any useful tools for merging lots of *.reg files into one master reg file?

x509 · Mar 13, 2025

I'm beginning to accumulate a bunch of reg files that I would want to apply to all my Win 11 installs (4 and counting),. It would be nice to have just one reg file to "rule them all."

I know I can do this with brute force copying and pasting, but I was wondering if there is some tool into which I could feed all the reg files and get this one master file

Same question for PS1 commands.

Thanks in advance.

2H23 V 22631.4890

antspants · Mar 13, 2025

Winaero Tweaker has a section where you can do that. I use it all the time.

Accessible under "Tools”

Open Winaero Tweaker.
Go to "Tools" in the main menu.
Select "Merge Reg Files".
Add the desired registry files to the tool.
Click the "Merge" button to combine the files.

How to Combine Multiple Registry Files into a Single One

In this article, we will see how to combining various Registry tweaks into a single file and how to make this process faster.

winaero.com

dacrone · Mar 13, 2025

Just for your notes, you can also use powershell to import all reg files with a folder/directory at once:

Save as a .bat file:

Code:

<# :
  @echo off
    powershell /nologo /noprofile /command ^
        "&{[ScriptBlock]::Create((cat """%~f0""") -join [Char[]]10).Invoke(@(&{$args}%*))}"
  exit /b
#>

    $regFiles  = Get-ChildItem 'C:\PathHere\*.reg'
        foreach ($file in $regFiles) {
          reg import $file
         }

Or just for powershell/ .ps1:

Code:

$regFiles  = Get-ChildItem 'C:\PathHere\*.reg'
        foreach ($file in $regFiles) {
          reg import $file
         }

Replace PathHere with actual path, but keep *.reg at the end

LesFerch · Mar 13, 2025

You can do that at a command line (Cmd) with a simple copy command:

copy file1.reg+file2.reg+file3.reg new.reg

or

copy *.reg new.reg

It's perfectly fine for the reg file header line to be repeated.

antspants · Mar 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
You can do that at a command line (Cmd) with a simple copy command:

copy file1.reg+file2.reg+file3.reg new.reg

or

copy *.reg new.reg

It's perfectly fine for the reg file header line to be repeated.

Les, wouldn’t that be time consuming (creating the command) when (like me) there are approx 45/50 reg files to merge?

LesFerch · Mar 13, 2025

antspants said:
Les, wouldn’t that be time consuming (creating the command) when (like me) there are approx 45/50 reg files to merge?

Yes. With a lot of reg files, especially if they are in multiple folders, using Winaero Tweaker, as you recommended, would be much more efficient.

I was just pointing out an alternative that may be a good solution in some cases, such as combining all the reg files from one folder using *.reg.

Also, since reg files are text files, a text editor with a good pick and choose file combiner would also work well.

garlin · Mar 13, 2025

When appending .reg files (copy reg1+reg2+reg3.... new.reg), the last executed change on the same key wins.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation"=dword:00000001
...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation"=dword:00000000

If you know exactly what's in each files, and it's not a giant combination of random tweaks, that's fine

Otherwise you can get into trouble when combining several files that having conflicting settings. Windows doesn't really care, but the final result of applying the single file might not be what you expect it to be. You don't get any warnings about duplicates or conflicts.

For expert users, I recommend Gerson Kurz's regdiff tool for comparison and merging. Though it only handles two reg sources at the same time.
REGDIFF - Version 4.3

x509 · Mar 13, 2025

Thanks for everyone who posted. I'm relatively new to the kind of Windows managemnet based on extensive use of reg files and PS1 scripts. It was useful to see the variety of approaches suggested in this thread.

I'm going to suggest a program that probably comes out of a fever dream, or maybe when I've had about 10 too many shots of slivovitz. (With a friend, we once polished off most of a bottle of slivovitz. We regretted that for days afterwards.)

So here is my idea, a challenge to registry gurus. Write a program (database?) that lists all the keys included in a fresh install of Windows, and default value. Plus the keys installed by popular software. Then scan a current registry and flag all the keys that have been modified, and a short explanation of the meaning of the original and current settings.

Please comment on this challenge program and improve the description.

pseymour · Mar 13, 2025

I like the idea itself, but it’s a Sisyphean task, if you ask me.

