Windows XP Registry Repair

[Lee Keith]

Consider performing Windows XP registry repair if your PC has started
to become sluggish. Don't consider it if you are expecting miracles.
Windows XP registry repair is a good way of cleaning up and organizing
your Windows registry to ensure that you can get the best performance
possible from your PC. Any large database that is used, but not
maintained will collect more and more garbage as time goes by. The
registry is no different. So it pays to perform maintenance regularly.
The problem with maintaining the Windows XP registry is the
complicated nature of this database. The terminology is confusing and
the data structure is huge. So, how do you know your registry hive
from registry cell?
There are two maintenance options. The first is to learn about the
workings of the registry and then clean it up yourself. The second is
the download a Windows XP registry repair tool and automate the
cleaning process. To discover which method is best for you, let's take
a look at the history of the registry.
In the past, Microsoft has created and made available its own registry
cleaner software called RegClean. This software was available free and
the intention was to clean up the corrupted, unnecessary and unused
registry keys so that the registry didn't become problematic.
Unfortunately, Microsoft no longer provide this download. It is
interesting to note, however, that even Microsoft has seen the need
for a registry repair tool. Presumably, Microsoft made their download
available as they could see how difficult editing the registry
manually would be for end-users.

[Brandy Green]

The Windows registry on your PC is a set of files which store all the
essential settings for hardware, the operating system, the control
panel, application software, user preferences and user profiles, and
file associations (which programs run which types of files).
How is Windows XP registry repair done, and why does the Windows
registry ever need to be repaired anyway? At the bottom of this
article, there is a link to a resource page which gives access to
software tools you can use to repair the registry.
Repairing or cleaning the registry can also be done manually, using
the program regedit.exe (Registry Editor), which comes with Windows
XP, or with reg.exe from the command line. Manual editing is not
recommended though, even if you do a backup, because the registry
files are absolutely essential for the Windows operating system to
run, and it is all too easy to damage them by careless editing.
Microsoft Support itself says this - 'Although you can use Registry
Editor to inspect and modify the registry, doing so is not
recommended, as making incorrect changes can damage your system.'
If you do damage the registry during manual editing, and your backup
does not work either, the only other solution is a reinstallation of
Windows XP. You want to avoid this scenario if you can.
So, the use of special software for Windows XP registry repair is
recommended (see below). What about the reasons for repairing the
registry - why would it be necessary?
The reasons you would want to repair or clean the registry are many
and varied. A damaged registry can make a Windows XP machine run
erratically, or not boot up at all. After some time has passed since
you first got your PC, entries in the registry for old or uninstalled
software will remain, making the system boot up slowly, run more
slowly and affecting the stability of the whole system - have you had
a recent freeze, or have you seen the Windows 'blue screen of death'
recently? As time goes on, the registry grows in size, often far
beyond what is necessary. You may also have many duplicate entries in
the Windows registry, degrading system performance. You may also need
to restore the previous settings in the registry if the installation
of a new hardware driver has made your system unstable.
The good news is that there are many software tools available now
which will make repair of the registry fast and painless. Most of them
will let you do a free scan of your system, to see if there are any
problems. Such tools are called registry cleaners or registry
repairers, and are very easy to install and use, and may well make a
dramatic improvement in your computer's performance.