Slow performance and crashing down of hardware—these are two things you don’t want to happen to your computer. One of the culprits of poor computer performance is a corrupted Windows registry.

Simply defined, the Windows registry stores all the information about the computer as well as the configurations of the software and hardware components installed in the computer. Over time, the constant use of registry causes it to expand beyond its limit. Moreover, viruses and spyware can corrupt a computer’s registry. These situations lead to slow computer speeds. Worse, it can bug down your operating system, which in turn results in a crash. Even if you delete programs in your computer, some of them will not remove themselves completely from the registry. To keep your computer bug-free, you need to know how to clean registry.

You can clean your computer’s registry in two ways. The first way is to clean it manually using the Windows Registry Editor. Cleaning the registry manually should be done only by someone who has enough understanding of what the registry entries mean. If important registry entries are deleted, several software programs may not work properly. So it’s better to ask help from someone who is knowledgeable about computers.

How to clean registry? First, you have to make a registry backup and get rid of unnecessary files. Here’s how to do it:

1.      Click on the “Start” button at the lower left area of the desktop.

2.      Click “Run.” A window that runs commands will appear.

3.      Type regedit.

4.      Click OK.

5.      Click “File,” which can be found at the top of the window.

6.      Click “Export.”

7.      Create a name for the backup file.

8.      Click “Save.”

Once you’re done, your next step is to see how your computer is configured by going to the left panel of the registry editor window. To expand the sections there, click on the plus sign. A commonly used area for manually removing registry files and making registry changes is “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.”

If you‘re unsure about manually cleaning your computer’s registry by yourself, then your other option is to use a registry cleaning software. A lot of registry cleaning tools that can get rid of unwanted entries from your computer’s registry are available on the Internet nowadays.

Registry cleaning programs work by scanning the Windows registry and deleting errors in the registry entries. These programs give a list of results and specify which ones are safe or not safe to remove. Although most registry cleaners perform the same basic functions, not all of them are created equal. Some registry cleaning programs work best for your needs; others don’t.

When it comes to maintaining a healthy and efficient registry, the novice computer user is caught between a rock and a hard place because there is a lot of conflicting information on the internet concerning the usage and relevance of registry cleaner application packages. Some sites will sing their praises, arguing that they provide a quick, painless, safe and dependable manner in which the computer owner can rectify the usual myriad of problems that maybe afflicting their computer.

The proponents of the humble registry cleaner will argue that that they actually prevent to reduce both the risk and level of damage that the user poses to the registry, because put bluntly the editing of the registry is no easy task.

Critics of the registry cleaner do not pull any punches and simply unleash a full frontal assault when it comes to their criticism. A criticism that is put forward time and time again is that registry cleaners are little more than placebos for the computer user that are sold only by scare mongering and the willful as well as extremely cynical exploitation of the fears of the computer owner.

The critics argue that the facts are presented in an extremely skewered method indeed meaning that a half truth is then wrapped up in the lie making it all the more difficult for the novice computer owner to effectively or easily identify truth from fiction.

The novice user is left in the unenviable position of two extremes: either they choose not to make use of the registry cleaner software in which case they run the risk of exposing their computer to potentially unstable crashing and errors or they run a registry cleaner that may actually be a virus, or malware infected Trojan horse designed to corrupt and damage their computer.

One area in which both the critics and supporters for registry cleaner software applications have managed to achieve some consensus on is the significant role that 3rd party malware plays in terms of compromising the security and integrity of computers. Viruses and malware are without a doubt, the singularly most severe and dangerous threat that can be presented to a computer. The critics condemn malware because it provides a convenient front with which the creator of the virus can then attempt to infiltrate the machine more easily, and the supporters condemn the malware on the basis that they give legitimate registry cleaner software applications an unfair name.

That said, if you do decide to make use of a registry cleaner application, it is imperative that you are aware of the various factors to be on the lookout for, in order to maximize your chances of success.
First off, make sure that any registry cleaner program you decide to download is fully compatible with your operating system. New and modern operating systems (such as Windows Xp and Vista) employ different methods of storing information and so you may find that you run into trouble if you try to use a software program that is not compatible with your operating system. There is always a risk that the data may become corrupted so make sure that you plan accordingly.

One of the most crucial features to be on the lookout for has to be without a shadow of doubt, is the ability to backup your registry contents prior to any major alterations or editions to it being made. This way, if something should go wrong with the registry cleaning process you can always rely on your back up in order to minimize the damage which you have suffered.

I hope this article has been informative and has given you more of an insight into registry cleaner software. If you would like to learn more about the top 5 registry cleaners available on the net go to: http://top5registrycleaners.net/