Computer Registry Problems

Computer registry problems can have wide range of consequences for the end user, from mysterious error messages constantly popping up, to it slowing down your computer to a crawl.

There are several ways you can address computer registry problems, but novices and even intermediate computer users should not try to edit the registry manually as even the very experienced users have a hard time tweaking registries.

First you need to understand what computer registry is in order to properly approach computer registry problems.

Computer registry is basically a database, a sort of a reference source for the computer.

All the settings and options of Microsoft Windows operating systems are saved in the computer registry.

These settings include hardware settings, operating systems software, user settings, and most non-operating system software settings.

Computer registry is constantly working behind the scenes and much of what happens on your computer involves the registry. Therefore computer registry problems should not be treated lightly, as for better or for worse, our daily lives depend heavily on the use of computers.

This section is for those who want answers now on computer registry problems and so for those of you who want to learn more about computer registry, just scroll down.

Here's what it comes down to, unless you want to start a career in computer repairs, you do not have the time to learn to fix computer registries manually. Unlike the yesteryears, today there are simple and intuitive softwares that make computer registry problems an easy fix.

These softwares will not break your bank and they'll pay dividends for years to come, as registries are inevitably corrupted with just the normal use of your computer. More than half the time, computer problems and slow downs are due to the computer registry problems. Even normal functions such as install and uninstall of software could potentially corrupt registry entries, the bottom line is, many mainstream software are plagued with bugs. Think of your operating system going through a virtual wear and tear.

My choice of registry cleaner is "Registry Easy" and here's why:

*Simple interface is perfect for beginners and experts alike. There is absolutely nothing worse than a problem fixer becoming a problem.

*One touch registry optimization, this is just another great feature that keeps things simple.

*Auto Scan is a feature lesser experienced users will love, as it scans and repairs everything automatically.

*Backup options so you can easily undo any changes made.

*Auto update feature ensures you are always using the latest version of the software.

Get a "Full System Scan Here for Free" and if you in the clear, you can rule out computer registry problems as to what's plaguing your computer.

The usual symptoms of registry problems include:

*PC crashes for no apparent reason

*You keep receiving unknown error messages

*PC runs much slower than you first bought it

*Computer freezing all too often

*Hardware malfunctions

*System becomes a memory hog

*The annoying blue screen

If you are experiencing one or more of above symptoms, there's a good likelihood your computer has registry problems.

Registry database contain hundreds of registry entries, its sheer size and complexity make combing through invalid entries nearly impossible.

If you could imagine yourself cleaning up debris in your registry, clicking through hives after hives, entries after entries, and repeating that hundreds of times and that's just for one sweep. Now imagine doing that every week to keep your registry clean and in order, it's probably better not owning a computer at all.

Some specific registry problems which show the symptoms clearly can be repaired manually by a seasoned pro, but that's just one problem fixed out of potentially hundreds of registry problems that need repair.

If you scan a random computer owned by a random average pc user, the scan resulting in the excess of 1000 registry problem is very common. Pro or novice, no one in their right mind would repair that manually.

It's not worth risking messing up your computer even more, it's better to get a "Free Full System Scan" and make sure your computer has no registry problems.

Microsoft introduced Windows Registry with the release of Windows 3.1 and its purpose was to replace most of the text .INI files used in Windows 3.x and MS-DOS configuration files. Before Windows Registry, .INI files stored configuration settings for windows programs as per-program basis.

This entry is from Microsoft website,

"A registry hive is a group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files that contain backups of its data. The supporting files for all hives except HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles\Username folder. The file name extensions of the files in these folders indicate the type of data that they contain. Also, the lack of an extension may sometimes indicate the type of data that they contain."

If you are using registry editor (e.g. regedit) to edit the registry, be sure to backup your registry before making any changes.

To Back Up Registry:

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then click OK.

2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Create a restore point, and then click Next .

3. On the Create a Restore Point page, type a name for the restore point and then click Create

4. After the restore point has been created, click Close.


To Restore Registry:

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\System32\Restore\Rstrui.exe, and then click OK.

2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next .

3. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the system checkpoint. In the On this list select the restore point area, click an entry that is named "Guided Help (Registry Backup)," and then click Next. If a System Restore message appears that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make, click OK.

4. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration and then restarts the computer.

5. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK..

There are more advanced and reliable ways to backup windows registry, I will make updates in the future if requested.
Original Source - Microsoft.com