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The Basics of Cleaning Your Computer Registry

by: RonCripps
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Your computer registry is a vital part of the operating system on your PC. This is a culmination of information to help you maintain a healthy computer system. Cleaning your computer registry should be done weekly and not left to chance.

Computer registry problems are often caused by invalid registry key entries in your registry. Windows registry problems can cause computer crashes, slow down performance and give you many error messages. Fixing registry problems after they occur is harder than preventing them in the first place.

Both Windows operating systems being Xp and Vista have a built in registry editor. This editor is not a scan and repair utility it is for manual editing only. If you need to scan or repair your registry then there are many software tolls online today that can do just that. If you have a need to edit your computer registry then make sure that you have already backed up your computer as any change in the registry could have dire consequences to the unwary.

If you were a Windows XP user but have now upgraded to Windows Vista you will notice that the Registry Editor has very similar parameters. However this not to suggest that you should as an inexperienced user attempt to maintain your computer registry yourself, this is for the experienced only. Deleting the wrong entry could lead to devastating effects and an expensive computer tech fee at the end of the day.

Installing new software or hardware on your Windows Xp or Vista computer system is more complex than you are lead to believe. Every function of the install or un-install is logged in the computer registry. Overtime the registry can become full of obsolete files and this happens whether you have followed the correct un-install or install directions it is unfortunately unavoidable.

An unmaintained registry is likely to cause problems and crashes if left unchecked. It is vital that you clean your registry of any obsolete or cross linked files to ensure system stability and reliability.

A corrupt registry can degrade the overall performance, and this can eventually cause you problems. Furthermore, your PC is more probable to fail multiple times if you have at no time cleaned your registry. You are also more likely to encounter continuous error messages and on occasion the blue screen of death. Even if you clean up the bits and pieces of programs left behind after any un-installation found in the Program Files folder, you still need to clean up the Registry keys and values.

It is vital for you to maintain your computer registry, it is not a difficult procedure as long as you are extremely careful when removing any entries. Once you have removed a registry entry it is permanent and can not be undone. If you happen to delete a registry file that is needed it could stop your computer from running, so make a backup of all your files befor attempting anything like this.

If you really need to view you registry files you can commence by exploring your Registry by clicking on the Start then Run and typing in Regedit. Open the Registry Editor and click on the My Computer icon in the left-hand panel. Click Edit and Find. Put in a word that has some reference to the program you want to be certain is defunct from your registry. You can put in the term of the program or the program's publisher name. Be certain to tick the box labeled Keys, Values, and Data, then click Find Next.

During the start up of your PC you can also optimize your registry. Information contained in your computer registry is used by Windows to launch all .exe files during start up. By going to Start then Run and typing in MSCONFIG and then clicking on the start up tab. You will be able see every program that is currently running on the computer. If you are experienced you can un-check programs in the startup section of this utility to help speed up your PC.

You have probably realized now that the windows registry is critical to the operation of your computer. So if you perform regular registry scans then you should be able to avoid any major or costly computers errors. If you neglect your computer registry over time you will no doubt start to experience problems.

About the Author

Ready to clean your registry? Don't be fooled by untrue claims -check out our expert reviews on Registry Scanners here is one on Regcure. Ron manages a site on Adware and has written many articles and reports.

The Basics of Cleaning Your Computer Registry

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