The Windows 7 operating system continues to use the registry system in order to maintain proper settings and preferences for the OS itself as well as your different software programs. This means that there is still potential for registry-related problems.  Using the best Windows 7 registry cleaner is your best bet to solve these issues.

What Is The Registry?

The Windows registry seems to confuse a lot of people. The fact is, that while it is a little confusing, the purpose of the registry is rather simple. The registry is basically just a database where software can store preferences and settings for later reference by the Windows operating system.

The registry is pretty much just a fancy filing cabinet. The main registry folders are the six HKEY folders that store various categories of information. One HKEY folder is for user data. This means the user that you sign into Windows under. Usually different users on a Windows machine have different permissions. This info is kept in the registry.

Registry Clutter

The registry's Achilles heel is the clutter that tends to accumulate over time. Entries are created by software programs, and then left there forever. They don't get removed when they are no longer necessary, and often don't get removed when you simply want to uninstall the program.

This so called "registry bloat" can sometimes cause problems for the proper functioning of your computer. Some things that can happen as a result of a bloated and cluttered registry are slow bootups, sluggish performance, and a variety of different errors.

It's possible to clean up the registry and fix corrupt registry entries, removing all the excess entries that are no longer necessary. It's possible to do it manually, but this is not recommended for those who aren't really familiar with the Windows registry. You could end up doing a lot of damage, not to mention you really would have no idea what to look for anyway!

The best solution is to use a registry cleaner tool. These tools are pretty safe and effective, although it's definitely a good idea to make a manual backup of your registry and also create a new Windows restore point. The best registry cleaner will help you clear up the registry in minutes.

Using a registry cleaner will not fix every error and problem that your computer is having. Running a registry cleaner is not really a substitute for doing a fresh reinstallation of Windows, but it's a great in-between step to take when you can't wipe your whole computer and start fresh.