What is a Computer Registry?
You may have heard the term computer registry but not know what it means. This article defines the term and outlines some common problems your registry may develop.
What it is: Your computer sets aside some space on its hard drive in a place called a registry. This is used for storing information about the operational settings of your computer, such as user profiles, system details, and application-specific information. You can think of it as a kind of electronic notepad that your computer uses to remember important information about its own operation at the system level. Information is constantly being written to and then deleted from your computer registry.
What can go wrong: Given all of this activity at such an important level of your computer's regular operations, registry errors can and do occur frequently. This is an extremely common problem and it is likely that most computers have at least a few registry errors. For example, when you remove a program, this action might accidentally delete or overwrite data that is vital to the smooth operation of your system. In addition to errors, registries on computers that are more than a year old can start to build up a cache of essentially useless data that in effect clogs up your system.
How to tell something is wrong: If you have had your computer for at least a year, you may start to notice a subtle decline in its performance. There may be a delay in response time for certain applications or your operating system. Or, some programs such as your browser might suddenly freeze up. The issue could be a virus or spyware (be sure to check those), but if you have already explored those options try running a scan of your registry.
Get a FREE scan: Most registry cleaner products on the market today offer a free, no-obligation scan to find out exactly how many problems your registry has.
Fix it: If you want to go ahead and get the problem fixed, most registry cleaner products will charge you around US$29.95. You can also find free registry cleaner products on the Internet: just do a search on your favorite search engine. Note: Use any product you find at your own risk. However, most products are safe to run.
by Jed Jones
Keyword : Computer Registry?
