Windows registry problems will overtime cause pc crashes, slow down or just generally make your computer sluggish. Computer registry problems are caused by programs leaving invalid registry entries in your windows registry file. If you experience registry problems it is better to address it immediately rather than letting it compound into major problems later.

Computer Systems such as Windows XP and Windows Vista possess a Registry Editor tool that you can use to view the registry files, and if you like you can conduct a few registry edits, but remember always backup the registry before making any changes. With that in mind, this mechanism is not equipped with options that you can use to perform a thorough system scan or repair of the registry. For that you will require a registry cleaning tool to do the work for you such as regcure, registry fix, registry smart, there are many options available to you and most of these programs have a free trial download.

If you were a Windows XP user but have now upgraded to Windows Vista you will notice that the Registry Editor has very similar parameters. However this not to suggest that you should as an inexperienced user attempt to maintain your computer registry yourself, this is for the experienced only. Deleting the wrong entry could lead to devastating effects and an expensive computer tech fee at the end of the day.

Installing new software or hardware on your Windows Xp or Vista computer system is more complex than you are lead to believe. Every function of the install or un-install is logged in the computer registry. Overtime the registry can become full of obsolete files and this happens whether you have followed the correct un-install or install directions it is unfortunately unavoidable.

An unmaintained registry is likely to cause problems and crashes if left unchecked. It is vital that you clean your registry of any obsolete or cross linked files to ensure system stability and reliability.

Have you ever deleted or uninstalled a program from your PC, if so you know that there is always something left behind whether it is in the program files or your registry entries. This will eventually cause your computer to slow and in extreme circumstances crash. having a corrupt registry is an unpleasant experience and really needs to be corrected as soon as possible by cleaning up your computer registry.

Before editing your computer registry MAKE A BACKUP. Deleting anything from your registry files is permanent and can cause your computer to lock up or even fail to start next time you reboot. However with a little care taken it is not an extremely difficult operation but it is a vital one for a computer that is performing poorly.

If you are confident enough to edit your registry then here is how you can access it by clicking on the Start then Run and typing in Regedit.Open the Registry Editor and click on the My Computer icon in the left-hand panel. Click Edit and Find. Type in the word that has some reference to the program you are searching for to be certain is removed from your registry.

There is another way to increase your system performance with having to use the Registry editor. You can access a program called MSCONFIG by going to start then to run and typing in "msconfig" this will open a new window on your desktop where you can click the startup tab to view all programs that have loaded during startup. Remember all of these programs are using up valuable resources on your PC. You can if you know what you are doing uncheck these programs to improve system performance.

To maintain a healthy computer registry always follow the un-install directions of any programs you are removing. This should minimize the risk of creating orphaned files and corrupt DLL's that could interfere with your registry. It is advisable to conduct a computer registry scan at least once a week.