What If You Delete the Windows Registry?

LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DELETE THE REGISTRY!

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:14 - What is the Registry?
2:38 - Deleting the Registry
4:59 - Observing The Results
6:18 - The Backup Copy

Obviously the registry is an essential part of the Windows operating system. It's basically a big database of low-level settings for Windows, including everything from the taskbar transparency, to the background login image, to settings in 3rd party programs. Deleting it would ruin the computer, but what exactly would that look like? This video is a real live demonstration and test on what will happen!

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[havanachica]

“Do not try this at home”

*takes computer outside*

[Xeno_Bardock]

I have accidentally overwritten Windows 7 registry with Windows 98 registry before. Had to reinstall. This was during GTA Vice City registry patch. Should have checked .reg file before executing it lol.

[LapisMinecraft]

When you delete it:

Registry: "Mr. Win32…"
Registry: "I don't feel so good"

[CarlTheNPC]

ThioJoe: *Do not try this at home.*
Me: _does it at school_

[segazi]

"do not try this at home"


*well school is a place with pcs*

[barnosho]

It seems like you didn't notice the registry backup files had a filesize of 0KB, that must be the reason they didn't fix anything.

[Architector_]

6:40 All of those backup files have 0KB size. I guess the installation was so fresh it didn't have a moment to actually make a proper registry backup, so there were empty files instead. And, well, you replaced registry files that still had something in them with completely empty 0KB ones, and you broke it even more. lol

[strikerplayz_roblox]

Joe : Do not try this at home
Also Joe : *tries it at his home*

[shadowslayer]

Windows: "I don't feel so good..."

[Colin]

What would happen if you tried to put the Recycle bin into the Recycle Bin?

[helyxmusic]

4:30 that's because you deleted the SSD / HDD drivers, and now it's using the (much) slower legacy drivers

[MATAM]

A better way to delete the registry is to delete the files itself that contain the hives. They are located in %systemroot%\System32\Config. Other registry-specific files are %userprofile%\Ntuser.dat, which contains user-specific data and %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\UsrClass.dat, which contain per-user file associations.
EDIT: After I saw that ThioJoe used the "backup" of the registry hives that are 0 KB large files to "restore" the registry, he essentialy "deleted" the registry.

[rain]

The computer needs a doctor. CALL THE AM-BU-LANCE!

[Xeno_Bardock]

Windows registry = file system within file system.

[Honza]

I really love this new style of "what if" videos you are making, because its everything that I ever wondered about Windows made into an entertaining video! Please continue this and keep up the good work my man!

[Jens_Tech]

"Do not try this at home"

Well... School has computers.

[narpyarchive]

Thiojoe: Don’t try this at home
Me: ok
Also me: _Tries at work

[multiapples]

Why do I always feel like you’re a mixture of Jacksfilms and LinusTechTips

[bxtgd]

Not too bad if it breaks anything though.
You can just fix it with flex tape, right?

[archimdes]

game THIOry
what happens when you
*delete system32 and windows registry at the same time?*