Why do I need to clean my Windows registry?

If you have a new computer, you might be wondering how you can preserve its performance, speed, and stability. If you have been using your PC for a while, you may wonder how you can regain these fading features. The answer in both cases is a regular cleaning of your Windows registry.

The Windows registry is a complicated, hierarchical database. It is used to store a vast amount of information to help make your computing experience better. The registry keeps information about system configuration, including data on software, files, folders and hardware devices. As well, programs such as ActiveX controls for certain websites make registry entries. During the operation of your PC, the registry is referred to constantly.

However, the constant storing of information in the registry can make it unwieldy. Often it grows too large and becomes unstable. This can cause your computer to slow down or crash. These symptoms may cause you to suspect you have a virus or spyware infection, but PC security programs will not fix these errors.

The best solution is to run a registry cleaner. While your registry will expand over time, you can keep everything neat and tidy by making sure that it only contains what you need. For example, when you uninstall software there usually are a number of items left behind in the registry. These are useless, but take up valuable memory space and make the registry a confusing mess.

Cleaning your registry manually is not something that even experienced PC users should attempt. An errant keystroke while editing the registry could cause major problems.

It is recommended to use a registry cleaner which can scan to find unneeded items and remove them. Many of these programs use backup and restore points to help ensure that cleaning is done safely. A clean registry will enhance the speed and performance of your PC.