What is the Computer Registry?

The windows registry is basically a directory that stores all of the setting and options for the Windows operating system. It also contains information pertaining to hardware settings, OS (operating system) software settings, computer users, non-OS software, PC preferences, and more. Any time changes are made to any of these items, the windows registry is updated.

Keeping your windows registry clean and free of any errors is crucial in maintaining the performance of your PC. A poorly maintained registry may result in system instability, with program crashes being one of the most common side effects.

The registry is a centralized hierarchical database that is used to store computer configuration information. Windows needs this information in order to properly run your system, including all of your installed applications as well as hardware devices. The windows registry does not only save the location and file path of these items, it also saves other details that are used by the processor to locate programs and hardware devices efficiently, which in turn decreases the overall processing time.

The windows registry keeps records of each and every item present, including details on:

Installed applications
User profiles, settings, and preferences
Property settings for applications as well as folders
Installed hardware devices
Ports in use
System policies
File associations

When do Registry Problems Occur?
Recent estimates state that about 94% of all computers have corrupt and potentially harmful files. Each PC will on average have bout 150 or more errors due to missing or corrupt registry entries.

If your system is relatively new, you will probably not need to make any changes to your registry. However, as time goes by, your registry will grow and collect more data as you add and remove software as well as hardware. These accumulated changes to the registry will eventually cause it to become fragmented, and very likely corrupted.

Some Common Errors:

Missing, abandoned, broken or bad application/Windows paths, links and shortcuts.
Unused Start Menu items
Unwanted browser objects
Missing/corrupt application IDs
Corrupt Active X/COM Objects
Unused files and drivers
Several more

Whenever you remove software from your system, it is very likely that residuals from that software are still present on your hard drive and in your registry. The more software that is added and removed, the more this effect is compounded. The end result is frequent error messages, slowed startup, declining system performance, applications freezing/crashing, and in some cases, even a total inability to start Windows altogether.

Backing up the Registry
Before you attempt to edit your registry, it is imperative that you back it up, just to protect your system in case you make an error. To do this, you can use the built in Windows backup utility to back up the System State data. You can also use third party backup software such as WinBackUp.

Registry Booster
If you’re like most people, the idea of editing your Windows registry sounds like a daunting task. This convenient application makes it easy to optimize your registry and cure any possible problems. It also contains a backup feature, so everything you need to safely repair your registry is included within the software.

Tags: pc, registry

This entry was posted on Friday, November 14th, 2008 at 4:15 am and is filed under Information, Tips & Suggestions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.