Why do I need a registry cleaner?
Has your PC become so slow that you find it impossible to perform a task as simple as checking your email?
Does your PC crashes suddenly leaving you with both frustrated and anxious about losing your data or missing a critical deadline?
Do you face several computer errors while working that not only obstruct but also slow down your work?
If you are suffering from any of the above or similar computer problems, it is quite likely that the culprit is the registry of your Windows computer. The registry was introduced with the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system to centralize the storage of configuration information of anything that is installed or connected to your PC. This includes the Windows operating system, applications, utilities, security tools, any hardware component installed on or connected to your PC, and default and customized system settings of all user profiles set up on the PC.
Registry problems arise when the registry gets filled
up with a bunch of unwanted junk. This includes:
·
Outdated and duplicate
entries that result when you update, upgrade, or reinstall applications.
·
Invalid and corrupt entries
generated when your system or a software running on it crashes.
·
Installation of buggy and
corrupt programs and device drivers that may add several undesired entries.
·
Virus and spyware programs
not only add several malicious but also alter the existing entries to
generate errors.
·
Incorrect program removal
that may leave behind orphaned entries in the registry.
All this debris causes the registry to bloat up to a
very large size and make it quite unstable. When the registry gets like
this, it can easily get damaged and generate several computer errors. If not
taken care of in time, the problem may increase so much it might become
impossible for you to even boot up your PC.
Another issue that is a result of a bloated registry is
the fragmentation of the registry database. Fragmentation causes the
registry to slow down and it takes much longer for it to answer queries and
store changes made to it when you perform various tasks on your computer. As
a result, the performance of your system also goes down, resulting in
unnecessary frustrations and headaches for you.
How to Fix Registry Problems and Speed Up Your Computer
In order to fix registry problems, you need to repair
the corrupt registry entries and get rid of all unwanted entries accumulated
within it. You also need to reduce load on the registry by uninstalling
unwanted programs and avoid visiting Web sites that look suspicious. Such
Web sites are usually loaded with spyware and adware that infiltrate your PC
and fill up your registry with malicious entries.
One way to get rid of rid of all these problems is to
manually scan and delete them by using the Registry Editor tool that ships
with Windows. To start this tool, you click
Start menu, select
Run, type
regedit and then click the OK
button. In the Registry Editor window, on the
Edit menu, select Find,
type the information you are looking for and then click
Find Next. If you find what you are looking for, you can delete the
entry if it is not required. To search again, you need to press the
F3 function. The chances of
deleting an incorrect entry are quite high with this method. This is the
reason why remember to backup the registry before making any edits. To back
up the registry, on the File menu
of the Registry Editor, click Export.
In the Export Registry File
dialog box that displays, navigate to the location where you want to save
the backup, provide a name for the backup file and then click
Save. To restore the changes if required, you need to double-click
on this backup file and then confirm your decision when prompted.
You can see that performing registry cleanup with the help of the Registry Editor tool is quite tedious. Also, the chances of user error are high. Because the registry is so essential for your computer, any incorrect changes may result in registry failure and at times, prevent your PC from even booting up. I strongly recommend that you don't try to make changes on your own unless you're a computer expert.
This is where the registry cleaner tools come to the
rescue. These tools are designed to simplify the task of performing regular
registry maintenance and optimize it for better performance.
Let's have a look at some of the main benefits of
registry cleaners and see why you need to have one on your computer:
·
The biggest benefit of a good
registry tool is that it is designed to automatically scan and fix any
detected registry problems. Because these tasks are automated, even if you
don’t know much about the technical aspects of your computer, you can use it
to fix your registry.
·
A good registry tool performs
scans deep into the registry tree and tries to weed out all unwanted entries
from it. This feature also helps you perform complete software and spyware
removal by getting rid of all entries related to them.
·
Registry cleaners are usually
designed to follow a safe cleaning process. This means that the entire
registry is backed up before making a single change to the registry
database. This ensures that, just in case something goes wrong with the
repair process, you can easily restore the registry from the backed up file.
·
Registry
tools also help you defragment the registry. This is done by reindexing the
registry files and compressing them by getting rid of all empty registry
keys accumulated within it. After you defrag the registry, the data access
speed gets much better. This, in turn, helps improve the performance of your
computer.
·
Registry cleaners also help
you make manual registry backups. You can use this feature to regularly back
up the registry. You must also make registry backups before making any major
configuration changes to your computer.
·
Some registry tools come
equipped with additional PC maintenance tools, such as a Start-up programs
manager, Web browser help objects, privacy managers, and temporary files
managers that further help you speed up and secure your computer.
Having a healthy registry is essential to have an
error-free and high performance PC. A good registry cleaner tool helps you
achieve this goal by enabling you to easily scan and clean the registry
periodically.
Return to the Registry Cleaners Guide