances where this is done at the request of a specific vendor, and those people have been caught out.

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#2268909 2-Jul-2019 23:18

sbiddle:

In all seriousness it's stupid that this decision has been made, but the issue is so minor. How many people have ever used a backup registry to recover a PC? I'd pick pretty much close to zero.

If someone is rolling back to a previous state using the built in roll back feature, doesn't that use the registry backups to restore the registry back to the sate it was in at that point in time?

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yitz

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#2268915 2-Jul-2019 23:54

So what does this affect exactly?

F8 last known good configuration?

System Restore?

IMO for workstations/desktops anyone still relying on the above should stop relying on those features and just take image backups.

freitasm

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#2268932 3-Jul-2019 06:54

Unless you are a technical person, who in the consumer space would make a registry backup anyway?

With the same of media available today, image backups are a lot easier. I can imagine registry restore causing all sorts of problems - synchronising installed applications with backups, then knowing what to restore comes to mind. Consumers aren't in that space. And IT Professionals should know better than to rely on pieces of backup that are not in the same single point in time as other parts of a system - unless you have backup strategies for all of them at the same time keeping things at the same level.

Jogre

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#2269019 3-Jul-2019 09:02

freitasm:

Unless you are a technical person, who in the consumer space would make a registry backup anyway?

With the same of media available today, image backups are a lot easier. I can imagine registry restore causing all sorts of problems - synchronising installed applications with backups, then knowing what to restore comes to mind. Consumers aren't in that space. And IT Professionals should know better than to rely on pieces of backup that are not in the same single point in time as other parts of a system - unless you have backup strategies for all of them at the same time keeping things at the same level.

I understand why people are upset about this, but I've yet to read anyone say "went to restore registry from auto-backup, was 0KB file, thanks Micro$oft".

Whenever I've been messing in registry and deleting keys, I've always taken a manual export first (clap clap you're so clever) so I have to admit I'm struggling to see what the fundamental issue is beyond the fact that it reports the backup is happening yet clearly it isn't. IT101, always make sure you have a good backup, not just a backup?

Regardless, with the attention we'll probably revert the change so that is good I guess.