Registry Repair

Before going any further, recognize that registry repair is serious business. If done improperly, your computer may not run at all.

What is the registry in your computer anyway? The registry is a database where certain vital information is stored. Hardware and software configuration - how to set up the hardware and software - is stored in the registry User preferences are stored in the registry as is setup information. As an example of user settings: if you change the wallpaper (background) on your desktop, a change is made in the registry Whenever you make changes to control panel settings, or install new hardware, or install new software, the registry stores the new settings.

Registry problems arise over time. You can compare the registry to a ship which has been in a harbor for a long time. Barnacles build up on the ship, and that's like what happens to the registry Why? Sometimes you uninstall a program but the uninstall operation leaves entries in the registry Your anti-virus or anti-spyware program may delete the program containing the virus or spyware but may not delete the registry entries for those programs. With normal operation some programs don't clean up after themselves properly and debris builds up. Files in the registry may get moved. The registry for one reason or another, may duplicate entries. Your registry gets bloated and swamped and your computer slows down. If you are frequently adding and removing programs from your computer, you are a prime candidate for registry problems.

When is it time to consider repairing the registry? The quick and dirty answer is: only as a last resort. You have to be like a doctor analyzing a patient's symptoms and trying to diagnose the illness. Your computer is running slowly. It crashes or shuts down without warning. In the middle of using a program, the computer freezes and you can't do anything to get control back. Certain programs don't run the way they're supposed to. Error messages crop up when you run certain programs. At odd times the screen goes blue (the techies call this BSOD- the blue screen of death) and may show unintelligible language. The computer just isn't running normally. Those are the symptoms. What's the disease? Could be one of a number of things or it could be a combination of things. Before doing anything else, make sure your anti-virus program is up to date and have it check for viruses. If your computer still misbehaves, it's time to clean the registry.

The registry is huge and complex, and in the past registry repair was best left to experts. Uber-techies can use programs that are built into the computer, go into the registry find out what's wrong and correct it. This is dangerous business. If you don't know what you're doing, or you are careless and make an incorrect entry, you will create major, big-time problems. There is software specially designed to clean and repair the registry so a novice without any technical knowledge can do registry repair easily and safely. Just run the programs. They are written by experts and will do the job properly and give you peace of mind.

Joseph Starr writes on a variety of subjects to keep his brain from fogging over. Look for his blogs on blogger.com.

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