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My system is very slow and freezing up. I know that I have 913 problems in the registry as well as an overload of spam and many errors. Sometimes weird stuff happens such as lines instead of text or something else will show up that wasn’t there before. It’s never acted like this before. Can I just run the tools? I don’t know much about them.

Running Registry Cleaners

Sounds like you’ve used a free registry scanner to detect the 913 registry problems. That’s a good first step, but at this point it is informational only. Most free registry scanners are evaluation tools that give you an idea of the health of your registry so that you can decide whether or not to upgrade to the full, commercial version of the product. With nearly a thousand known registry errors, your computer is a candidate for a good registry cleaning.

Filetonic recommends RegCure from ParetoLogic Software. I use this registry cleaner on my daughter’s computer and can vouch for its effectiveness at cleaning out the junk and speeding the computer up.

Slow PC or other Computer problems? Run a free registry scan Now

How Registry Cleaning Works

The Windows registry is a big index of information about your computer and everything on it. The operating system refers to this index regularly to carry out its functions. When the registry is “clean,” Windows can easily find the information required and move on. When it becomes excessively large, it takes longer for Windows to find what it needs therefore operations become sluggish.

To make matters worse, invalid information and corruption within the registry leads to odd behavior and computer errors. For example, if a registry entry tells Windows to load a particular program but the program no longer exists, Windows will do its best to load the non-existent program, often delaying other processes while it searches for it. When the missing program can’t be found, you may see an error message.

The registry is an ever-evolving entity. As you add and remove programs and hardware, the registry is changed. When you change user preferences on your computer, these changes are reflected in the registry. Other programs, like spyware and computer viruses, also make changes to the registry.

Registry Editing

Windows comes with a built-in registry editing utility called regedit. However, making manual changes to the registry tool is extremely risky and shouldn’t be attempted for large scale cleaning (especially if are working with as many errors as your computer has). Registry cleaning software is programmed to make the necessary changes safely and quickly.

Other Concerns

Investing in a registry cleaner such as RegCure is an inexpensive way to speed up a sluggish computer and keep it running smoothly through regular cleanings. Cleaning the registry is a good first step. If after the cleaning, your computer still experiences weird happenings, I would be concerned with malware. Viruses and spyware can also corrupt your registry and slow your computer.In addition, you mentioned an overabundance of spam which increases your exposure to scammers, phishers, and malware. If you don’t have a good antivirus product on your computer, this is another investment that you won’t regret.

We reviewed some of the top antivirus products for 2009 earlier this year, several of which are free. Look for a complete solution that takes care of viruses, spyware, and spam. Using a reputable computer security product and cleaning out the malware and viruses will also improve slow computers.

Do I need to return my bonds when I want to reissue to include my husband and remove my grandchildren and great grandchildren? How do I clean my registry files? Thanks, I didn’t know this info was available through you.

When we talk about the registry in a computer, we’re talking about cleaning up the directory in your computer that stores the settings and options that operate Microsoft systems. For financial advice, I’d recommend turning to a trusted financial advisor or a website such as Money.com, SuzeOrman.com or Ameriprise.com .

What is a Registry?

As long as we’re here, let’s take a basic look at what a registry is and what it does. As I said, the computer’s registry contains the settings and information for the hardware, software and user settings for a Microsoft operating system. It also exposes the runtime information for the user.

A computer registry has two main components - keys and values. Keys are a lot like folders in that each one can contain a subkey that might contain even more subkeys. Values are pairs of names and data that are stored in the keys and often look a lot like key paths.

The registry is slit into hives which are a number of sections, named HKEY by their Windows definitions. The most common one a user will see is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE that stores the general settings for all users.

Cleaning the Registry

A user can edit the registry manually if there is a problem with their computer, but it is not recommended for the casual users. Altering the registry keys incorrectly can cause major damage to the system that isn’t easily fixed. Many people use registry cleaners such as RegCure to safely clean their registry for them if they are having issues such as a blue screen, computer freezing and system crashes. Registry cleaners scan the Windows registry either manually or on an automatic schedule. RegCure has a backup option that assures your won’t lose data. It will perform a free scan before you go ahead and purchase the program.

Hopefully, one of those websites can help you with your financial issues, but if you ever need help with your computer registry, feel free to come on back!

Registry Errors, why they occur

Registry errors start to dampen your pc performance when your computer has been operating for any period of time, installing and removing software and hardware, running many different operations and adding information to the computer’s registry.

