Registry Cleaner Geeks

It is always the brand new systems or newly installed Windows XP systems that operate at maximum performance. However, as the computer gets more usage every day, the registry begins to clutter and performance and stability issues arise. Even people who know what they are doing cannot avoid all registry problems that occur unless there are 3rd party tools that can backup/restore the registry or fix problems directly. Viruses, trojans, spyware, adware, and worms can make the registry problems even more complicated and may even warrant a reformatting of the whole system. However, before you choose this route, be sure to run a Windows XP Registry Cleaner on your system to highlight any issues.

Here are some of the common causes of registry problems:

Installing large amounts of software

Just about any program that you install makes changes to the registry because the default settings and licensing of the program are usually stored there. As you keep installing additional programs, the registry starts to get filled up with keys and sometimes these keys can conflict with each other or in adversely change settings elsewhere. Uninstalling software can sometimes leave some keys in the registry in case you decide to reinstall it on a later date.

The end result isn’t anything major, but it can be a small cause for slowdowns and certain components not working correctly. To avoid that problem, try to install only the programs you need and run a good registry scanner software, which we’ll discuss later.

Malware

Malware includes all of the software nasties like viruses, trojans, spyware, keyloggers, adware, and other malicious software. The damage done depends on the kind of malware, but many of them make changes to the registry by modification or removal. Some malicious code can be hidden deep within the registry making it difficult to detect. Loss of functionality and frequent annoyances to the user occur when the registry is damaged in this way. Only a good registry scanner can fix the damaged caused by malware unless you are willing to install everything.

Improper shutdowns and power surges

This is a bit less common, but not properly shutting down the computer can put a risk to the integrity of your Windows XP registry. This is most likely to happen if an interruption occurs while changes are being made to the registry. Say you are uninstalling a large piece of software and the system hangs or a power interruption occurs. This will result to an unfinished operation that can cause a slight corruption to the registry. There are several options available like rollbacks or just simple reinstallations. Windows XP has a small built-in registry fixer that detects bad integrity in the registry and fixes it after a restart. Of course, registry scanners like RegCure do a lot better.

Make sure you not only do a registry scan, but also perform a scan of the disk integrity using programs like ScanDisk so you can see if the registry problem is linked to a hardware issue like hard disk bad sectors.

Merging bad or faulty keys

There are plenty of downloadable registry keys all over the internet. While several of them are trusted, others can cause some minor harm to the system or open vulnerabilities to other attacks. These keys are usually designed for quick fixes or minor tweaks. For added safety, open the .REG file in notepad and see what changes are about to be made and then backup that particular set of keys so you have a means of restoring the damaged area with your good backup.

Manual editing of the registry

The Windows XP registry editor is hidden for a reason and that’s to restrict it to advanced users and keep it hidden from ordinary users. Curious users may stumble on it due to all the useful information online. The registry editor not only allows you to view the contents, but also allows you to make edits just about anywhere. Using it the wrong way can lead to pretty serious problems. Avoid the registry editor unless you know what you are doing.

The Solution

If your registry has already been affected by any of the above listed, perform a registry check using a 3rd party registry scanner. RegCure is by far the best in getting the job done and is very friendly for new people to use including those that have no idea what the registry is. This can solve all your registry problems and can greatly improve the usability and performance of your system.

Related Articles:

> XP Registry Repair – How to Repair Your Windows XP Registry

> XP Registry Backup – How To Perform An XP Registry Backup

> XP Registry Scan – Why You Need An Xp Registry Scan

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