We have discussed several tools that can help optimize your computer to make it run faster and smoother, but one task that doesn’t get as much attention is cleaning the Windows registry.
To better understand, the Windows registry is the big database that holds all the settings for your Windows operating system. This includes settings for all of your software, your hardware, and even all of the personal settings and preferences you have set up for your Windows PC.
With all of this responsibility, it is inevitable that over time your Windows registry will build up flaws and erroneous or damaged data. This could be due to many reasons, including improperly shutting down your PC and software uninstallation errors.
So why are these registry errors so bad for your computer?
The more damaged your Windows registry becomes, the more it can slow down your computer and decrease its performance. In order to maintain better performance and a speedy computer, it is important to not only perform hard drive maintenance, but also registry maintenance.
Some of the side effects of a severely corrupt registry are slow loading times, slow performance, slow shutdowns, and random restarts. It is definitely a good idea clean your registry if you can relate to any of these computer problems.
Typically, since the Windows registry is such a complex database, it is not recommended that you try to modify or clean your registry all by yourself. Changing or removing the wrong setting can cause major problems with your computing experience, including system failures.
Registry cleaning tools provide an easy-to-use interface that allows you to safely scan, detect and repair any corrupt data in your Windows registry to eliminate any problems.
There is a wide variety of registry cleaner software to choose from, so you’ll want to do a little bit of research to see which may be the easiest for you to use. Don’t just search Google for registry cleaners, however, because you will come across several illegitimate sites that try to sell you bogus software.
For a list of a few of the reliable options for registry cleaners, be sure to read PC World magazine’s article on “How to Clean Your Windows Registry and Speed Up Your PC.“
Of course, in addition to cleaning your registry it is also important to perform the routine tasks of disk defragmentation, Checkdisk and disk cleanup.
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