The Ins and Outs to Clean Up Your Registry | ArticlesBase.com

<p>We’ve all experienced the symptoms of a poorly kempt registry: slow or lagging computer, failing computer programs, freezes, and crashes. Here are the ins and outs of what you need to know to clean up your registry:</p> <p><strong>First off, it’s important to know the computer symptoms:</strong></p> <p>Overall decreased computer performance, program malfunction, and ultimately, freezes or crashes are frustrating and harmful signs pointing to one thing: a poorly kempt PC registry.  The stress level of a malfunctioning computer varies from user to user, but to anyone, it can be a frustrating, confusing experience.</p> <p><strong>What is your registry?</strong></p> <p>Many novice PC users don’t know exactly what a PC registry is.  In short, it is a library of all the files and keys on which your computer functions.  All programs and most utilities you use on your PC are linked back to your registry.</p> <p><strong>How does your registry become “unclean”?</strong></p> <p>Many factors contribute to a dirty, unkempt registry.  One of the biggest is simply time.  Continuous computer use over time causes general breakdown, cluttering, and disarray in your registry.  Programs are installed and uninstalled, keys and files are broken and corrupt, and the next thing you know, your registry looks like a catchall junk drawer.</p> <p>Other factors include malware or viruses that embed keys in your registry, clogging it up and fragmenting files in the process.  Improperly installed and uninstalled programs leave huge file caches and unwanted keys throughout your registry, causing bloat, cluttering, and further decrease in PC performance.</p> <p><strong>What are the options for cleaning your registry?</strong></p> <p>When it comes to the process of cleaning up your registry, there are two foolproof options: buying and utilizing a good registry cleaner or taking your computer in to have it cleaned by professionals.  The former tends to be more efficient, both are cost-wise.  The fact that your registry cleaner can be used for one, two, or five years, while taking your computer in to be cleaned is a one-time deal is a real money saver.</p> <p><strong>Registry cleanup: how is it done?</strong></p> <p>A good registry cleaner will do many things to help <a href="http://optimize-your-pc.com/regcure/registry.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">clean up your registry</a>, starting with an overall scan of your registry.  This scan will locate unneeded, corrupt, duplicate, and embedded keys in your registry.  Unneeded, duplicate, and embedded keys are all purged or deleted from your registry, while corrupt or broken keys are fixed.  This leaves your registry looking messy, with gaps, fragmented files, and disorganization all over.</p> <p>Next comes defragmentation.  This utility comes with any good registry cleaner.  Starting off with defragmenting files that have been broken up because of lack of space or improper installation, the defrag process ensures all files are whole and contiguous.</p> <p>Then files are sorted according to various factors (size, amount of use, type of key) in one continuous block.  When you <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/mdregcure" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">clean up your registry</a>, you will see a noticeable difference in your computer's overall performance.</p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br /><p>Optimize-Your-PC can provide you with more information about registry maintenance. It will teach you how to <a target="new" href="http://www.squidoo.com/mdregcure" rel="nofollow">clean up your registry</a>, leaving you with nothing but a highly-optimized PC.</p>