The Basics of System Registry and Registry Cleaners
The Basics of System Registry and Registry Cleaners
Most of the common computer errors are caused by invalid and corrupt keys in the system registry. The errors include the computer not being able to load user profiles and software applications not opening. If your computer is giving out various error messages like "Dll error" or the infamous blue screen then your computer's registry has been corrupted.
The system registry is one of the most important utilities of a computer but most often ignored by users until its too late. The registry is basically a database that stores all the important information related to the system's hardware, installed programs, settings and every profile created on the computer. Windows has to constantly refer to this registry to function properly. Doing a disk defrag or a disk cleanup is not going to solve the problem of registry errors. To handle that, you need to have a registry cleaner or do registry editing on your own.
But you should be doing registry editing only if you are an advanced user and understand the function of all the main registry keys. Deleting and modifying registry keys without knowing their function can result in user profiles being corrupted, programs not functioning and even total loss of data. So Microsoft recommends that no matter what method you use to do registry cleaning, you should first always create a registry backup. This allows you to go back to the earlier version of the system registry in case your new version turns out to be even more problematic.
First of all, you need to be logged in as an administrator to perform registry backup. If you are not, then you can only make changes to your user account. The registry backup can be created on a folder on the hard disk or on a USB stick. The Microsoft Registry Editor can help you view, search and change settings in your system registry. The registry backup steps are as follows:
1.Click the Start button. Then type "regedit.exe" in the Start Search box and click on it.
2.You will see five main keys: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS, HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG. All the keys have several subkeys.
3.Click on the File menu and then click on Export.
4.Select the location where you want the backup copy to be saved and then give the copy a name.
5.Click Save.
You can select the entire registry or just specific keys or subkeys that you are planning to modify. However, selecting each key adds to the size of the backup copy. It's also a good idea to create a restore point using the System Restore feature. The restore point will have all the information on the registry and you can also use that to undo the changes that you made to your system.
The five main keys described above have the following functions:
1.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR): This key keeps information on file types and extensions, URL protocol prefixes and registered classes.
2.HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU): This key keeps configuration information related to the user profiles.
3.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM): One of the most important keys, as this one has all the configuration information on your system's hardware and software.
4.HKEY_USERS (HKU): This key keeps user information used by HKCU to display current user information. One of its keys, the .DEFAULT key is the template using which new user profiles are created.
5.HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC): This key has all the software and hardware information related to the current system user.
For users who are not IT professionals and don't want to risk losing all their data playing around with their registry settings, there are several registry cleaners available on the market. A Google search will show you that almost every one of the software publishers selling registry cleaners offers a free scan. But there are several of them that are useless and some are outright spyware and trojans. If a website tells you that it has found a large number of invalid and corrupt registry keys without you downloading a executable file (.EXE) and running it, it is most definitely a scam. And downloading just any free scan tool can itself result in your computer being loaded with spyware or adware.
Most software publishers will also have testimonials and positive reviews. But very few companies will have a BBB rating or a McAfee SECURE logo. If the BBB rating is high, preferably in the "A" category it is proof of the fact that the company and its product are both trustworthy. The McAfee SECURE logo on a website means that the website is secure from phishing and does not link to untrustworthy sites. This is because the website has passed McAffe's daily intensive security scan. RegGenie is one of the few registry cleaners to meet all these criteria. In addition, whether you are choosing RegGenie or any other registry cleaner, check to see if they are offering useful features such as the following:
1.Registry Backup A good registry cleaner will offer this function as a standard feature.
2.Registry Defrag The registry cleaner should be able to tell you whether the registry needs a cleanup and be able to do it.
3.Performance Review Show you how many errors it has found and whether they have been fixed or not.
4.Windows Startup Manager Makes it easier for you to select which programs Windows runs when you start your computer.
5.Auto Scan This feature will help you with automated backups and also scans of the registry on a scheduled time.
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