In theory, the newer Microsoft operating systems such as XP and Vista do not require constant registry cleaning. Because these operating systems are based on Windows NT instead of the registry, invalid or broken registry keys should not slow your PC down.
From a practical perspective, however, you could still experience PC problems because of corrupt or bad registry keys. Even though your operating system relies on Windows NT, removing malware, spyware or adware could leave bad keys in the registry that affect your computer's performance.
If your favorite software programs take a long time to load or are not running correctly, you might need to check out the registry.
A program called 'regedit' that you can access from the 'start/run' command is available on MIcrosoft's operating systems. When you run the regedit program, you will be presented with the contents of your registry folder. Using the regedit program, you can identify the bad keys and remove them directly from the registry.
The average, non-technical computer user may take one look at the registry file, get confused by all the apparent gobblygook, and give up on trying to understand what the registry keys mean. Fortunately, there are some software programs available for free or for a small price that will identify any bad keys. Depending on the program, the registry cleaner software will either delete the bad keys automatically or let you choose which invalid registry keys should be deleted.
Be wary about downloading and installing free registry cleaners or antivirus programs. Some of these programs include adware or other forms of malicious code that will create a lot of trouble for you down the road. If you prefer not to spend money on a registry cleaner, download from a trusted service like cNet that verifies that your freeware is free of malware.
If your software programs are not running efficiently, visit the NotGuru blog's computer tips section, where you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean your registry. To make it simple and printable, the tutorial includes both written instructions and screenshots. Trusted registry cleaner software is also recommended.
