Windows has used the registry “file” since the concept of the registry was introduced in Windows 95. The registry is unlikely to go away anytime soon, but it’s conceivable that a complete redesign of Windows may opt to use a different approach to storing and retrieving the information in the registry.

What Is The Registry?

The registry isn’t actually a file, although it started out that way (actually as four files) in its early days. It’s a database of files and information that the computer uses to interact with virtually every application, device and component of the operating system. The registry stores configuration information, application information, device information and much more. The registry can span literally millions of lines of computer code and isn’t readily readable by man or beast.

The big benefit of the registry is that it provides a central place for programs and devices to store required information. Centralizing this information means that it can be managed and optimized, something that wasn’t possible with the herd of .ini files that the registry has replaced.

It is possible to change the registry but a little snip here and a tuck there isn’t recommended. Often, when changes to the code are required, the old code is simply “commented out” or abandoned and replacement code is added. When applications are added to the computer, the registry often gets some new entries. When programs are removed, the removal is supposed to eliminate the unnecessary code, but that doesn’t always (often?) happen.

Microsoft provides tools with which to edit the registry, but that’s not a step to be taken lightly, since changes to the registry are immediate and there’s nothing to prevent a bad change from being accepted into the registry.

Then how do you get rid of the lines of useless code in your registry that build up? I always recommend that users include a trusted registry cleaner like RegCure in their maintenance plans. RegCure has been around for a long time and is one of the best registry cleaners on the market today. I like RegCure because it backs up the registry completely before it makes a single change. If you don’t like the results of the cleaning operation, you can revert to the old registry at the touch of a button.
I recommend and use RegCure regularly. When I Introduce a new user to the product, they’re often surprised by how much faster their computer works after their registry has been cleaned.

Try it! You’ll like it!

Photo Credit: Louise Docker, via Flickr

If you’re looking for a faster computer but can’t afford to replace the computer you have, consider this: much of what slows your computer down is resolvable. You can get additional speed out of your computer by making some relatively simple changes to your start-up routine.

Why You Should Look At Your Startup File

Standard installation routines are good in some respects and bad in others. It’s easy to click a few buttons and get your latest download to install, but unless you really look at the “recommended” or “standard” installation routine, you may not know exactly what the installer will do to your computer.

Setting aside the nefarious possibilities, installers will add information to your applications folder (or whatever folder you specify); make entries to your registry; create icons and shortcuts that reside on the desktop, or in the system tray; and they may even add your new download to the computer’s Start Up file. In doing so, each of these actions requires the computer to either spend or devote some memory to this application. The application’s memory usage goes beyond the space it takes up on your hard disk. The application will claim a little bit of RAM, even when you don’t intend to use it.

To eliminate the extra memory usage, periodically review your Start Up Items file. Determine which applications you cannot (or don’t want to) start yourself when they’re needed. Leave those items in the Start Up file. For those applications you don’t need, or don’t mind starting on your own, remove them from your startup file. Your boot time will improve and your computer will have more memory available for the applications you do want to use.

While we’re on the subject of memory usage, take the time to close application windows you don’t need any longer, and close applications when you’re finished with them. Having multiple windows open can take up additional memory and slow your computer performance down. When you’re using a browser, consider opening multiple tabs in the same window instead of opening multiple windows when you need to see more than one Web page. Tabbed browsing is more efficient and eliminates clutter from your desktop.

When you finish with an application and close app windows without actually closing the application, you can use up memory. Quit an application as you finish with it and restart it if you need to. Also, don’t store documents on the desktop. Store documents and files in the file system to maximize your memory usage.

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No one likes dealing with a slow computer. For most people, the source of the slowdown isn’t evident, and that makes troubleshooting even harder. More often than not, low computer performance seems to sneak into the picture, often leaving users wondering exactly what’s happened.

There Are Things You Can Do To Speed Up Your Computer!

If you’re looking for an immediate burst of speed, try eliminating open programs, document windows, and processes that don’t need to run all the time, even in the background. Don’t look for “savings” by turning off your virus or malware protection. These software packages need to run all the time. Also you can uninstall software that is unwanted, great to free up more PC resources. Also, try closing applications as you finish with them and paring down the apps that automatically load when you run the computer. Remove excess fonts, foreign language support and other items that may be part of a standard installation routine, but are for the most part unnecessary.

Add more memory to your computer. If your computer isn’t already maxed out on memory, consider installing the maximum amount of memory allowed by the computer’s design. Don’t bother installing more than the maximum and be sure you get the type of memory recommended for your computer. Too much, too little or the wrong kind of memory can cause serious performance degradations and will generally make your computing experience intolerable.

