If the RegIdleBackup task is missing or corrupted, you can re-import it.
The RegBack folder still exists, but the files inside it are empty (0 KB). Trying to copy these empty files will not fix a corrupted registry and can prevent your system from booting entirely. Solution 1: Use System Restore (The Easiest Alternative)
If you cannot boot into the Windows desktop, you can often launch a System Restore point directly from the Advanced Troubleshooting menu.
: 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
Trying to copy these 0-byte files over your active registry will corrupt the system further or throw a "file not found" / "cannot copy" error in Command Prompt. regback copy not working
Check the comments below for community-driven solutions, or consult Microsoft's official documentation on the RegIdleBackup task. Your system's stability depends on a healthy, regularly backed-up registry.
Outside, dawn began to erase the city’s neon. Eli saved his checklist to the repository, added automated alerts, and labeled the old snapshot "legacy—do not rely on this." He brewed coffee and, for the first time in a long while, felt like he’d reclaimed a small peace: a service no longer broken by neglect, but made resilient by a few deliberate fixes and the slow, steady work of care.
This forced Windows to save full, usable registry hives to RegBack again.
Since you cannot copy the config folder directly, you must ask Windows nicely to export the hives while they are in use. The reg save command creates a copy of a hive file even while it is locked. If the RegIdleBackup task is missing or corrupted,
Create a simple batch file that you can run daily or weekly. This is a proactive measure to create your own backups, completely bypassing the broken RegBack system.
If the registry is completely corrupted and you have no backups, you can reinstall Windows without losing your personal data.
This disables the VSS optimization, using more disk space.
Follow these methods in order—from simplest to most advanced—to restore full registry backup functionality. Solution 1: Use System Restore (The Easiest Alternative)
"This change is by design, and is intended to help reduce the overall disk footprint size of Windows. To recover a system with a corrupt registry hive, Microsoft recommends that you use a system restore point."
If a corrupt registry hive is causing boot failures, running the built-in system file checkers from the recovery Command Prompt can often rebuild or repair the missing components. Open the from the Advanced Options menu.
The Case of the Empty Regback
Right-click the RegBack folder → Properties → Security → Advanced.
By following the solutions in this guide—particularly the reg save command and the EnablePeriodicBackup registry tweak—you can regain control over your Registry backups and ensure that when disaster strikes, you have a working, restorable copy ready.
As mentioned, from Windows 10 1803 onward, the default behavior was changed. The registry key: