Computers are more important to our lives now than ever before, and of course, it’s imperative for every PC owner to know how to properly maintain his system. One part of your computer that can be easily overlooked until problems like slow boot up times and program errors crop up is the Windows Registry. Personally, I use a cleaner to clean my PC registry. Registry cleaner programs are made specifically to take care of this Windows component.
What is a registry?
Simply put, the registry is where pertinent details about the hardware, computer memory, application programs, and system options can be found. User profiles as well as the configuration of drivers installed in the OS are also relegated here. In a way, the registry is an upgraded version of the INI (initialization) and configuration files that were dominant in the old-school DOS-based systems. In fact, when it first came, the registry’s initial purpose was also to amplify the said INI files. It is set up in a hierarchical tree structure, partitioned by sections and subsections.
So why do I clean my PC with a registry cleaner? Because of the amount of data contained in the registry and the number of times programs and Windows access it, it is prone to errors – hence the need to use a registry cleaner.
So how do I clean my PC registry?
For those who are just getting to know this OS component, it would do well to remember that you don’t want to randomly tweak the registry. If you’re not careful enough, you might end up damaging your OS. Before you go ahead and edit it, therefore, always make sure that you create a backup first for the section or subsection that you’ll be tweaking. Also, note that if your computer uses Windows XP, do not replace its registry with a different version at all. Practice caution when adjusting your registry settings, because although there are only very small differences in the registry set-up spanning the many Windows version, there still remains the danger that your OS may be damaged.
That said, you should practice the same caution when using a registry cleaner. Most registry maintenance tools automatically create a backup of your registry, scan it for errors, and repair the errors it finds. A registry cleaner provides other services like defragmentation and optimization, among other things so you can be sure that your bases are covered when cleaning your PC registry. Most registry cleaners are easy to use, though you should note that you will need to practice caution when choosing which to use as well. All things said, a registry cleaner should be your friend, though you should choose this friend pretty carefully.