This website shows you various system utilities that you can use to make your PC perform “like new” again.
What is the Windows Registry?
Windows Registry
The Windows Registry is a centralized hierarchical database that stores necessary information to configure the system for multiple users, applications and hardware devices. Whenever a user makes changes to the control panel settings, file associations, system policies or software the same changes are also reflected in the registry.
Benefits of the Windows Registry
The key benefits of the Registry concept is that it keeps the user configurations
separate from the machine configuration and it makes easier for the programs
to keep the per user configuration.
It can also be backed up easily because of the small number of files in specified
locations.
Dangers of Windows Registry
The Windows Registry can become a single point of failure which means that any damage to the registry will render the system unbootable and you would need to re install Windows again.
What you should know?
Many times while surfing the PC gets infected with spyware and adware and although
you may use an Anti Spyware program traces of that spyware will be left in the
form of references in the Windows Registry. Ultimately this leads to cluttering
the Registry and making the system speed slow and unwieldy.
While tampering with the Registry is dangerous as if something goes wrong you
may have to reinstall the entire operating system with a little care you can
use Registry cleaners which are available as free downloads or paid software
over the internet.
Another problem that a few of you might have faced is that you may have installed something some time ago, then uninstalled it for some reason and now are trying to install the new version or the same version again but are prompted that you already have the software installed. This is again a case of traces remaining in the registry and you may have to clean it up from the registry.
How to edit the Registry
Before you decide to edit the registry its advisable to take the back up of the registry. The Windows registry is divided into various logical sections all starting with HKEY an abbreviation for Handle to a Key and then these are further divided into keys and then subkeys.
Follow the instructions given below to take a back up of the section also knows as subtree which you plan to edit.
Go to Start --> Run --> Type Regedit -->
locate and click the subkey you want to edit --> On the
File menu click Export --> In the Save
in box select a location to save the file (.reg) and type in a File
Name and click Save to complete the process.
Edit the Registry
To delete or edit a registry go to Start -->Run --> regedit and
click ok. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -->
Expand Software --> Click Microsoft
After that locate the subkey that you want to delete and get rid of it.
While one should try and steer clear of editing the registry at times it becomes
necessary to do so, do this carefully and if needed refer to a lot of forums
and take advise before doing it.