Clean, clean, clean. Clean out unneeded files from the file system. Remove all files that you’ve “temporarily” stored on the desktop. Remove unused applications, demo programs that may have come loaded with your computer when it was brand new, and eliminate temporary files. (Don’t eliminate temporary folders because many apps need those. Just eliminate the files inside.) Defragment your hard disk regularly to make the most use of your newfound disk space. Clean your registry.

Some people ask if cleaning a registry is necessary and I always say, “Only if you want your computer to run efficiently.” Cleaning out your registry periodically removes all of the “build-up” that would otherwise get left behind by applications that have been uninstalled, drivers and other components that have been replaced or upgraded, and old configurations. You don’t appreciate how quickly these can add up to diminished performance until you run a registry cleaner. I recommend RegCure for the task. It’s complete, easy-to-use and very thorough. It also makes a backup of your registry before it makes any changes, so reverting to your previous state is as easy as pie.

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When it comes to your poor typing skills, ff you’re hoping to blame a slow computer on stiff joints in your hands, hold that thought. A new study just published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research shows that people who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis could type just as fast as subjects who did not suffer from the disease. The study did show that the best predictors of typing ability were training and the age of the typist.

Improving Computer Skills Can Improve Speed

If you avoid using the computer because your data entry skills are lacking, consider taking a typing course or working with typing software. There are several free online typing test sites that can help you measure your typing speed and accuracy. Most sites are associated with a typing tutor program or software that is designed to help you learn how to touch-type.

In addition to online sites that can help measure your typing skills, you can consider using typing tutor software. The software will provide typing exercises that will help you learn the keyboard without having to look at the keys. Believe it or not, looking at the keyboard actually slows you down when it comes to typing! Your brain must verify the location of the keys you’re looking for. That visual confirmation actually reduces the efficiency of your data entry.

Worried about making mistakes? When you use programs like word processors, you can enable spell-checking and automatic error correction. Even if you type a word incorrectly, the computer can often figure out what you meant and make the appropriate substitutions. One word of caution regarding spell checking: the spell-checker won’t correct grammatical errors or word misuse. For example, if you mean to type “the” but accidentally type “she” the spell-checker will not flag the mistake because, after all, “she” is spelled correctly.

Some more advanced word processing programs also offer grammar checkers that may or may not flag misused words. Grammar checkers are not as sophisticated as spell-checkers, primarily because there is widespread agreement on the spelling of a word, whereas the rules of grammar are often circumstantial.

You can also benefit by working with tutorials or taking classes on more complicated computer applications, like spreadsheets and databases. Learning how to get the results you want from your software can improve your performance, which may make the computer seem to work a little faster for you!

Photo Credit: Dan Foy, via Flickr

If you still haven’t settled on a New Year’s resolution, I have one in mind: keeping your computer clean. Now “clean” can mean a lot of different things, so I’ll clarify what I mean. A clean computer has several benefits, not the least of which is improved speed. Yes, you can speed up your computer by observing a few housekeeping rules.

A Clean Computer Is A Fast Computer

“Clean” computing means making sure that your computer doesn’t have any nasty viruses, malware, root kits or other similar applications that will slow your computer down, limit the amount of control you have over it, or instruct it to do things that you have not authorized.

Don’t assume that you have a working anti-virus program simply because one is loaded on your computer. Make sure your A/V software is turned on, scanning your hard disk and updating its virus definitions. If it isn’t, there are a number of Web sites run by reputable A/V companies that will scan your computer for free. Make absolutely sure you’re dealing with a reputable company. Several free anti-virus scan sites are just scams that are trying to sell you useless software you don’t need.

Move all files off of your desktop and place them in the file system. Storing files outside the file system actually causes your computer to allocate additional memory to these files. It does this by taking away memory from your applications. A seriously messy desktop can really slow your computer down by forcing it to give away memory it would otherwise use on applications.

Get rid of programs you don’t need. Use the uninstall function rather than just throwing the files in the Recycle Bin. If you simply recycle the application, you’ll leave a lot of files and configuration information behind.

Get rid of files you don’t need or move them to some other form of storage, like a CD or DVD, or even a USB drive. You can keep these files close at hand, but out of your permanent file system. Reducing the size of your file system will also help speed up your computer.

Finally, after you’ve done your cleanup, run a registry cleaner like RegCure. RegCure will remove the abandoned code that uninstall routines are notorious for leaving behind. You’ll be surprised by what RegCure discovers and the impact a clean registry can have on the performance of your computer.

Photo Credit: Nate Bolt, via Flickr

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