Regback Copy Not Working Direct

Starting with Windows 10, version 1803, the "RegBack" copy functionality is not "broken" but was intentionally disabled by Microsoft to reduce the operating system's overall disk footprint. When you check the \Windows\System32\config\RegBack folder, you will often find registry hive files that are 0 KB in size, meaning no actual backup exists. Why the Feature was Removed

According to official documentation from Microsoft, the legacy automatic registry backup was replaced by System Restore points. Microsoft recommends using these restore points to recover a system with a corrupt registry hive rather than relying on the manual "copy and paste" method from the RegBack folder. How to Re-enable Automatic RegBack Copies

If you prefer the old behavior, you can force Windows to start creating these backups again by modifying the registry itself:

Open Registry Editor: Type regedit in the Windows search bar and run it as an administrator.

Navigate to the Key: Go to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager.

Create a New Value: Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it EnablePeriodicBackup.

Set Value to 1: Double-click the new entry and change its value to 1.

Restart and Run Task: Restart your computer. To trigger the backup immediately, open Task Scheduler and run the RegIdleBackup task found under Microsoft\Windows\Registry. Alternative: Manual Backups

Because the RegBack feature is no longer reliable by default, experts at Windows Latest suggest performing manual exports: How to turn registry backup back on in Windows 10

If you are finding that the files in your folder are 0 KB or missing, it's because starting with Windows 10 version 1803

, Microsoft intentionally stopped backing up the system registry to that folder to reduce the overall disk footprint

To re-enable this "feature" and have Windows automatically populate that folder again, you must manually create a specific registry key. How to Re-enable Automatic Registry Backups Open Registry Editor , and hit Enter. Navigate to the following path

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager Create a New Value Right-click on the Configuration Manager DWORD (32-bit) Value EnablePeriodicalBackup Set the Value : Double-click your new entry and change the Value data : Reboot your computer. Important Notes Manual Trigger regback copy not working

: Even after the registry change, Windows might not back up immediately. You can force it via Task Scheduler by navigating to Library > Microsoft > Windows > Registry and right-clicking RegIdleBackup Files Still 0 KB? : According to Microsoft Support , this folder was superseded by System Restore . They recommend using System Restore points as the primary way to recover from registry issues. Verification

: After the next scheduled maintenance task runs, your files in C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack should show actual file sizes instead of 0 KB. Microsoft Learn Are you trying to recover a crashed system

using these files, or just setting up a preventative backup?

The "RegBack copy" method often fails because Microsoft disabled automatic registry backups by design starting in Windows 10 (version 1803) to reduce the system's disk footprint . Because of this, the

folder is usually empty or contains files that are 0 KB in size, making the standard restoration commands ineffective. Microsoft Learn Why the Copy Command Fails Empty Folders : If you navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack , you will likely see files with a size of

. Copying these "empty" files will overwrite your current registry with nothing, effectively breaking the system further. Feature Disabled

: Windows no longer populates this folder automatically unless a specific registry key is manually enabled beforehand. Microsoft Learn Alternative Fixes for a No-Boot System If you are trying to fix a corrupted registry and the method isn't working, try these official alternatives:

Here’s a full, structured review of the issue “regback copy not working” — based on common Windows system administration and recovery scenarios.

Alternative: Manual Registry Backup (When RegBack Still Fails)

If despite all efforts, the built-in RegBack mechanism refuses to work, do not leave yourself unprotected. Create a manual registry backup using these methods:

From Inside Windows (Bootable System)

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Stop the Registry service (optional but cleaner):
```
net stop "Remote Registry"
```

Replace the live hives with backups:

cd C:\Windows\System32\config
rename SOFTWARE SOFTWARE.corrupt
rename SYSTEM SYSTEM.corrupt
rename SAM SAM.corrupt
rename SECURITY SECURITY.corrupt
rename DEFAULT DEFAULT.corrupt
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SOFTWARE .
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SYSTEM .
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SAM .
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\SECURITY .
copy C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack\DEFAULT .

Restart the computer.

