Is there a way to edit the Windows registry from Ubuntu?

My laptop is a Windows 7 / Ubuntu 12.04 LTS dual-boot setup. I've been experimenting with alternative desktop shells on my Windows partition, such as KDE and Cairo.

After setting Cairo as my default shell, I decided to restart my computer and log back into Windows just to make sure everything was working properly. However, after logging in, I found myself left with nothing but the mouse cursor and a blank desktop filled with the default background color.

I know the registry setting I need to change in order to restore Windows Explorer as the default shell from my prior experimentation with KDE, but I obviously can't use regedit if I can't load into a working desktop. However, I can still use my Ubuntu partition with no problems.

This has me wondering if there is a way I can mount my Windows partition in Ubuntu and somehow edit the registry from there. How would I go about doing this, and do I need any extra packages for it?

I believe that's what you're looking for, "Offline NT Password & Registry Editor"(chntpw)

What is chntpw?

chntpw is a software utility for resetting or blanking local passwords used by Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8.1. It also contains a simple registry editor and hex-editor with which the information contained in a registry file can be browsed and modified under linux/unix.

How to install?

You can install it from terminal by running this command:

sudo apt-get install chntpw

Or search for "chntpw" in Software Center.

Additional sources:

Using chntpw in Ubuntu to Hack the Windows Registry

Change or Reset Windows Password from a Ubuntu Live CD