schtasks /run /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\Registry\RegIdleBackup"
Check after ~10 min → RegBack folder should have non-zero hives.
The "RegBack" folder is intentionally empty on Windows 10/11.
Starting with Windows 10 build 1709 (Fall Creators Update), Microsoft changed the default behavior of the Registry backup mechanism. To save disk space and reduce background I/O, Microsoft disabled automatic registry backups to the RegBack folder.
If you navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack today, you will likely see files of 0KB or 64KB (placeholder files). This is not a bug—it is the new default.
To ensure you never face the "regback copy not working" error again, automate the reg save method.
Create a Batch Script:
@echo off
set BACKUP_DIR=D:\RegistryBackups\%date:~10,4%-%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%
mkdir %BACKUP_DIR%
reg save HKLM\SAM %BACKUP_DIR%\SAM.hive
reg save HKLM\SECURITY %BACKUP_DIR%\SECURITY.hive
reg save HKLM\SOFTWARE %BACKUP_DIR%\SOFTWARE.hive
reg save HKLM\SYSTEM %BACKUP_DIR%\SYSTEM.hive
echo Backup completed on %date% %time% >> %BACKUP_DIR%\backup_log.txt
Schedule this script via Task Scheduler to run weekly with Highest Privileges.
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If you are following an outdated tutorial that tells you to copy files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack, ignore it.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
If you are trying to fix a corrupted Windows system and found that the "regback copy" command isn't working—specifically because the C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack folder is empty or contains only 0 KB files—you are not alone. This is not a bug; it is a deliberate design change by Microsoft that has affected every version of Windows 10 and 11 since 2018. Why the RegBack Copy is Not Working
Historically, Windows automatically backed up the registry hives to the RegBack folder, allowing users to restore them via Command Prompt during a startup failure. However, starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Microsoft disabled this feature to reduce the "disk footprint" of the operating system.
While the folder and the scheduled task still exist, they no longer populate with data by default. If you are currently in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) trying to copy these files to fix a "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), and they show as 0 KB, those files cannot be used to repair your system. How to Fix "RegBack Copy Not Working" for Future Use
If your computer is still functional and you want to ensure you have registry backups for the future, you must manually re-enable the feature through the Windows Registry. How to turn registry backup back on in Windows 10
In legacy Windows versions, the command copy regback or copying files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack was a standard disaster-recovery procedure.
Currently, administrators report the following behavior:
Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Windows no longer automatically backs up the system registry to the RegBack folder.
schtasks /run /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\Registry\RegIdleBackup"
Check after ~10 min → RegBack folder should have non-zero hives.
The "RegBack" folder is intentionally empty on Windows 10/11.
Starting with Windows 10 build 1709 (Fall Creators Update), Microsoft changed the default behavior of the Registry backup mechanism. To save disk space and reduce background I/O, Microsoft disabled automatic registry backups to the RegBack folder.
If you navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack today, you will likely see files of 0KB or 64KB (placeholder files). This is not a bug—it is the new default. regback copy not working
To ensure you never face the "regback copy not working" error again, automate the reg save method.
Create a Batch Script:
@echo off
set BACKUP_DIR=D:\RegistryBackups\%date:~10,4%-%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%
mkdir %BACKUP_DIR%
reg save HKLM\SAM %BACKUP_DIR%\SAM.hive
reg save HKLM\SECURITY %BACKUP_DIR%\SECURITY.hive
reg save HKLM\SOFTWARE %BACKUP_DIR%\SOFTWARE.hive
reg save HKLM\SYSTEM %BACKUP_DIR%\SYSTEM.hive
echo Backup completed on %date% %time% >> %BACKUP_DIR%\backup_log.txt
Schedule this script via Task Scheduler to run weekly with Highest Privileges.
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. Check after ~10 min → RegBack folder should
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
If you are trying to fix a corrupted Windows system and found that the "regback copy" command isn't working—specifically because the C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack folder is empty or contains only 0 KB files—you are not alone. This is not a bug; it is a deliberate design change by Microsoft that has affected every version of Windows 10 and 11 since 2018. Why the RegBack Copy is Not Working
Historically, Windows automatically backed up the registry hives to the RegBack folder, allowing users to restore them via Command Prompt during a startup failure. However, starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Microsoft disabled this feature to reduce the "disk footprint" of the operating system. Schedule this script via Task Scheduler to run
While the folder and the scheduled task still exist, they no longer populate with data by default. If you are currently in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) trying to copy these files to fix a "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), and they show as 0 KB, those files cannot be used to repair your system. How to Fix "RegBack Copy Not Working" for Future Use
If your computer is still functional and you want to ensure you have registry backups for the future, you must manually re-enable the feature through the Windows Registry. How to turn registry backup back on in Windows 10
In legacy Windows versions, the command copy regback or copying files from C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack was a standard disaster-recovery procedure.
Currently, administrators report the following behavior:
Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, Windows no longer automatically backs up the system registry to the RegBack folder.