Every operation performed by your computer logs information in the registry and, in as little as 3-6 months, the registry can become cluttered with the remains of incomplete uninstalls and other unnecessary bulk.

A lot of extra stuff in your computer’s registry can lead to many kinds of operational hassles and hazards. Common causes of registry corruption, fragmentation and errors include missing, orphaned or bad applications, short cuts and links, obsolete Start Menu items, corrupt applications and residual and unused files and drivers.

PC Performance begins to lull

When your computer registry becomes cluttered or full of errors you will notice signs of poor performance like frequent error messages, slow start up times, slow response times, declining operating speed, system stalls, application errors and crashes, and, in the worst case, an inability to run your operating system.

If you are experiencing registry errors, you have some options. The first is to attempt to edit your registry yourself. This is a tricky operation and should only be attempted by those comfortable with their computers - and who are willing to risk the loss of data, even the entire contents of their computer if something goes wrong. When mistakes are made during registry editing, the only solution is often a reinstallation of the operating system.

Backup your Registry First

If you have decided to attempt a registry edit the first thing to do is back up your registry in case things go awry and you opt to switch back to the previous configuration. The steps to back up your registry differ slightly from system to system and so your particular directions available from Microsoft Support should be followed.

If you are going to proceed with editing or defragging your registry yourself you will click

• Start > Run
• > type regedit
• > click OK

Should you be doing this yourself?

You will need to know where the keys and subkeys are of the value you wish to edit. If you don’t know what this means you should definitely find out prior to running this operation and you should seriously consider not doing this yourself.

If this all seems a little overwhelming or you would prefer a less technical approach you can automatically edit your registry with registry cleaning software such as Regcure.

There are advantages of running frequent and automatic registry scans that allow you the comfort and ease of a well functioning system without needing to remember the details of every operation you run on your system. It can be thought of as the equivalent of hiring an office manager to keep track of the particulars.

A wide array of problems, Fixed

Registry cleaners are able to clean and repair many problems, the most common including Runtime Error, ActiveX Error, DLL Error, .exe Error, Blue Screen of Death, and on and on.

Getting your registry running at its optimal level is a great first step in determining good computer and system performance.

Do I need a registry cleaner if I am planning to go through my registry and clean it up myself?

Unless you are 100% perfect and never make a typo - ever - should you consider doing such a reckless thing. I’m serious about this.

Sure, your computer comes with a built-in registry editor, regedit, and you can back up and restore your registry (if you know what you’re doing). But going into the registry and cleaning it up on your own is such a bad idea that it makes me want to scream, “Back away from the registry!”

First, the fact that you are even asking this question tells me that you understand that there’s a huge risk of screwing up. For those who don’t know, the registry is a vital operating system repository necessary for just about every aspect of your computer. Every detail you can possibly imagine about your PC and its hardware, software, configuration, and even user preferences is stored here. The operating system requires the instructions contained in the registry in order to function. The risk in editing the registry isn’t so much that you might make a mistake; it’s that the mistake - even the slightest misplaced keystroke - could render your computer inoperable.

The next issue involves the complexity surrounding the registry itself. Registry entries aren’t just simple lists; they are complex strings made up of strange words and alphanumeric numbers. Not only are the entries complicated, the entire structure is too. Plus, it’s huge. Do you even know where to look for obsolete entries? Would you recognize an entry that needs editing in the first place? Are you prepared to type the appropriate values?

What if you have been given specific registry editing instructions including where to go and what to delete and/or enter? Is that safer? You still have the typo issue. Not only are registry keys and file paths loaded with characters and odd punctuation marks, registry changes take place right away - not when you hit “save.”  You don’t necessarily get a chance to backspace or correct your mistakes.

You could always copy and paste the required information, right? This may prevent typos but where did you get this information?  From some techie type in a user forum? There’s always a possibility that your source has made a mistake too. Even Microsoft.com’s support pages offer registry edit suggestions followed by a strong warning telling you not to mess with the registry.

Registry cleaning utilities, such as ParetoLogic’s RegCure, are the way to go when you feel the need to go in and clean up your registry. Avoid the heartache, save hours of time, and optimize your system by using a registry cleaning application instead of doing it on your own.

Download Top 3 Registry Cleaners and Improve PC Performance!

• RegCure of ParetoLogic (TechJocks Pick!)
• Registry Mechanic of PCTools
• Registry Booster of Uniblue