The registry is essentially the catalog or reference source for your computer. Only those with a thorough knowledge of computers should attempt to change the registry. Before tampering with the registry. If you make a mistake while altering the registry and it is not backed up, you may lose information vital to the proper functioning of your computer.

Even if you bought an antispyware tool your Windows Registry might be broken - developers of those tools are focused on removing spyware and adware only, not every trace of software itself.

After you run a spyware program that deletes active spyware files, you are still left with references to those files in your computer registry. These traces will clog your registry over time, leaving your computer vulnerable to failure.

Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows crashes and error messages.

Symptoms of Windows Registry Problems

Your PC is likely infected with Windows registry errors if it has ever experienced any of the problems:

PC runs much slower than when you first bought it
PC keeps crashing at critical times
PC does not startup correctly
PC does not shutdown correctly
PC needs frequent rebooting
Unable to remove a software using add/remove dialog
Getting the "Blue Screen"

The registry records the relationship between hardware, memory space, and addressing. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the computer. The registry is stored on your computer in several files and depending upon your version of Windows, there will be different files and different locations for these files. The registry keep growing when you use Windows and become corrupted as software and hardware is added and removed from your computer.

To keep your computer in top performance, it is recommended to periodically clean your Windows registry with a reliable and efficient Registry Cleaner. Registry Cleaner is an utility program that scans the Windows Registry and looks for outdated and invalid entries.

In short, the registry cleaner cleans the following:

Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Auto complete form history, index.dat. of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera

Temporary files and Log files, recycle bin, recent documents of Windows

Unused and old entries, including File Extensions, Shared DLLs, Fonts ActiveX Controls, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Help Files, Application Paths, and more...

Removes temporary files and recent file lists (MRUs) from many apps including Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip, Google Toolbar, Netscape, MS Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, and many more...

There are dozens of programs on the market that cleans registry, boosts PCs performance, get rid of unwanted material and prevent crashes. Some of the prominent ones are: Error Doctor, Reg Cure, PAL Registry Cleaner, JV16 PowerTools, EasyCleaner, Adv. System Optimizer, Fix-It Utilities, Ace Utilities, Registry Mechanic, Registry Repair, RegistryFix.

A good windows registry clean and repair product should have the following options:

Automatic Scan:
This is the simplest way to clean up the registry. Automatic Scan is recommended for 'non-technical' users.

Custom Scan:
You can customize the search and scan Windows registry for particular types of errors (shared DLLs, missing fonts, invalid start-up entries, etc.).

Manual Cleanup:
After the scan is complete, the program should show a full list of errors with details, broken down by types and let you fix individual invalid entries or all invalid entries of a certain type.

Backup and Undo:
Before removing an entry from your registry, should an automatic creation of a backup file be done, that can be used to undo the changes. This to avoid changes without backup.

Scheduler:
To schedule the program to scan the registry whenever you start your PC.

Using software like this is not a one time fix. You must run it on a regular basis to keep your registry clean and without errors. This will help the stability and speed of windows.

Thus every PC requires registry cleaner which optimizes windows registry allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. Valuable registry repair software can help you get your computer back into shape, tuned up and running problem free in no time.