Since I'm going to talk about the Windows registry, it's better to give you a big picture of what it is before delving into the details. Let me put it this way, the registry is a hierarchical database in the Windows operating system, where configuration settings related to hardware, user preferences, memory setup, and applications are stored. You probably won't notice a need to fix any registry problems when your system is new, but as you use Windows for a period of time, your registry will become larger and larger, clustered with unnecessary and obsolete registry entries after software and drivers are removed from your computer.



To most PC users, the Windows registry is a mysterious and dark part of the operating system. Only experienced users would try to tweak it for enhanced system performance. It is widely agreed that invalid registry keys or entries are often the culprit of the majority of weird system errors and application installation/uninstallation problems. For instance, when a software package is removed, it is very likely that its remnants are still lurking in the registry. Without cleaning invalid registry entries, your system will be left with seeds for imminent trouble. In view of this, I'll cover the basic steps that average users can use to keep the registry clean and healthy with a few mouse clicks.

1. Back up the registry:

Be sure to back up your registry first before editing it. Making an incorrect registry modification could destroy any applications running on your system, even rendering Windows unable to boot in the worst scenario.

For Windows XP users: The best way to back up the registry is to use the System Restore tool. Click 'Start', point to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then select 'System Restore'. Choose 'Create a Restore Point'. Click 'Next' and follow the directions.

For Windows 2000 users: The best option is to use the export capability in Windows' Registry Editor to create a full backup of the registry. Click 'Start', point to 'Run', type 'regedit', and press 'Enter'. Select 'My Computer' in the folder tree, select 'File', 'Export', and identify a file name and destination. Save the file on a CD disc or other removable media.

2. Clean the registry:

As I mentioned earlier, the longer you use Windows, the more cluttered the registry can grow because some applications don't remove all traces of themselves when they are uninstalled. Orphaned registry entries may cause such problems as slower performance, system lockups, and strange installation error messages. The more common result is a bloated registry that takes longer to be loaded.

Windows 95 comes with a built-in registry cleaning utility called RegClean, but Microsoft does not include it in their operating systems after Windows 95. You'll have to use third-party utilities. For the most comprehensive Registry scanning and cleaning, you may want to buy a utility like Error Doctor or Registry Fix. These utility suites provide advanced features that fully scan, optimize, and maintain the registry, and they all work with all versions of Windows from 95 through XP.

3. Fix a damaged registry:

For Windows XP users: Restore to a past restore point by clicking 'Start', pointing to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then selecting 'System Restore'. Choose 'Restore my computer to an earlier time'. Click 'Next' and select a restore point from the calendar by clicking a bold date and then selecting a restore point. Click 'Next' and confirm the restore date by clicking 'Next' again.

For Windows 2000 users: There are two options available. The first one is to import a registry backup into the registry by using the 'Import' command on the Registry Editor's 'File' menu. The second one is to use 'Last known good configuration'. Here are the steps to do it - Restart the computer. Hold down the 'F8v key while your system is booting up. Select 'Last known good configuration' from the Startup menu with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Press 'Enter' on the keyboard to confirm your selection.

Conclusion

Knowing how to back up, maintain, and restore the registry is an important part of keeping your computer running smoothly. I want to stress that modifying the registry should be done with care in that incorrect registry entries made could destroy the Windows operating system.