Author : Mehmet OnatliThe answer to this question depends on how you clean it Is it smart to clean it by hand? No It is smart to clean it using a registry leaning program? Yes This article will explain why

What is the Registry?

Good question The registry in a Windows computer is a vital part of the operating system-your computer can’t run without it It is essentially a database that stores all the different settings on your computer that makes it run all your programs, users, hardware, etc -and updates itself as the settings change The registry stores a separate record (called a “key”) for each setting

Why Does It Need to be Cleaned?

Because over the years, the registry suffers electronic wear and tear As you add new programs, users, and hardware, it grows until it’s huge Moving files around may cause registry keys to point in the wrong direction or go missing Finally, some registry keys can become corrupted over time

Problems in the registry lead to problems in your computer’s performance The first sign is the computer slowing down, especially when booting up You may begin to get error messages tell you that certain files can’t be found or are corrupted Programs make freeze up, crash, or not start at all Finally, your computer may start freezing up, crash, randomly shut off or reboot, or fail to boot at all

Cleaning your registry on a regular basis can prevent all this

Why Shouldn’t I Clean It by Hand?

There are several reasons: difficulty, time, and mistakes

First, the registry, being so vital to the computer’s operation, is not meant to be adjusted by the average user It is highly technical, and knowing what each of the thousands of registry keys mean and how to adjust them requires a lot of knowledge Unless you have a master’s degree in computer science, you probably won’t be able to decipher it

Second, there are thousands of registry keys Even if you can read and understand the keys, it would take days, at best, and months, at worst, to go through each one by hand and evaluate it

Finally, because the registry is so vital to the computer, a simple mistake (like deleting the wrong key) and permanently render your computer inoperable To be blunt, the risk isn’t worth it

Is There Any Safe Way to Clean My Registry?

Yes You can download, install, and run a registry cleaning program With one click, these programs scan your registry for broken or obsolete registry keys and display them to you With a second click, it deletes the obsolete keys (reducing the size of your registry and speeding up your computer’s performance), and repair broken or corrupted keys The whole process takes only a few minutes

There are dozens of registry cleaning programs available on the internet, ranging in price from free to over a hundred dollars (although most are available for fifty dollars or less) Obviously, the paid programs do a safer, more thorough job, and you can use them as often as you want

If you want to clean and repair your registry by yourself in order to keep your computer in tip-top shape, using a good, reliable registry cleaner program is the safest way to do it Clean your PC Registry in just two seconds! Get more free information and download registry cleaner software by going to this website: http://www.registryheal.com/

Read full story

Author : Victor EpandIf you buy a computer, one of the aspects which many people bear in mind very seriously as an influencing factor is the operating system installed The operating system is the collection of software utilities which allows you to use a computer Common operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux

However, this really doesn’t have to be such a significant factor, since it may often prove preferable to choose your operating system independently from the computer system itself Granted, this isn’t always possible since, for example, it wouldn’t prove to be possible to run Microsoft Window on an Apple Mac, nor the Mac OS on an IBM compatible PC

But each of these operating systems has been released many times, with many different versions Often the newer versions have unreported or unresolved bugs in it, and may not be compatible with all of the software you have been using For this reason, many people can be put off buying a new computer because of the operating system Conversely, some people choose a computer as a direct result of the operating system bundled with it

Of course, no computer manufacturer gives away the operating system for free, unless the operating system happens to be Linux, which is free anyway The price of the operating system will be absorbed into the overall retail price for the computer system But buying a computer system without an operating system can give you much greater choice

This might put off many people, and it may well not be suitable for the beginner But in reality it is not at all hard to install a new operating system In most cases it is no more difficult than inserting a disk, rebooting the computer and following the simple on screen instructions

Even if your computer comes with an operating system pre installed, you don’t have to keep it Instead, you can easily buy your preferred operating system, and replace the old one with your preferred choice

If you do decide to replace your operating system, always make sure that you have backed up all of your important data, as this will often mean that any data on your computer will be lost In some cases it is possible install two, or even more, different operating systems on one computer This will mean that when you switch on your computer, you’ll be asked which OS you wish to use This means that it is almost like having several computers in one, and gives you the chance to experiment with other operating systems before finally committing to the one you feel best

Many people these days use a version of Linux There are many reasons for this, one of which is the fact that it is usually free, or at least, only a very small price Linux is a community driven operating system, written by volunteers and interested fans around the world This can mean that the system is very personalised, thoroughly tested, constantly being updated, and offering many of the features which the very same users have requested or find useful Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computer parts and suits & ties. Shop here to find Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, formal suits & ties, and computer parts in Canada.

