The Windows Registry Editor is an extremely powerful tool for experienced users, allowing them to make a number of changes and implement new functions on their computers. However, it can become a huge responsibility in the hands of a novice, as any misstep can mess up your Windows installation. To help you prevent your friends or colleagues from messing with your computer, here is how you can disable and re-enable the Registry Editor on your Windows 10 computer.
Disable Access to the Windows Registry on Your Computer (June 2021)
Here we will show you 3 ways to disable access to Registry on your Windows 10 computer. We will use the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit) and Registry Editor (regedit) to disable the Windows Registry on your device. We’ll also show you how to re-enable access to the Windows Registry Editor when you finally get your computer back. Note that the methods below apply to Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.
Disable Registry Editor in Windows 10 Using Group Policy
note: Group Policy Editor is not officially available in Windows 10 Home. However, you can enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home by following our detailed guide linked here.
1. First open the Local Group Policy Editor. To do this, use the Windows keyboard shortcut. Win + R At the same time to open the Run dialog, click Also “To run” in the Windows Search Bar. Now type “gpedit.mscIn the Run window ” and Enter or “OK” to open the Group Policy Editor.
2. In the Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path using the left sidebar: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System. In the right pane, double-click the entry that says “.Deny access to registry editing tools“.
3. In the next window “activated” and shot To apply or OK. Finally, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
4. Now, when you try to access Registry Editor (regedit) on your Windows 10 PC, you will get an error message as seen below.
Enabling this option on an account applies the changes to all users on that computer, including Administrator accounts. note that you must be logged in from an Administrator account to be able to use the above trick in the first place. When you disable the registry editor, no one using that computer can access this feature. But you can easily undo the changes by following the steps below.
Disable Access Using the Windows Registry
note: Fine-tuning the Registry Editor is fraught with dangers. It is recommended to enable and create a System Restore point before making any changes..
1. First, open the Windows Registry Editor. To do this, Search for “regedit” In the Windows Search Bar and click on the first result.
2. In the Registry Editor window, use the left sidebar to navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies. Now right click “Policies” and select New -> Key from the menu. Name the new key”system” (without the quotes) and press Enter.
3. Then select (click on) the newly created System folder if it is not already selected. In the right pane, right-click on the empty space and New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new key”Disable Registry Tools” (without the quotes) and press Enter.
4. Now double click the new DWORD and change hexadecimal value from 0 to 1 or 2 (see below for what the values mean). Click “OK” to save the changes and restart your computer for these changes to take effect.
DisableRegistryTools values are:
0 – Registry Editor enabled
1 – Registry Editor only works in ‘quiet mode’ using the /s switch when at command prompt
2 – Registry Editor disabled, cannot start normally or silently
Note that this policy is limited to the current user account only. If you want to apply the policy for all users, you will need to repeat the process for each user on a PC. Moreover, Do not use the value “2” if you do not have access to the Group Policy Editor. In this case, re-enabling the feature will involve some degree of complexity, as you will now see.
Re-enable Registry Editor in Windows 10
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Method 1: Using Group Policy
To re-enable the Windows Registry using the following method, you must be logged in from an Administrator account.
Open the Group Policy Editor and User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System as previously described. Now double click on “Deny access to registry editing tools” in the right pane and select “Not set“. Then click OK or Apply to save the changes.
This much. You can now access the Registry Editor again on your Windows 10 computer.
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Using Command Prompt
After disabling the Registry Editor, you can also re-enable it using the Windows Command Prompt. Here’s how to do this:
1. Open Notepad and copy and paste the following code: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00. Now save it as a registry file (.reg) by pressing the “ button.File -> Save as” option. You can give the file any name you want, but for the purpose of this demo I’m naming it “EnableRegEdit.reg“.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableRegistryTools"=dword:00000000
2. Now open Command Prompt in Administrator mode. To do this, search for “command prompt” in the Windows Search Bar and click “Run as administrator“.
3. Then run the following command: cd C:\Users\[username]\Desktop To navigate to the path of the reg file. Remember to use the actual location of your file. If it’s on your desktop, the file location will most likely be the same as mine, but remember to use your own username in the command.
4. Next, copy and paste the following command to activate the Registry and hit Enter: regedit.exe /s EnableRegEdit.reg
This much! Your DisableRegistryTools DWORD will now change from 1 to 0 and you should regain access to Registry Editor.
Easily Close Registry Editor on Your Windows 10 PC
Now that you know how to enable or disable access to the Registry Editor on your Windows 10 PC, you can do this by handing over your system to someone without having to worry about messing them up. However, the Windows Registry is a powerful tool, so remember to be careful when you do anything with it. By the way, if you plan to lend your computer to someone, you should also learn how to password protect files and folders in Windows 10. So go ahead, follow our tutorials to enhance your privacy and protect your system when sharing your computer with others.
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