WARNING:  Use at your own risk.  If you screw up the registry, you will break your computer and will have to reinstall.  This is not recommended.


There are a few files that make up the Windows registry.   The following are located in %systemroot%\system32\config:

SYSTEM - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM
sam - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SAM
security - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SECURITY
SOFTWARE - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE
default - HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT

The following is located under each user profile and maps to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER when the user is logged, and the HKEY_USERS.<SID>

ntuser.dat

If you want to view and edit these files from another machine, you must copy them offline.   Windows will lock these files at all times.   You can them load them into the Regedit command as follows:

1.  Make a temporary folder underneath your profile (HKEY_CURRENT_USER).   For example, you can call it, "DEADMACHINE_SOFTWARE".   

2.  Select this folder.  This is important, otherwise you will override data.

3.  File / Load Hive...