Signs Your Windows Registry Needs Cleaning
This is the second in a three-part article series on the Windows Registry, the first article in this series discussed why it is necessary to clean the windows registry, this article helps to identify the signs that indicate the registry needs cleaning and the third takes a look at some commonly used registry cleaners.
System is taking longer than usual to bootup.
As mentioned, the Windows Registry is a database of hardware and software system wide settings. Many of these settings have to be accesed during the boot sequence, such as device drivers or settings for windows services. As the registry grows it takes increasingly longer for these settings to be accessed, thus the boot sequence is slowed down.
This is just one of the reasons why the system will boot slowly, but it should be one of the first things to check.
Applications fail with cryptic error messages.
Applications that suddenly cease to work, displaying error messages that make no sense and cannot be found in any troubleshooting guide or manual is generally a sign of a failing registry.
Installation of new software is slow.
If when installing new software, the file copying seems to go well, but finalizing the installation seems very slow and seems to cause your system to freeze, this is generally a sign that the installation program has difficulties in writing settings to the Windows Registry.
Uninstalling software is slow and unreliable.
If the Add/Remove Programs dialog shows programs that are no longer on your computer, this is a sign of registry problems. This indicates that the registry entries for uninstalled programs had not been removed, it is almost always a sign that the registry needs cleaning.
New settings are slow to apply.
When making changes in the Control Panel to system settings it seems to take ages before settings are applied, this is a sign that your registry needs cleaning. Many of the options in the Control Panel are stored in Windows Registry keys, and a huge registry can make applying these settings very slow.
In any of these cases, it is best to run a quick scan with a good registry cleaning program. Although registry cleaners can solve most problems, there are systems which are beyond rescue. It is strongly recommended that the wwindows registry be regularly scaned and maintained, at least once every week.
Showing posts with label computer registry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer registry. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Why You Should Clean Your Registry
Why You Should Clean Your Computer's Registry
This is the first in a three-part article series on the Windows Registry, this first article discusses why it is necessary to clean the windows registry, the second article helps to identify the signs that indicate the registry needs cleaning and the third takes a look at some commonly used registry cleaners.
What is the Windows Registry?
The windows registry is a database of all software and hardware installed on your computer. It keeps track of configurations, system settings, user preferences, file associations, system policies and the relationship between hardware software and your operating system. In layman’s terms it’s the duct tape that holds everything in place. Problems with the registry can make Windows slower, unstable and in some cases unbootable, which can only be rectified by reinstalling the operating system, a task best avoided.
The Real Problems
Almost all software creates Registry entries when they are installed, many of them however, do not remove these entries when uninstalled. This can lead to a huge, bulky registry with a lot of unnecessary entries, which generally slows down the boot process. This is bad enough but, the real problem comes from “Spyware”, if you’ve ever downloaded anything from the Internet, chances are you’ve got Spyware.
Spyware can intercept of take partial control of your computer, it can redirect your browser, capture personal information as you surf and discretely install additional software mainly viruses and worms on your computer.
If that’s not an important enough reason to clean your computer’s registry then there isn't one.
Cleaning the Registry
There are two ways the clean the registry, manually using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) and by using registry cleaning software. Before attempting any method it is strongly recommended that a backup of the registry be made and secured.
Manual Cleaning with Regedit
Regedit allows for viewing, creating, editing and deleting registry entries. It should be used with caution, removing valid registry entries can cause the associated applications to malfunction of not function at all.
To start Regedit
Click the Start button
Click Run, a dialog box will be opened
Type “regedit” and click “OK”
Click on the “+” sign to expand the section entries, most of the user information is in the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” section.
Registry Cleaning Software
This is best suited for anyone unsure about the registry entries, there are numerous options available many of which are free to download and install and do provide regular updates.
They all function basically the same way, they scan the registry for invalid or suspicious entries and in most cases allow the user the option to remove them of not.
It should be noted that no one registry cleaner will find everything, it is advisable to use a combination of two or more in addition to a good anti-virus software to keep your PC clean and functioning properly.
This is the first in a three-part article series on the Windows Registry, this first article discusses why it is necessary to clean the windows registry, the second article helps to identify the signs that indicate the registry needs cleaning and the third takes a look at some commonly used registry cleaners.
What is the Windows Registry?
The windows registry is a database of all software and hardware installed on your computer. It keeps track of configurations, system settings, user preferences, file associations, system policies and the relationship between hardware software and your operating system. In layman’s terms it’s the duct tape that holds everything in place. Problems with the registry can make Windows slower, unstable and in some cases unbootable, which can only be rectified by reinstalling the operating system, a task best avoided.
The Real Problems
Almost all software creates Registry entries when they are installed, many of them however, do not remove these entries when uninstalled. This can lead to a huge, bulky registry with a lot of unnecessary entries, which generally slows down the boot process. This is bad enough but, the real problem comes from “Spyware”, if you’ve ever downloaded anything from the Internet, chances are you’ve got Spyware.
Spyware can intercept of take partial control of your computer, it can redirect your browser, capture personal information as you surf and discretely install additional software mainly viruses and worms on your computer.
If that’s not an important enough reason to clean your computer’s registry then there isn't one.
Cleaning the Registry
There are two ways the clean the registry, manually using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) and by using registry cleaning software. Before attempting any method it is strongly recommended that a backup of the registry be made and secured.
Manual Cleaning with Regedit
Regedit allows for viewing, creating, editing and deleting registry entries. It should be used with caution, removing valid registry entries can cause the associated applications to malfunction of not function at all.
To start Regedit
Click the Start button
Click Run, a dialog box will be opened
Type “regedit” and click “OK”
Click on the “+” sign to expand the section entries, most of the user information is in the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” section.
Registry Cleaning Software
This is best suited for anyone unsure about the registry entries, there are numerous options available many of which are free to download and install and do provide regular updates.
They all function basically the same way, they scan the registry for invalid or suspicious entries and in most cases allow the user the option to remove them of not.
It should be noted that no one registry cleaner will find everything, it is advisable to use a combination of two or more in addition to a good anti-virus software to keep your PC clean and functioning properly.
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