Educational Grants

So you think you might have a problem with the Windows registry? Let's take a look at some of the telltale signs of registry problems:

• Slow Bootups
  
• Sluggish Performance
  
• Frequent Error Messages
  
• Freezes
  
• Crashes
  
• The Blue Screen Of Death
  

These are just a few of the common symptoms that signal errors or corrupt files in the registry keys.

What Is The Windows Registry?

Think of it as the central nervous system of your computer. It tells Windows how to "move." Windows constantly reads from the registry as you use your PC, much like your body needs your brain to move around properly. Should it become damaged, your PC could become crippled. Certain parts might not work, and this can cause systemwide problems.

In essence, the registry is really like a big filing cabinet where preference and settings files are stored. Each time you install new software or hardware, new entries are made and stored in the different HKEY folders. Entries are also made or changed according to user preferences in Windows. For example, there are entries for mouse speed and desktop wallpaper.

How Does The Registry Get Damaged?

Damage occurs when entries become corrupted, broken, or abandoned. The most common way for damage or clutter and corruption to occur is when you uninstall a program or driver set. Often the uninstall process does not remove all the pieces of the software. The leftover registry entries can cause problems because they clutter the registry and cause problems when Windows tries to read the correct information.

Another common way for damage to occur is through viruses or spyware. These malicious programs can cause corruption or overwrite entries with bad data.

Do Registry Cleaners Help?

Absolutely. Registry cleaners are great maintenance utilities that enable PC users to scan their computer's registry very quickly and then remove the errors with the click of a button. Cleaners and repair software programs will enable you to streamline the entries and HKEY folders so that Windows is not hindered in any way when it tries to read them.

Recently a few independent tests were done by our website, Registry Repair Solutions, and we found that RegCure by ParetLogic removed 726 errors from our test computer - an IBM T42 ThinkPad Laptop. The total boot time for the laptop was reduced from 4:42 minutes to 2:44 minutes, and the computer runs much faster with no errors or crashes. It's proof that registry repair programs work quite well.

Visit our site for information on the best registry cleaner software programs available.

For a review of the top registry repair utility on the market, check out our RegCure review.