5. Remediation and Solutions

Since the native regback functionality is disabled by default, administrators must implement alternative strategies.

Fix: Regback Copy Not Working (Config Folder Empty)

If you are trying to restore your Windows Registry using the regback folder (usually located at C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack) and finding that the files are missing or showing 0 bytes, you are not alone.

This is a common issue that confuses many IT administrators and power users. This guide explains why this happens and how to fix it. Starting with Windows 10, version 1803, the "RegBack"

Final Verdict

The regback copy is not "not working"—it has been deprecated. The empty RegBack folder is the expected behavior on modern Windows versions. Do not rely on the old RegBack folder for disaster recovery. Instead, use reg save manually, enable System Restore, or use VSS-aware backup software.

If you are following an outdated tutorial that tells you to copy files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack, ignore it. That method has been obsolete since 2017.

Article last updated: 2025

The issue where the RegBack copy command fails or the folder appears empty is a deliberate design change by Microsoft, not a bug. Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Windows no longer automatically backs up the system registry to the RegBack folder to reduce the overall disk footprint. 💡 Why It Is "Not Working"

Empty Folders: If you navigate to \Windows\System32\config\RegBack, you will likely see registry hives (DEFAULT, SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, SYSTEM) with a size of 0 KB.

Command Failures: When using the command copy *.* .. in the recovery console, you may receive the error "The system cannot find the file specified" or "0 file(s) copied" because the source files are empty or missing. 🔧 How to Fix and Re-enable RegBack

If you want to restore this legacy behavior so you have a manual recovery point in the future, you must edit the registry:

Open Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.

Navigate to: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager.

Create a New Value: Right-click, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it: EnablePeriodicBackup. Set Value: Double-click it and change the Value data to 1. Restart: Reboot your computer.

Trigger the Task: To populate the folder immediately, go to Task Scheduler > Microsoft\Windows\Registry and right-click the RegIdleBackup task to select Run. 🚑 Alternatives for Immediate System Recovery

Since RegBack is often empty when you need it most, use these alternatives for a no-boot situation: Windows 10 & 11 Enable Regback Open Command Prompt as Administrator

If you are trying to fix a boot loop by copying files from the folder only to find it empty (0 KB files)

, it is not a bug—it is "by design." Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Microsoft disabled automatic registry backups to reduce the disk footprint of the OS. Here is why your

copy isn't working and how you can actually fix your system. Why the RegBack folder is empty

Microsoft officially stopped backing up the system registry to the \Windows\System32\config\RegBack

folder in 2018. While the folder still exists, the "hives" (DEFAULT, SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, SYSTEM) inside are now placeholder files with 0 KB in size . If you try to copy these into your active

folder, you will likely break your Windows installation further because you are replacing your registry with empty files. How to fix your registry now

is no longer a reliable recovery point for modern Windows, use these alternatives to repair a corrupted system: Use System Restore

: This is Microsoft's recommended replacement for registry backups. Boot into the Advanced Startup menu (WinRE). Troubleshoot Advanced options System Restore

Pick a restore point from before the issue started. This will roll back your registry to a functional state. Pull from Volume Shadow Copies

: If you are tech-savvy, you can use the command prompt in recovery mode to pull registry files from a "Shadow Copy" created by Windows. This is essentially what System Restore does, but it can be done manually if the standard UI fails. Reset Your PC

: If no restore points are available, you may need to use the Reset this PC feature. Choose "Keep my files"

to refresh the Windows system files (including the registry) while preserving your personal data. How to re-enable RegBack for the future If you want the old

behavior back so you can use manual copy commands in the future, you must re-enable it in the Registry Editor:

Option B: Manual Restore from Windows.old

If you recently updated Windows, you might have a Windows.old folder.

In the Command Prompt (WinRE), navigate to your Windows drive (often D: or E: in recovery mode, not C:).
Type: dir to confirm you are in the right drive (look for Windows folder).
Navigate to the old config: cd windows.old\windows\system32\config
Copy the files to the active config folder: copy *.* C:\windows\system32\config (Note: Replace C: with whatever letter your main drive is assigned in recovery mode).