Applying permissions to a Windows registry key

This article describes how to change permissions in the registry, in Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista computers. Do not edit the Windows registry unless you are confident about doing so.

Before you edit the registry, you are advised make a backup:

• At the taskbar, click Start|Run. Type ‘Regedit’ and press ‘Return’. On the ‘Registry’ menu, click ‘Export Registry File’. In the Export range panel, click ‘All’, then save your registry as Backup.

Windows NT and Windows 2000

1. At the taskbar, click Start|Run. Type ‘Regedt32’ and press ‘Return’.
2. In the ‘Registry Editor’ window, select the entry for which you want to change the permissions.
3. From the menu at the top of the window, select Security|Permissions.
4. The ‘Permissions for <registry key name>’ dialog is displayed.
   From here you can
   • select users and change their permissions.
   • click ‘Advanced’ to open the ‘Access Control Settings for <registry key name>’ dialog box, and change users access control.
5. When you have completed your changes, click ‘OK’ to accept them.

Windows 2003 and Windows XP

1. At the taskbar, click Start|Run. Type ‘Regedit’ and press ‘Return’.
2. In the ‘Registry Editor’ window, right-click the entry which you want to change, and choose ‘Permissions’.
3. The ‘Permissions for <registry key name>’ dialog is displayed.
   From here you can
   • select users and change their permissions.
   • click ‘Advanced’ to open the ‘Access Control Settings for <registry key name>’ dialog box, and change users access control.
4. When you have completed your changes, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’ to accept them.

Windows Vista

1. Click Start,  then in the ‘Start Search’ field, type ‘Regedit’ and press ‘Return’.
2. In the ‘Registry Editor’ window, right-click the entry which you want to change, and choose ‘Permissions’.
3. The ‘Permissions for <registry key name>’ dialog is displayed.
   From here you can
   • select users and change their permissions.
   • click ‘Advanced’ to open the ‘Access Control Settings for <registry key name>’ dialog box, and change users access control.
4. When you have completed your changes, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’ to accept them.

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Ravi Chopra

With 19 years of hands-on experience in the IT industry, I’m passionate about sharing the knowledge I’ve gained across a wide range of technologies. Specializing in Active Directory, Azure, VMware, Windows, and Linux, I am dedicated to empowering IT professionals and enthusiasts with practical insights and solutions.

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