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ERROR_NOT_REGISTRY_FILE
The supplied file is not a registry hive file
Registry load and restore APIs consume registry hive data, not arbitrary .reg exports, JSON, XML, or application configuration files. ERROR_NOT_REGISTRY_FILE means the candidate file did not satisfy the registry file format expected by the operation.
Confirm how the file was produced. RegSaveKeyEx creates a hive-format file suitable for registry save/restore workflows, while Registry Editor text exports serve a different purpose and are not interchangeable with binary hive files. Also check that deployment tooling did not compress, truncate, encrypt, or replace the file after it was created. Do not rename a file to .dat or another hive-like extension and retry; the format is determined by its contents and registry structures, not the filename.
What to inspect
- Trace the producer that created the candidate file.
- Distinguish a binary hive save from a textual .reg export.
- Check for truncation, packaging transforms, or replacement during deployment.
References
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