What even is a default install of Windows? No drivers, or whose driver set? Which features? Which capabilities? Which AppX packages? Which languages?

And that’s with no applications.

I’ll find happiness and inner peace before you finish this task.

But again, I like the idea of it.

garlin · Mar 13, 2025

pseymour said:
But again, I like the idea of it.

@Brink: "How to Disable or Enable Copilot for W11 25H2 Desktop Settings [April 1, 2026]".

Brink · Mar 13, 2025

garlin said:
@Brink: "How to Disable or Enable Copilot for W11 25H2 Desktop Settings [April 1, 2026]".

Should be the same as below unless changed again.

Uninstall or Reinstall Copilot app in Windows 11 and Windows 10

This tutorial will show you different ways to uninstall or reinstall the Copilot app for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Experience Microsoft Copilot on Windows devices using the Copilot app! Copilot helps you get answers and inspiration from across the web, supports...

www.elevenforum.com

garlin · Mar 13, 2025

My humor is too subtle... :lie:

pseymour · Mar 13, 2025

I hate to admit I didn't get it either.

x509 · Mar 13, 2025

pseymour said:
I like the idea itself, but it’s a Sisyphean task, if you ask me.

What even is a default install of Windows? No drivers, or whose driver set? Which features? Which capabilities? Which AppX packages? Which languages?

And that’s with no applications.

Good questions, all. Like I said, after too many shots of slivovitz over dinner.

pseymour said:
I’ll find happiness and inner peace before you finish this task.

Me!?!?!?! I can't even program in C or Java, let alone python.

If I told you the programming languages I learned in college and used early in my career, and the machines I used, you would probably consign me to a dementia treatment center.

pseymour said:
But again, I like the idea of it.

Glad. I'm hoping someone out there, wherever he is, will take this idea on as a challenge. Chris Titus maybe?

LesFerch · Mar 13, 2025

x509 said:
I can't even program in C or Java, let alone python.

I would have expected that to be worded the other way around.

Tester · Mar 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
I would have expected that to be worded the other way around.

He has dementia so he forgot wich language was the most difficult.

nuspieds · Mar 13, 2025

x509 said:
Thanks for everyone who posted. I'm relatively new to the kind of Windows managemnet based on extensive use of reg files and PS1 scripts. It was useful to see the variety of approaches suggested in this thread.

I'm going to suggest a program that probably comes out of a fever dream, or maybe when I've had about 10 too many shots of slivovitz. (With a friend, we once polished off most of a bottle of slivovitz. We regretted that for days afterwards.)

So here is my idea, a challenge to registry gurus. Write a program (database?) that lists all the keys included in a fresh install of Windows, and default value. Plus the keys installed by popular software. Then scan a current registry and flag all the keys that have been modified, and a short explanation of the meaning of the original and current settings.

Please comment on this challenge program and improve the description.

Well, I don't see the feasibility of any single person being able to explain any and all possible registry changes. The Windows-specific ones are in the realm of a possibility but the app-specific ones? Who on Earth knows every single Windows app out there and the registry settings they touch to be able to explain the changes?!

This, I think, is a more realistic solution:

Export the registry after your fresh Windows install (e.g., Windows Base.reg).
Export the registry after your standard app installs (e.g., Windows Base With Standard Apps.reg)
Continue to export the registry after whatever additional installs/milestones/events that you deem are noteworthy.
Use a file comparison app that will compare two (or more) files and show you which lines, and texts on those lines, that have changed.

LesFerch · Mar 13, 2025

A lot of smart filtering would be required since HKLM has become extremely large and HKCU has become extremely noisy (and quite large as well).

nuspieds · Mar 13, 2025

No smart filtering necessary: For example, I have UltraCompare; feed it two or more text files and it will simply highlight the lines--and text on those lines--that are different.

pseymour · Mar 13, 2025

For applications, I'd use something like the way ProcMon works, so it can be filtered to just that app, and maybe child processes. Even if you're trying to capture the activity of a simple app, there's just too much other background noise going on at the same time. Doing something like dumping reg files would capture that noise, and you wouldn't know what's from the app and what isn't.

This is an interesting thought experiment though. Makes me sleepy just pondering on the undertaking of it.

any useful tools for merging lots of *.reg files into one master reg file?

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