Read full story

Author : Mehmet OnatliProblems with the Windows Registry are usually evident When repairing the registry there are three primary things you need to do in order to properly repair the problems that are occurring These things include running a scan, cleaning the registry and verification You can repair any error message you see when clicking on applications, icons, and just booting the PC

Registry problems are evident the majority of the time In most cases, you will see error message on your screen when you click on icons that no longer have a location on the hard drive You might see error messages upon start up and periodically receive errors as well If the error messages or broken links on your site are getting to you then it is time to clean up the mess Problems with the registry occur when you install programs and uninstall programs on a regular basis or quite often As programs are installed and uninstalled, traces of the erased programs are usually left behind This is the most common cause of registry problems

The first thing that needs to be done when you are going to clean your registry is to find a registry scanner You can find these online for free Verify the program is credible and right for your computer You don’t want to use a scanner if it looks suspicious A registry scanner is going to run a complete scan on your registry and locate all problematic code and other issues with applications that are not running properly You will receive a comprehensive list of everything that needs to be repaired

Once you have received the list of applications and code that needs repairing you can begin the repair process Many things may be deleted from the registry while others need to be repaired The program should complete the repair process for you If the repair program wants to make a change to your computer that you do not fully understand then you should consider researching the option, especially if the change is to an application that you use quite often

After completion of the registry cleaning process it is very important to do a final verification that the scanning and cleaning process worked Do not think you have completed the process without a final verification You should run the scan again This time, the scanner should confirm that the computer is now free and clear of all registry issues You shouldn’t see any problems with the registry if the program worked successfully If it didn’t then you may need to find another scanner

Repairing the Windows registry can make a world of difference on your computer with efficiency and productivity The best thing you can do is run a registry scan and verify if you have problems If you do, allow the scanning tool to fix these issues for you Cleaning and repairing your registry can eliminate all of the annoying error messages you periodically see on your computer when you boot up the PC, click on links or applications, and more Recovering the windows registry has never been this easy! Get more free information and download a free registry cleaner by going to this website: http://www.registryheal.com/

Read full story

Author : Mehmet OnatliIf you are someone who spends a lot of time on the computer, you will find that there are few things that catch your attention as quickly as your computer simply freezing up and not responding to your commands While sometimes this can be fixed by a hard reboot (holding down the power key or pulling the cord) this is far from a perfect solution, especially if this situation keeps happening over time! If you are worried about why your computer is freezing up, you will find that there are a few different things that might be to blame Take a look at some of the common causes for a computer to freeze up and how to fix them

The first thing to think about when you are computer freezes is to look into the obvious Look for a physical component to the problem; make sure that everything is still plugged in For instance, your pointer might not be responding to your mouse clicks because your mouse is no longer in physical contact with your computer Similarly, you might not be able to type if your keyboard is having issues Always perform tests on the physical system, because this is one of the most common problems seen as well as one of the easiest to fix

Another thing that you might be facing is a virus or a particularly bad case of spyware If your computer is hooked up to the internet in any way, shape or form, you will find that it is possible to get harmful things like viruses through the connection There are definitely viruses out there that can cause your computer to freeze They will do this through putting your computer in a place where it is constantly trying to restart, or it will simply do this through consuming your system’s resources until there is nothing left to actually perform processes You will find that you can take care of this problem through getting an antivirus, making sure that you update, unplugging from the internet and then running the antivirus in safe mode

You will also discover that registry errors might be causing your issues with your computer freezing You will find that as you use your computer, your registry, the area where the instructions for executable tasks are stored, will get corrupted Entries will be half-erased, or duplicated over time, slowing down your functioning or causing freezes The answer to this issue is to make sure that you have a good registry cleaner at your disposal

Finally, you may find that computer freezes could mean the onset of hardware problems At this point, if you are worried about hardware problems, make sure that you have copies of your data backed up on another source, either online or on another hard drive, and see what the hardware problems might be You may find that you need a new hard drive, and this is something that is better taken care of sooner rather than later

