The Registry Editor is a small, geeky and powerful Windows tool and, for many years, nothing has changed in the way it works. It's more or less the same tool in Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, with only some very minor visual changes in between. In the new Creators Update for Windows 10, it looks like Microsoft made a small but important first step toward bringing new features and options to this good old tool. Now, the Registry Editor has an address bar which you can use to navigate quickly to individual registry key and values that you're searching for. Here's how it looks and works:

NOTE: This guide is designed for Windows 10 Creators Update, which will be available to all Windows 10 users, for free, starting in April 2017. Previous Windows 10 versions that were released before this date don't have this feature while newer versions do.

Where's the new location bar from the Registry Editor in Windows 10?

The Registry Editor is the tool that lets you work with the keys and values that are stored in the Windows 10 settings database, called the Registry. If you don't know what the Windows Registry is and what it does, we recommend you first read this article: What is the Windows Registry and what does it do?

Then, open the Registry Editor. A quick way to launch it in Windows 10 is to search for it: write the command regedit in Cortana's search field on your taskbar, and then click or tap on the appropriate result.

In the Registry Editor, right under the top menu, you'll see the new address bar. It's just as simple and as spartan as the rest of the Registry Editor.

How to use the address bar from the Registry Editor in Windows 10

The address bar from the Registry Editor works just as you would expect. When you browse through the keys on the left panel, the path you're following is also displayed on the address bar. For instance, if you go to "ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management", this path will be shown in the address bar too.

The address bar is editable, meaning that you can enter text inside, and you can copy and paste its contents. That can save you a lot of time when you already know the path to where you want to get to, and you already have it written. You can just copy and paste it in the address bar and then press the Enter key on your keyboard to get there.

It's also quite useful when you want to share a key/value path with others. Once you've reached it in your Registry Editor, you can copy its path from the address bar, and then share away.

By the way, a quick way to focus on the address bar is to simultaneously press the Alt + D keys on your keyboard, just like you do in File Explorer.

How to hide or show the address bar from the Registry Editor in Windows 10

Although we find it quite useful, some techies might prefer to hide it from view. Others, though, might not see it by default and may want to set the Registry Editor to display it.

Fortunately, both hiding and showing the address bar are simple things to do. On the top of the Registry Editor window, click or tap to open the View menu. The first option in it is called Address Bar. Click or tap on it to switch between hiding and showing the address bar from view.

That's it!

Conclusion

The Registry Editor from Windows 10 just got a small yet rather useful feature that will ease the lives of many tweakers out there. Did you notice that this address bar is shown in the Registry Editor from Windows 10 Creators Update? Do you find it useful?