Saving autocomplete and password cache entries

I'm using XP Pro, SP 2 and IE 6.

I want to add a way to save the IE autocomplete entries (when it helps you complete forms with names, addresses, email addresses, and other data from previous entries) as well as the username/password cached saves (that you permitted for certain sites) to my general backup process.

Unfortunately, I can't find out where this information is saved. I've found favorites, PST files, history, cookies, documents and just about everything else I'd want to save, but I've looked everywhere, but I can't find a file that contains this particular important information. Can anyone help me find out how to save this data so if I have to wipe the PC clean I won't lose it?

Someone suggested it was stored in the Registry, but I have a hard time believing that (and that would make saving a backup copy all but impossible since a clean wipe of the PC would reset the Registry and I couldn't restore the original one even if I saved it). If it actually is stored in the Registry, can someone get me closer to the applicable keys so I might be able to store just those entries? The only reason I even think this is possible is because I can't seem to find it anywhere else (but it doesn't make sense to me to store this type of information in the registry rather than a special file - though I've no idea what type of file).

Thanks for any help you can provide. I'm trying to make myself a best case backup solution and this aspect has me stumped. Hopefully, one of you will say "Oh yeah, that's the blah file in the blah directory."

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Comments

bluemason

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_a.htm

It seems that AutoComplete is stored in the Registry and uses the Protected Storage Service.... in any case, the above url should give you the answer

Lorien

Thanks for that link - it's closer to the answer I seek. It appears that the information is stored in protected storage (perhaps the registry, but I don't think so {there were no links to any registry keys that contained those values} - I think it's elsewhere). One of the items in the link you provided says that one can view or edit or prefill this information; however, I still can't find where it's located to do that (or how to do that - there's no explanation for that0. Does anyone know how to directly access Protected Storage so that the data can be manipulated (and backed up)?

Ghent

The data is stored in the following registry key. "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider". NirSoft (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/pspv.html) claims to make a utility that can **** the info for you, and then you can back-up that info, but i haven't read up on the subject enough to know if you can then put that text file back into the registry. I know regedit doesn't offer much in the way manipulating the key though.

Lorien

Thanks, Ghent. I wonder what would happen if I exported that key (the one with the data in it) to a .REG file and then saved the .REG file. If I had to do a full reinstall, I should be able to just double-click the REG file to have it incorporated within the new registry (though I don't know if there has to be some tie between the data and the functionality - in effect, if the encrypted name of the key is relevant). That might be all it takes to handle a simple backup (as opposed to actually wanting to open it and work with the contents).