How To Clean Windows 7 Registry

Windows 7 is the newest operating system from Microsoft. It is much more popular than Windows Vista and seems much more reliable. There are however plenty of problems which can affect users of Windows 7. Many of these problems are centered around registry problems and to fix these you will need to find out how to clean the registry.

Reasons to Clean the Registry

• Your computer is Slow
• You experience Driver Problems
• Your computer is unreliable
• Your computer is experiencing lots of error messages

What is the Windows 7 Registry?

The registry has been an integral part of Windows ever since Windows 3.1. The registry was introduced to give the operating system and all applications that run on it a central location to store all of their settings. Quite simply the registry is nothing more than a database which stores the settings required to run your computer.

Problems with the Registry

Ever since the registry was first introduced there have been a lot of problems with it. The most common problem is that over time the registry will expand in size. This is normal since everything you install onto your computer will normally adjust the registry in some way. This can make your computer much slower to find the information that it needs.

Some poorly written applications will not remove this information from the Registry properly. This will result in your registry being bigger than it should be. Other applications might corrupt entries in the registry which makes your computer even slower.

Registry errors can also result in lots of error messages being displayed on your computer. These error messages will be very annoying as they can stop your computer being useful.

How to Clean the Registry

Cleaning the registry in Windows 7 is actually very easy and is exactly the same as any other windows version.

1. Searching for a Registry Cleaner
   The first thing to do is spend time searching for a registry cleaner on the internet. There are dozens to choose from so you must be careful. Not all of these pieces of software are really helpful; some will make your problem much worse. The registry is very sensitive and so you must choose the right registry cleaner. Also check that the registry cleaner is compatible with Windows 7.
2. Downloading the Registry Cleaner
   The registry cleaner can now be downloaded and installed on your computer.
3. Backing up the Registry
   It’s vital that you back up the entire registry before doing anything with it. This will ensure that no matter what happens your registry is safe.
4. Running the Scan
   These applications will then work like a virus scanner. They scan through your computer looking for potential errors and will then present a report.
5. Fixing Errors
   Errors in the registry can then either be fixed one by one or automatically. If you do make a mistake then you’ve always got your backup.

It’s only really possible to clean the registry up using software. It’s never a good idea to try and use regedit to do the job because there’s a good chance that you will cause more harm than good.

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