Register Clean Information:
Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1. How Do I Clean My Registry?

There are three possible answers to this question.

• You can fix it manually.
• You can pay someone to fix it for you.
• You can download one of the many excelent Registry Repair utilities and allow the software to do it for you.

Manual Registry Repair.

If you decide on manual repair, you need to back up the Registry, then open "Regedit", drill down into the files, keep expanding the menu until you get t the values you want to change or edit, and then make the change.

Then move to the next entry and do the same. And on and on.

When you consider that Registry Repair utilities frequently find hundreds of errors, this can be a very laborious process.

If all this sounds like something you don't really want to tackle, then you almost certainly should not mess with the Registry, which is an area in which even seasoned professionals tread warily.

Consider Option 2 instead....

Hire an expert.

This could be a much more sensible solution. Leave the Registry to people who really, really know what they are doing.

The only problem with this approach is that it will almost certainly be the most expensive option, and will take the most time. You won't want to pay for an expert to come to your machine, so your machine will have to go to the expert.

That means you will be without a computer for some time, probably several days.

If that idea does not appeal, then....

Use a Registry Repair utility.

These days there are many excellent Registry Cleaners on the market.

All the top providers offer a downloadable program that will quickly scan your machine and tell you whether you have problems or not.

If you decide to go ahead and order the main registry repair programme, you can have your computer working smoothly and at its top speed in a matter of minutes.

Question 2. What is the Windows Registry?

Microsoft introduced the Windows Registry in 1995 in order to replace all the .INI files, which were used to hold configuration information.

In those days the registry was about 5 MB in size, with only two files in it. Today there are at least 12 files and the Registry is much bigger.

Effectively, it is a database, but a database in which the information is constantly changing and being updated.

If you don't know what you're doing, then leave the repairs to a good software utility. If you make a mistake in this area, you could render your operating completely useless.

Question 3. Why Should you Clean Up Your Registry?

So now all the information your system needs is stored in one place, but the problem is that every time you add or remove software, every time you check out a new website, the Registry stores some more information about the files you have worked on and the sites you have visited.

An added problem is that when you uninstall programs, many of them do not leave "gracefully"; instead they leave bits and pieces of clutter all over the Registry.

As time goes by the Registry gets bigger and bigger, filled with more and more junk, and slowly starts becoming more and more inefficient.

Eventually that inefficiency leads to corruption. Things get worse as spyware, adware and even viruses sneak into the Registry, and you end up with a slow computer that takes a long time to start up, that freezes, reboots itself without warning, and complains about missing DLLs.

And that's why you need to do a little housekeeping from time to time, to clean and compact the Registry, and get your computer working at optimum speed once again.

Question 4. What is a Registry Scan?

Here's a very short list of the checks any software designed to carry out a registry scan will do:

• Invalid file associations
• Missing DLL or Help files
• Missing system fonts
• Invalid short cuts, application paths or device drivers
• Problems with user or system software settings
• Problems with startup programs or the uninstall section

In fact, it would take several pages to list all the checks carried out.

It is definitely the sort of task best left to a machine rather than a human being.

Question 5. Do free Registry Repair scans really work?

All the registry repair utilities reviewed on the Software Comparisons page come with an offer of a free scan.   The will work and the scan will determine whether you have potential registry problems or not.

But of course, very little in life is free. To actually clean your registry, you need to buy the full package.

Some trial cleaners offer a very limited "fix" option - say 2 or 3 problems at a time. If you have 200 or so errors reported this could take a very long time.

Question 6. When should I use a Registry Cleaner?

Opinions on this one vary. Some experts say once a week, others once a month.

There may be some obvious signals - your computer slows down, crashes, complains about missing DLLs, reboots - all indications that there are some problems.

It really depends how hard you work your computer. If you are constantly installing and uninstalling software, are a heavy surfer visiting lots of sites, you will need to clean up more often.

Once a month is probably a good compromise.

Question 7. How do I clean my registry of viruses?

If you think you have a registry problem, there is a clear procedure you should follow.

Make sure you don't have a virus or a rogue application.

• Run an anti-virus scan.
• Run a Spyware scan.
• Run a Bot scan
• Defragment the hard disk

Defragment the hard disk to make sure it is properly organised and running as efficiently as possible.

Then, if the scans and the defrag did not fix the problem, clean the registry.

• Back up the registry first.
• Run your chosen registry repair utility.

Question 8. What is the best Registry Repair Program?

It really depends on what you need and what part of the cleaning process is most important to you. Do you want full automation, or do you want finer control and some manual intervention?

Not all registry repair utilities are equal, so take look at the five reviewed on the page devoted to Register Cleaner Software Comparisons, and check the various attributes.

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