How to Fix Error Accessing the Registry in Windows 11

Method 2: Change Registry Permissions

If you still get errors accessing the registry after running Registry Editor as administrator, there may be a problem with your registry permissions. You can try changing registry permissions to give you full control over the registry keys associated with the .reg file you are trying to import. Here are the steps:

1. Open Registry Editor as administrator as described in the previous method.
2. Look for the registry key associated with the .reg file you are trying to import. You can see the registry key name at the top of the .reg file if you open it with Notepad. For example, if your .reg file contains the following lines:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]

Then the associated registry key is

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer.

3. Right-click on the corresponding registry key and select Permissions.
4. In the Permissions window, click on your account name and check the Full Control box under the Allow column. If your account name is not in the list, click Add and type your account name in the Enter the object names to select box. Click Check Names to verify and click OK.
5. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
6. Close Registry Editor and try importing the .reg file again.

If this method works, you will be able to import .reg file without any problem. However, if this method does not work, you can try the next method.

Method 3: Check Your .reg Files

If you still get the error accessing the registry after changing your registry permissions, there may be a problem with the .reg file itself. You can try checking your .reg files to make sure that they are not corrupted, incomplete, or incompatible with your version of Windows 11. Here are some things you can do:

• Open the .reg file with Notepad and check if it has the correct format. The .reg file should begin with the following line:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

Followed by an empty row and a row containing the registry key and registry value you want to change. For example:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer] “ShowSuperHidden”=dword:00000001

If your .reg file does not have the correct format, you can try editing it with Notepad or create a new .reg file with the correct format.

• Check if your .reg file is compatible with your version of Windows 11. .reg files created for older versions of Windows may not work properly in Windows 11. You can try searching for .reg files created for Windows 11 with the same or similar keywords as your .reg files. You can search for .reg files on trusted websites like tenforums.com or winaero.com. Make sure you read the description and comments of the .reg file before you download and import it.
• Make a backup copy of your registry before you import .reg files. This will help you restore the registry to its previous state in case of problems. You can make a backup copy of the registry by following these steps:
  1. Open Registry Editor as administrator as described in the previous method.
  2. Click File and select Export.
  3. Choose a location to save your registry backup file and name it a file. Make sure you select the All option under the Export range.
  4. Click Save and wait for the export process to complete.
  5. To restore the registry from a backup file, click File and select Import. Select the registry backup file you created earlier and click Open.

If this method works, you will be able to import the .reg file without getting an error accessing the registry. However, if this method does not work, you can try the next method.