how to clean computer registry

How to Clean Computer Registry Safely

If you run any recent Windows operating system, the registry is, in many ways, the brain of your computer even more so than your processor or any other piece of hardware.

The Windows registry contains data on every program and every file and folder on your computer and every time you change a configuration setting on your PC, create or save a file, a new entry is created in this database.

However, this means that over time, many entries are created in your registry which you won't need later on. For instance, when you uninstall a program, it's not necessarily entirely gone; pieces of it remain behind in the form of registry entries.

The more of these useless entries there are in your registry, the more slowly your computer will run. It will take longer for your PC to boot up and programs will take longer to start and run sluggishly. If this is happening to your computer, it's probably time to clean your registry.

How to Clean Computer Registry Safely

Cleaning your registry can greatly increase your PC's performance, but any kind of tinkering with the registry is not something to be taken lightly. When you're dealing with the registry, it's important to play it safe in order to prevent seriously damaging your system; read on for some tips on cleaning your Windows registry safely.

1.) Backup First

Before you touch your registry, you should back up any important files that you don't want to lose. While most registry cleaning software is pretty safe and reliable, it's best to make sure that you don't lose anything if something goes wrong. You should also back up your registry so that you can restore it if you accidentally delete an important entry.

2.) Let the Registry Cleaner Do Its Work

Before you begin cleaning your registry, close any programs you may be running (check your system tray and close anything you see there as well). The less you have going on, the better the registry cleaner will be able to do its work. Don't do anything else on your computer while the registry cleaner runs.

3.) Be Cautious About Removing Registry Entries

If you don't know what it is (or you can't find out with a quick Google search), leave it there instead of deleting it. When in doubt, leave it where it is a good safety rule.