10:47 AM
indigo
As you can see from your search on the Internet, you’re not alone when it comes to computer problems. During your search though, have you ever wondered why there are so many articles and advertisements for windows registry cleaner? The reason is simple…they work well enough to help you gain speed back to your computer.
I want to put the brakes on a little bit here and say that it is unfortunate that many software companies have developed shoddy programs just to fill a niche. Additionally, you may see many registry cleaner reviews touting a bunch of malarkey. The simple fact is you must select a good windows registry cleaner, do it manually, or seek professional support to help you eliminate spyware, other malicious programming on your computer, fix errors, and increase performance.
In this article, I would like to address what the registry is, why it is necessary to clean your registry, and how to clean your registry both manually and automatically through software cleaners.
What is The Registry?
Your Windows registry is a database with code referring to how your computer operates and interacts with the software installed on it in the data you have saved on it. It may be simple to think of your registry as the brains of your computer which stores information and the configurations of all the programs you have installed on your computer, how it interacts with the data in the hardware within.
The registry is an efficient means of your operating system to monitor the different options and settings that your software and hardware have in order to properly run. And this is true for each user that you have registered for the computer. It stores variations of computer and program settings based upon user profiles.
Why Clean the Registry?
The main reason to clean your computer’s registry is to once again reestablish proper file, program, and hardware references. Over time, your registry becomes out of date, as entries left behind from deleted or malicious programming, in all, is no longer valid. This can happen by simply moving programs from your computer, deleting a file or folder, moving files or folders without proper updating the records, or changing drive letters of your hardware.
Regardless, your computer holds the reference and records of all that happens on your computer in if they are not removed, your registry can get bloated and corrupted. The resulting issues include file and programming errors, operating system alerts, and a reduction in overall computer performance. You can also notes that the issues may start when rebooting your computer and you fine the logon process is slower than usual.
How Can I Clean My Registry?
So, the question is, how does one clean a computer’s registry? There are a couple of ways to do this, first is to manually clean your computer’s registry, however, this should not be done randomly and I would advise you look towards professional assistance to help. The other method is through software you can download, better known as registry cleaners. But as previously stated, be wary of the program you’re going to use, its capabilities, and the exact ending result of its operation. Make certain you have the latest version and compare features.
With that said, let’s take a look at both these methods.
Manually Clean Your Registry
First and foremost, before you start deleting keys in your registry, you want to make a complete backup of it. This would allow you to completely restore your registry, assuming you have administrator privileges to completely backup your registry.
- Click the Start button located in the bottom left-hand corner of your Taskbar
- Click Run, four Windows operating systems of XP and higher, this will be located on the right side of the Start menu
- In the Run box, type in ‘regedit’ and click the OK button
- At the top of this new window, click the File menu on the toolbar, select Export
- Enter a name for your registry backup, and click Save
At this point, it is really hard to say what needs to be cleaned in your registry. If you have specific errors for which you can diagnose and determine the exact reason for the error, and can identify the specific registry entry for the error, you can now go down through what is called the Hive, or menu of registry keys and make adjustments.
I should also point out that utilizing registry cleaning software should also provide you the ability to manually decipher the registry keys it wants to clean, change, or remove.
Registry Cleaning Software
This type of software makes it easier for someone who is unfamiliar with the registry to help identify inappropriate or corrupted information about software and hardware in your computer. Just remember, when you are comparing registry cleaners, you get what you pay for most times. If a service or software is soliciting free window registry repair, this may or may not be a wise choice.
As there are numerous programs and available options available, it is hard to brand one being the best registry cleaner. However, some good examples to compare would include TweakNow Regcleaner, Registry Mechanic, RegCure, and Registry Healer.
It is important to discover which cleaner is best for you based upon your abilities and the functionality of the software. In general, all these programs will function the same in terms of the initial registry scan. Where the difference is, is and how it deciphers what is truly corrupt or incorrect and the additional options it has. You need to look at the results of any scan with a little grain of salt, and ascertain for yourself if the specific keys are safe to remove.
As mentioned earlier, manually scanning and cleaning your registry can be difficult, to say the least. Which is why utilizing some type of windows registry cleaner has its advantages. Many of these software programs allow you to try them out, a trial version of their software. The trial version, may not have all the bells and whistles and may not scan your entire registry hive, however you will get to see what the software does, how it organizes file scans, and how it scans your critical files.