Take some time and make sure that you think about what happens if your computer freezes Remember that it is not a normal circumstance and that there are steps that you can take!Mehmet has over 10 years experience in repairing computer. Get some tips and tricks about computers by reading Computer Articles at: http://registryheal.com/articles/computer-articles.html

Read full story

Author : Jay MillerMicrosoft Windows Vista is an undoubtedly resource hog on your PC and can be somewhat slower in relation to Windows XP If you have upgraded to Windows Vista or bought a new PC with Windows Vista and are unhappy with the performance of your machine with this operating system or your performance seems to be degrading more and more over time, then take a look at these simply and easy to implement tips to increase the performance of your Windows Vista system

1 Reduce Number of Startup Programs: At Computer start-up, Windows Vista loads several programs designed to make it easier for them to open immediately when you click their icons

This can be beneficial for programs that you use frequently However, the more programs that load automatically when Windows Vista starts, the more time it will take for your computer to finish booting up and the slower the overall performance of your machine will be

You will need to decide which programs you want to start automatically and which to eliminate from the start up process Follow these steps to use Windows Defender to identify startup programs and disable those you no longer require to load at machine boot-up:

a Click START then select ALL PROGRAMS Next, click WINDOWS DEFENDER
b Select TOOLS and then click on SOFTWARE EXPLORER A Category box will open and you will need to click STARTUP PROGRAMS
c A long list of programs will be displayed at this time To disable the automatic startup of a particular program, simply find the program and click DISABLE You will then confirm your selection by clicking YES
d After scrolling down the list and disabling certain programs from starting automatically, click APPLY and then OK You will be asked to restart your machine, select OK and your Windows Vista should restart more quickly depending on how many programs you removed from startup

After completing these steps, ensure you have not caused any program issues, by attempting to open or run a program you have removed from startup If there are any issues, just follow the steps above to re-enable the program at startup You should perform this action at least quarterly or as needed to maintain increased Windows Vista performance

2 Limit Number of Visual Effects: Windows Vista offers many more standard visual effects than Windows XP and to be honest, these look pretty cool However, these bells and whistles can be performance hogs, especially if your machine barely meets the minimum requirements for Vista, and the cause of unnecessary system stalls or crashes

The first one to look at disabling is the transparent glass effect, but you can choose up to 19 additional effects to turn off one by one or have Windows optimize for best performance using the following steps:

a Click the START button, then click CONTROL PANEL Select SYSTEM AND MAINTENANCE and then click PERFORMANCE INFORMATION AND TOOLS Next, click ADJUST VISUAL EFFECTS

b Select the VISUAL EFFECTS tab and select the radio button to have Windows ADJUST FOR BEST PERFORMANCE If you would like to adjust the visual effects individually, select the radio button for CUSTOM and choose which visual effects to keep active

c Finally, click APPLY then OK and you are done
After completing these steps, you should experience a noticeable increase in overall Windows performance as less of your computers memory is required to maintain your operating system

3 Keep Windows Vista Clean: There are several things you can do to drastically increase the overall performance of your computer system just by cleaning out the cobwebs, such as uninstalling un-needed programs and registry cleaning The regular cleaning of Windows Vista is necessary to keep your machine operating at optimal performance Follow these steps to clean up Vista:

a Uninstall: some programs come with the ability to run an uninstaller and remove the program from your system and others do not For those that do not, you will need to click START to access the CONTROL PANEL

Once in the Control Panel, select the PROGRAMS option and click UNINSTALL A PROGRAM Once you locate the program you want to uninstall, select it from the list and then choose the tab that says, UNINSTALL

You will be asked by Windows to confirm your choice and once done, will begin uninstalling the program This does not necessarily completely remove the program from your PC, there are software utilities available to completely remove programs from your computers hard drive as well as clean up the entries left in your Windows registry

b Windows Registry Cleaning: throughout the life of any computer systems using Microsoft Windows, hardware and program errors are inevitable Installing, Uninstalling, and general usage of programs and hardware leads to eventual errors and sometimes corruption in the Windows registry

The registry is the foundation of your operating systems as it determines how each program and each piece of hardware should run and, therefore, impacts the speed and overall performance of your system

