Cleaning the Windows Registry - Learn More About It

What exactly is the Registry in Windows? Many people have heard about it but how many of them do not fully understand what it is all about? How does it work? Is it essential for a user to be knowledgeable about it? This article would help you learn all that and more so you would know what to do when the need to perform maintenance arises. However, keep in mind that you should be careful when making changes in this component because doing so might cause your operating system to stop functioning.

By definition, Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores virtually all settings for your computer: Windows "OS" settings, application settings, driver information, and user passwords, among other things.

Back in the day, all application settings were stored in text-based configuration files. For every application there was a corresponding text file configuration. The Registry solves that "issue" of having different files by allowing one single location for all your computer settings.

It consolidates and restores all the system settings in one single place, thus, it is more convenient when you need to access the files. Accessing it is easier since it is read into memory every time you reboot your computer, thereby, giving you instant access when needed.

How to Edit the Registry

While manual editing should not be performed by non-computer experts, being knowledgeable about properly restoring the system is important for all computer users, considering that the proliferation of viruses, malware, and spyware that can potentially corrupt the Registry and the entire computer.

There are different ways to perform editing, but the most commonly used is the regedit.exe utility:

* Go to the Start menu.
* Go to the Search or Run boxes and type in "regedit.exe".
* Hit Enter.
* When the Registry Editor opens, you will be able to view and edit its contents.
* You'll find 2 windows: a tree with folders on the left, and the contents or values of the selected folder or key.
* To open a particular branch, you'll only need to click on the [+] plus sign or simply double click the folder.
* To access the contents of the folder (key), click on the particular key and the values on the right side becomes visible.
* You can edit by adding a new key or value by simply selecting New from the Edit menu.
* You can also rename any folder you want by slowly clicking the desired folder twice.
* Delete a folder or value by simply clicking on what is to be deleted and pressing on Delete.

7 Predefined Root Keys (Folders)

* "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)"
* "HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC)"
* "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR)"
* "HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU)"
* "HKEY_USERS (HKU)"
* "HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA"
* "HKEY_DYN_DATA"

It is important that you back the files up before making any changes because you can never restore once changes are made.

Making a System Restore snapshot is one way of backing up files and data. This will allow you to return to the settings of the previous snapshot without risking losing recent changes made. By default, the System Restore makes multiple snapshots every 24 calendar days.

How to Restore Registry for Windows 7.0

* Access the Start menu.
* On the Search box, type in "systempropertiesprotection".
* Hit Enter. If you are asked for an administration password, key in the needed information then click Allow.
* The System Protection tab opens, click Create to make a restore point.
* Once you have created a restore point, click Close, and then OK.
* In case the System Restore is turned off, you can just choose the local disk, then click Apply and then Create.

Cleaning Windows Registry

There are a lot of ads and testimonials that you can find in the internet about registry cleaning products claiming to fix errors and clean the Registry. These products do not really "clean" the system. But there are some that work better than the others. Some are even dangerous, especially when you do the cleaning and you don't have enough computer know-how.

There will be occasions when you need to clean the Registry because some programs or applications have rendered the computer to become too "slow". You don't have to automatically run the "cleaner", because in the first place, you only have to be more cautious when installing programs to your computer.

Defragging the Windows Registry

Defragmentation is a common practice by users believing the regularly defragging the computer helps in optimizing the computer's performance. It is important to point out that the Registry data is directly loaded into the computer's RAM when system is rebooted so your system doesn't become super fast once defragmented.