Track Windows Registry Changes With Regshot

Windows Registry is one of the most important databases on your computer, if not the most. The Registry keeps track of all of the information. Every application and function on your computer needs to function correctly. Every time you install a new application, driver, or make any substantial change to the settings, there are some changes in the Registry. If you can track Windows Registry changes, it will help with many things.

The list includes license keys, app settings, Windows settings, and other vital data in case you forget something. While there is no direct way to keep track of all the changes done to the Windows Registry, there is a very efficient application to do so. The Regshot application lets you track all the changes done to the Windows registry at any time.

This article gives a detailed review of features, the application itself, and the use cases of Regshot. Please ensure that you stay tuned till the end of this article to get a detailed perspective.

Track Windows Registry Changes with Regshot

Why Track Changes In Windows Registry?

There are many reasons and benefits for keeping track of changes in the Windows Registry. Some of them are:

  • To Clear Junk: Some software and changes to your settings can create unnecessary entries to the Registry, which will just be clouding the organized data in it. Keeping track of changes will help you eliminate all the excessive entries.
  • To Retrieve License Keys: In case you have forgotten the license key for software you have installed on your computer. If you have kept track of the Registry, you can retrieve the license key for most software. Tracking changes in the Registry can also help you extend the free trial duration on some applications.
  • For PC Safety: If there is an application you don’t entirely trust, keeping track of the changes in the Registry can help you avoid any mishaps. Malicious applications can infect the Registry with data that will create issues for your PC. If the Registry is infected, you can completely save it.

Well, now that you know how important it is to keep track of all the changes happening to your Windows Registry, let’s look at one of the finest Registry Changes tracker applications out there.

Regshot: Track Windows Registry Changes

Regshot is a free minimalistic, trusted, tested, open-source registry changes tracker. The best part with Regshot being open source is that you can bet on its integrity as nothing is going on behind the scenes with the application. It also eliminates the need to take a backup of the Registry every time you need to make a crucial change.

The Regshot application works by taking a snapshot of the Windows registry and then comparing it with a more recent one to detect changes. You can export these changes in either an HTML or a TXT file. Both files can be viewed through the preinstalled Notepad application on your computer.

Since Regshot is such a simple and straightforward application, there is not much polishing to the interface; in fact, it may appear pretty outdated. The application itself is not updated frequently but does not fail to serve the purpose.+

Regshot Application In Windows

Regshot provides quite some details regarding the changes in the Registry. You get detailed information on the keys added or removed. The software displays any values added or deleted and the previous and current values of any keys modified. Regshot has been around since 2001 and has been popular among geeks.

To sum it all up, Regshot is extremely efficient, lightweight, and open-source utility software. The interface may look primitive, but the application does not *-lack in any aspect other than that. You can free your PC of junk.

Using Regshot To Track Changes In Windows Registry

Regshot is a registry comparison tool that takes a snapshot of your Registry, saves it into HTML or Text format, scans the Windows directory or the directory you have set for the system files or any other program, and saves it in HIV format.

This tool works in three stages. For example, if you plan to install software, then before that, run Regshot and save the snapshot on your computer and use the 1st Shot button. This button will be automatically disabled.

After you install the software, use the 2nd Shot button the software. Once the second snapshot is taken and you have saved it, you will see that the next button enabled is compared.

Press the compare button, and it will automatically start comparing with the previous version you had taken a snapshot of. I loved this part because I didn’t have to load anything separately, making things easier for me. Once the comparison is complete, it will open up the result in the format you selected before.

Registry Comaprison Result

What will you get in the comparison result?

  • Keys Added with details of the key names.
  • Values Added, Deleted with details, and keys modified will tell you previous and current values.
  • Fore Directories you had selected, you will get to know if any file was added or deleted, etc.

Regshot also lets you load the snapshots manually. So once everything is done, hit the clear button. Next, click on the 1st Shot button and you will have the option to load the file, select the first snapshot of the Registry and load it. Repeat for a second and follow by comparing, and you will get the same result.

Anytime you want to change snapshots and compare them with different snapshots, click on the clear button, and you will have the option to remove one of them. It also comes in handy when you cannot open the Registry Editor and still want to find out the changes.

Download Regshot@Sourceforge

Conclusion

Well, this was all for our article on tracking Windows Registry changes with Regshot. We hope you found the article to be insightful. I hope you liked this Reg compare tool.

While using practical open source applications, having not so well polished interface is common, but that does not harm their usage. If you liked the article, please share it with everyone.

Is It Safe To Delete Entries In Windows Registry?

No, it is not safe to delete anything from the Windows Registry. You never know if you end up deleting entries associated with essential Windows services, settings, and applications. Deleting the wrong Windows Registry entry can cause a fair amount of trouble for your computer, as some applications and features may not work.

Does Registry Affect Performance?

The data stored in the Windows Registry is responsible for many processes, settings, and applications on your Windows computer. If the space is too crowded with junk entries, or there is tampering with the data, it may affect the performance.

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