The Windows registry is actually a database that stores all of your operating system settings. In addition to this, the registry also tracks kernel operation and exposes runtime data such as currently active hardware and performance counters.



The registry consists of two important things, keys and values. Keys are very similar to folders on your computer and they contain subkeys. Values contain data and are stored within keys.

Having said all of that, the first thing that you'll need to do to enable regedit is click on Start, then Run. In the command box, type the following:

REG add HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0

After hitting "OK", you will be presented with a prompt asking if you want to overwrite the DisableRegistryTools value. Choose "Yes", then hit enter.

Next, type the following command into the command box:

REG add HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0

After you're finished, hit "Enter" and answer "Yes" to the next prompt you're presented with.

Hopefully this short article has helped you enable regedit on your Windows machine. Manually editing the Windows registry is not for the feint of heart, and you should only attempt to do so if you're experienced with such matters. For most users, downloading a registry cleaning and editing program is safer and highly recommended.