Tips on How to Clean Windows Registry
Although there are a number of registry cleaners in the market that can clean Windows registry for you, it doesn’t hurt to get your hands dirty sometimes. Plus, it gives you added knowledge and opportunity to get to know your PC better.
The registry is the most important component of a Windows XP PC. It is a database wherein settings and options are stored. It is a place where information such as the type of hardware attached, the system options selected, the way the computer memory is set up and the application programs that should be present at the start of the operating system, are stored. This was introduced in order to organize the many per program configuration files which were scattered all over the system. In order to maintain the good working condition of one’s PC, one should periodically clean the windows registry. Cleaning it would mean deleting all the unnecessary entries and making sure that files are arranged therein in a logical order without any gaps. There are two ways of doing the cleaning – manually (by the user or by a hired technician) and with the use of a windows xp registry cleaner. It is generally recommended that an expert should handle the cleaning manually but if you are an able computer geek then here are some steps on how to go through it:
Step 1: From the desktop taskbar, click the "Start" menu.
Step 2: In the menu, click "Run".
Step 3: In the new window, type "regedit" into the text field and press "Enter".
Step 4: On the next window that appears, one can gain access to the many different entries in your Windows XP registry. This is separated in different primary sections: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER plus the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and HKEY_CURRENT CONFIG. Every section has a different set of entries that are related to different aspects of Windows XP operation.
Step 5: Click on one of the plus signs (+) next to one of the root directories, which opens a more detailed list. This second level has more directories to choose from, and makes it easier for you to find entries needed to clean the registry
Step 6: Delete entries in the registry that you know are either causes conflicts or are unnecessary. You can either press the "Delete" key, or right-click on your mouse then choose "Delete entry.
Step 7: You also have the option to invest in a registry cleaner program to help you clean Windows registry and let it do the dirty work. Some of which even include backup capabilities to retrace their steps in the event of a critical error.
Step 8: Clean your boot records by changing which programs load themselves at startup. Click LOCAL_MACHINE and then also click CURRENT_USER directories until you reach Software/Microsoft/Windows/Run and RunOnce. You can may now clean out your computer’s registry entries that are causing certain programs to run on start up.
Cleaning registry is quite a daunting task, because even the slightest error in deleting entries can cause the whole system to crash. Here are further tips on endeavouring the task:
1. Click “Start” on the desktop taskbar
2. Click “Run” from the menu
3. On the new window, type “regedit”, then click “Ok”
4. On the next window select “File”, then go down to “Export”
5. Create a name for the back-up file, then “Save”
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Do not attempt to clean your registry unless you know specifically which entries are to be deleted and which one shouldn’t. Some registry repair tools provide one with a list of the entries to be deleted and not
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Defrag your PC after cleaning it, this arranges the files in a logical order and removes gaps in between.
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