How to Clean Your Computer Registry
The newer Microsoft operating systems such as XP and Vista do not require constant registry cleaning. Because these operating systems are based on Windows NT instead of the registry, invalid or corrupt registry keys should not adversely affect your PC’s performance.
From a practical perspective, you could still experience PC problems because of corrupt or bad registry keys. Even though your operating system relies on Windows NT, removing malware, spyware or adware could leave bad keys in the registry that affect your computer’s performance.
If your software is not running correctly or takes forever to load, it’s worth your time to check out the registry.
Microsoft’s operating systems include a program that is called “regedit” that you can access from the “start/run” command. When you run the regedit program, you will be presented with the contents of your registry folder. Without having to rely on third party software, the regedit program will enable you to identify any bad keys in your registry and remove them directly.
The average, non-technical computer user may take one look at the registry file, get confused by all the apparent gobblygook, and give up on trying to understand what the registry keys mean. Fortunately, there are registry cleaner programs available for free or for a small fee that will identify any bad keys. Most of these programs will give you a choice. The first option is to let the registry cleaner software automatically delete any bad keys. The second option allows you to select the invalid keys that should be deleted.
Be cautious about downloading and installing free registry cleaners or antivirus programs. Some of these free downloads include adware or other forms of malicious code that might cause trouble for you down the road. If you cannot spare a few bucks and need a free registry cleaner, be sure to download your software from a trusted service like cNet that verifies that the freeware is free of spyware, adware, and trojans.
If your software programs are not running efficiently, visit the NotGuru blog’s computer tips section, where you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean your registry. The tutorial includes written instructions and screen shots that can be printed out for future reference. It also recommends trusted registry cleaner software.
Tags: computer, PC, regedit, registry, registry cleaner, slow computer, Vista, XP
