You can think of it as a sort of ships log…

Your Windows Registry is an extremely important system file that stores a huge collection of data pertaining to your computer. Like big brother in 1984, it keeps track of everything that goes on: where  all programs are stored, which dll’s (helper programs) are shared by whom, which programs are in your start up menu, and which programs need to fire up when you click on a certain icon, and much, much more. Everything you do on your PC is, in someway ot the other, stored in your registry. This blog entry’s URl  for example, is now stored somewhere in your registry, as are the dozen or so places online that you went before getting here. Anything that  you may have installed, or tried to uninstall in the past week or so is also lurking around in there somewhere.

A messy registry is a sign of an active PC…

The thing about Window’s registry, is that it tends to become cluttered with a lot of useless junk, especially if you are like me, a PC user who likes to dabble in a little bit of everything. I imagine that if you took a look inside my computers registry, it is going to look a whole lot like what my desk looked in the sixth grade, a big convoluted mess, with old papers and other junk stuffed everywhere (oh, wait my desk still kind of looks like that).

Why a messy registry can slow you down…

While the Window’s registry  will continually add new file paths and program changes to its log, it seldom, if ever cleans house and rids itself of unused file paths from deleted programs, bad entries  that lead to nowhere, or even corrupted kernals that just sit around and take up space. As time goes by, it becomes one big bloated mess that can slow your computer’s performance to a crawl as the operating system tries to slog its way through this disaster area of it’s own making.

How to fix it

Messing around with your registry can be tricky business, especially if you try to do it manually. Erase the wrong file path and you might find yourself unable to even boot your computer back up. A much safer route is to invest in a decent registry fixer that will automatically scan your registry and show you what is wrong, and what problems can safely be fixed without compromising your PC’s performance.  When using a registry cleaner, it is important to first make a back up file just in case you do something wrong and to always make sure you pay attention to what the cleaner is doing, and not just let it automatically fix everything.

A good registry cleaner could help you speed up your  computer, especially if you have a tendency to download a lot of different programs and use your PC for more than just checking your e-mail. Cleaning up all the clutter will enable your operating sytem to navigate its way through the registry and eliminating old or unwanted file paths will keep you from falling asleep as you wait for your PC to finish booting up.

Hare become Tortoise…

Has checking your e-mail become an hour long ordeal? Do you fall asleep waiting for your computer to finish booting up?  Do you have a dozen apps that you do not even use popping up every time you touch your mouse, making even the simplest computer task a chore from hell?

Well, do not worry my friend. You are not alone. Even in this day and age of dual core processors, multi-gigabyte  ram and terabyte hard drives, a slow computer is a very common ailment. No matter how fast  you make these machines, our brave new world of information overload, spyware, malware, and registry problems are  going to slow your computer down.  Sure, it would be nice to be able to buy a brand spanking new computer every year, with all the newest upgrades to keep up with the times, but lets face it, most of us are stuck with machines that are a few years, if not a full decade behind in the times. Even those of us who have the cash to buy new machines end up getting frustrated as we watch are blazing new beauties transform into slow moving nags in a matter months.  So, short of tossing out our computer every couple of months, there must be a way to restore our computer  back to its original speed and keep us from feeling like we are stuck in the late nineties. Well, my friend, I have some good news. There is.

Upgrade your DDR RAM

If you have an older computer with less than one gigabyte of RAM (random access memory), you might want to look into upgrading your  RAM cards.  RAM is what allows you to multitask on your computer.  If you have  an inadequate amount RAM, you might find it hard to keep more than one application going at once, meaning that you might have to completely shut down your Itunes before you  can run your Word program.  Installing new RAM cards is a relatively easy task that  does not require you to have a masters degree in computer engineering. It pretty much just pops nicely into its required slot.  Soon you will be able to “Rock the Casbah” as you type up your annual report.

Invest in  AntiVirus and AntiSpyware software

Sure, shareware is fun, and those free downloads always seem like a good idea. Unfortunately, the cost of these free online goodies usually  ends up being viruses and spyware. Computer viruses are found everywhere and anywhere from e-mails to mp3 files, and once they get into your system, they can reek havoc and make the most ordinary task almost impossible. Spyware is another thing that can  foul up your computer and enable people to not only figure out your browsing habits, but also obtain crucial personal and financial information that you may have stored on your PC. Once infected, ridding your computer of this memory sapping Malware is a task of Sisyphus like proportions. Investing in a good Antivirus  program is the best step you can take.  Some good recommendations are Norton,  or AVG. For those of you who do not like to spend money on such things, I recommend  downloading the free one month trial of AVG anti viral protection  along with Spybot, which is a free antispyware download that works great.

Clean up your Hard Drive

Lets face it, the more junk your computer has on it, the longer it takes to do stuff. One of the simplest things to do is to clean out your hard drive. If you have Windows, just click on the Start menu, go to the systems tab and click on Clean Disk and rid yourself of all your temporary and unused files. Your computer likes to store all of the sites you visited in a cache for quick reference later, but this can end up slowing you down instead of making surfing faster, so get rid of them. You can also delete programs that you never use and  get rid of stuff you thought you already have gotten rid of, but really just placed in the garbage bin.  Another thing you can do is run the Defragmentation program which will organize all your files, instead of having all the bits of information scattered about on your hard drive.

Fix your Registry

Your computer’s registry is what makes your computer go, and many things out there can end up messing it up. Malware, programs that were never full deleted, spyware, viruses,  and program bugs can all foul up your registry leading to slower response from your computer and a multitude of other problems, such as applications that refuse to open and even hardware problems such as speakers that refuse to work.  Getting a good registry fixing program is one of the best ways to make your computer faster.