Registry Editor not working on Windows 11? Well, yes, this critical issue requires your urgent attention. Windows Registry Editor app is a hierarchical database that stores Windows configuration settings related to user profile, boot-up functions, device drivers, and more. So, the Registry Editor is used for making admin-level or root-level changes to the OS.

To open the Registry Editor app on Windows, press the Windows + R key combination, type “Regedit,” and hit Enter. However, if the Registry app fails to open your device or keeps crashing, you can use the below-listed methods to resolve the issue.

In this post, we have listed a few solutions that you can use for fixing the “Registry Editor not working” issue by following simple troubleshooting.

How to Fix Registry Editor not Working on Windows 11

Let’s get started.

Also read: How to Disable Access to the Registry Editor in Windows 10

Solution 1: Run the SFC and DISM Commands

SFC (System File Checker) is a built-in Windows utility that scans and restores corrupt system files on your device. The SFC tool protects the system files and replaces the corrupt files with a cached version. To run the SFC command on Windows 11, here’s what you need to do:

Tap on the search icon placed on the Taskbar and type “Command Prompt.” Select the “Run as administrator” option to launch the Command Prompt in admin mode.

In the Terminal window, execute the following command:

sfc/scannow

Wait for a little while until the SFC command is executed. After the SFC tool has done its job, run the DISM command on your device. The DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is another command line tool used for servicing Windows images. To run the DISM command, type the following command in the Terminal window and hit Enter:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

After executing the DISM and SFC commands on your Windows 11 PC, reboot your device and relaunch the Registry Editor app to check if the issue was resolved.

Also read: How To Clean The Registry Using Windows Registry Cleaner Software?

Solution 2: Use the System Maintenance Troubleshooter

Tap the search icon placed on the Taskbar, type “Control Panel,” and hit Enter.

The Control Panel window will now appear on the screen. Tap on the “View by Large icons” option placed in the top-right corner. Select “Troubleshooting.”

Tap on the “Run maintenance tasks” option placed under the “System and Security” category.

Follow the on-screen instructions and run the System Maintenance Troubleshooter on your Windows PC.

Solution 3: Manually Enable the Registry Editor App

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box. Type “Gpedit.msc” in the textbox and hit Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.

In the Group Policy app, navigate to the following folder location:

User Configuration> Administrative Templates> System.

In the System folder, select “Prevent access to registry editing tools.” Double-tap on it to open Properties.

Select the “Not configured” or “Disabled” option. Hit on the OK and Appy buttons to save the recent changes. Reboot your machine and launch the Registry Editor app to check if the issue was resolved.

Also read: How to Fix “The Configuration Registry Database Is Corrupt” Issue on Windows 10

Solution 4: Replace the Regedit.exe File

In our next workaround to fix the “Registry editor not working” issue, we will try to replace the broken executable file of the Registry Editor with a new one. Here’s what you need to do:

Launch the Command Prompt app in admin mode. In the Terminal window, execute the following command:

takeown /f “C:\Windows\regedit.exe”

Once this command is executed, run the following command after it:

icacls “C:\Windows\regedit.exe” /grant “%username%”:F

Here comes the next step. Once you’ve executed both the above-listed commands, launch the File Explorer app on your Windows PC.

Navigate to This PC> C:> Windows.

Now, scroll down and look for “Regedit.” Right-click on it and select “Rename.” Rename the Regedit.exe file as “RegeditOLD.exe.”

Make these changes and relaunch the Registry app to check if the issue persists.

Solution 5: Perform a System Restore

Tap on the search icon placed on the Taskbar and type “Create a restore point.” Hit Enter.

The System Restore window will now appear on the screen. Tap on “System Restore.”

Pick the most recent restore point from the list and hit _the “Next” button.

Review the details and hit the “Finish” button to restore your device.

With the help of the System Restore feature, you can easily roll back your device to a previous checkpoint to undo the recent changes.

Conclusion

Here are a few simple methods to fix the “Registry editor not working on Windows 11” issue.  The Registry Editor app is often used to troubleshoot or perform system-level tweaks on your device. You can use any of the above-listed solutions to get the Registry Editor app up and running again within no time.

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