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.

Tags: registry, registry fixer, windows