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Import Windows PuTTY Registry Settings From External Hard Drive

June 22nd, 2009

I had a hard disk drive upgrade recently and had my files moved from the old HDD to the new HDD.

It was not really a tough task but then I found out some programs do not let you copy or export your settings so easily.

It is especially so when the saved data is in Windows Registry. 🙁

And that happens to my favourite SSH client, PuTTY.

I dread to think of finding the 20 odd host settings and recreate them again.

So the urgency was to import PuTTY host entries from the windows registry in my external hard drive.

Alright, before we proceed, let’s just say I know I can plug that external hard drive as a bootable OS to another machine and copy the registry settings. I could have even do that before the physical upgrade, it just so happen that I did not. 🙂

So here’s how we can import windows registry from external hard drive to our local drive.

Follow with caution and I do not assume any liability for any of your loss. Backup your registry file first.

Skills Level : Medium

1) Run regedit
Start -> Run -> ‘regedit’
putty_registry_import1

2) Browse to HKEY_USERS
Selecting HKEY_USERS, go to File -> Load Hive.
Select your registry file which you want to import from.
It could be from any of the following files:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Config\software
C:\Documents and Settings\username\ntuser.dat
D:\Profiles\username\ntuser.dat

putty_registry_import2

3) Name the Hive with a unique name
Create a ‘TempReg’ for it.
Locate this branch: HKEY_USERS\TempReg\Software\SimonTatham
If not found, try another file from the path given in 2)

putty_registry_import3

4) Export the Hive
Select SimonTatham, right click and Export

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5) Exported Registry
Exported file will have the branch information for [HKEY_USERS\TempReg\Software\SimonTatham]

putty_registry_import5

6) Replace the Registry Path
Replace [HKEY_USERS\TempReg\Software\SimonTatham]
with [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham]

putty_registry_import6

7) Unload Hive
Now unload the external registry from Registry Editor

putty_registry_import7

8 ) Merge Registry
Right click on the reg file you have just exported and select Merge

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9) Done
If you get a success message, then your registry patch has completed.
If you get a failure message, check that you have done step 6) correctly and according to your machine settings.

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