The registry is very technically complex and should only be manually cleaned by someone who knows exactly what they are doing as mistakes here could require reformatting your hard drive

I recommend using a registry cleaner or even better a system optimization program that will not only clean and fix your system registry, but also clean up system files, completely uninstall programs, fix errors, remove un-needed startup programs, and boost the overall speed and usability of your computer

If your PC is still operating slowly or you are not seeing any performance improvements after using the above tips, it is possible that your system may be infected with a virus or spyware

Some symptoms to look out for if you suspect a virus are slower PC performance, the sound of constant accessing of your hard drive for no apparent reason, programs that start without you opening them, or corrupt files or programs Always keep your anti-virus software up to date and run the program regularly to prevent infection

Spyware are types of programs that are becoming more and more common on the internet and are installed on your system without you knowing about it These programs typically watch your activity on the internet and some even attempt to collect your private information and passwords

They will also invariably cause some performance issues Check for spyware or adware on your system with one of the anti-spyware programs available for best results

Optimizing your Windows Vista operating system regularly will keep your system running smoother, prevent errors and lock-ups, increase your internet speed, and safeguard your privacy all at the same time Jay Miller is always looking for simple ways to improve PC performance. Find all the latest tips, tricks, and tools to optimize your PC and make it run like it is brand new again without an expensive PC technician. Check out all of my articles and reviews at
http://www.UpdateGuy.com

Read full story

Author : Jay MillerWindows XP and Vista are excellent operating systems, but the default settings they are installed with do not necessarily promote the optimum performance of your computer system

Some machines are powerful enough that there is no noticeable performance trade-off in running Windows as installed, however, many if not most systems could see a big increase in performance by simply tweaking Windows for best performance

Additionally, over time, Windows can become sluggish due to cluttered computer memory, loads of application programs, pop-ups, viruses, and spyware The following are some simple steps you can take to improve your Windows experience:

1 Regularly Install Software Patch Updates: Microsoft frequently provides software patches and updates to improve performance and remove defects in its programs Ensure that you have the latest patches and updates for your operating system Check Microsoft Windows Update for the latest patches and updates available

2 Run Fewer Applications at the Same Time: Sometimes little things like simply changing the way you use your computer can have a decent impact on the performance of Windows If you typically run several MS Office programs at the same time, have multiple Internet Browser windows open at the same time, are chatting and emailing with friends, all the while listening to music at the same time, you will be eating up a large chunk of your PCs resources thus slowing performance down significantly Look for ways to reduce your own multi-tasking to increase your overall Windows speed and performance

3 Delete the Temporary Files in your Operating System: Over time the Windows Temp directory can get filled up with application files that it stores there regularly Large amounts of data and files can accumulate in this directory and have an impact on the performance of your operating system The best way to find and delete these temp files is to go to your Windows Explorer and do a search of your local disk C: for all temp files Just enter * tmp into the search box and press Enter Sort by the Date Modified tab at the top and delete any temp files that are older than a few weeks

4 Get Rid of That Annoying Windows Messenger at Startup: Windows, by default, will load this program every time you boot up your system If you do not use this program or do not want it to load automatically, it can be extremely frustrating to disable it Here is what you need to do to disable it: Go to the Group Policy Editor by clicking Start then Run and typing gpedit msc into the text box and click OK Scroll down the menu to Local Computer Policy then select Computer Configuration followed by Administrative Templates next select Windows Components and finally Windows Messenger You will next change the settings in Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run and Do not automatically start Windows Messenger initially by double clicking on each one and selecting Enabled Simply reboot your system and you will no longer be bothered by the auto start of Windows Messenger

5 Defragment Your Computer Hard Drive Weekly: Windows speed and performance can diminish over time due to delays in accessing your files and programs on the hard drive The cause of this is defragmentation of the file structure on your hard drive by saving and deleting of files, creating and deleting folders, and installing and uninstalling programs Windows operating systems come equipped with a defrag tool which you can access by clicking Start then All Programs Find and click Accessories then select System Tools and click on Disk Defragmenter Again, ensure to perform this task weekly or setup automatic scheduling of this task to be performed by Windows weekly if it is not already setup to do so Jay Miller is always looking for simple ways to improve PC performance. Find all the latest tips, tricks, and tools to optimize your PC and make it run like it is brand new again without an expensive PC technician. Check out all of my articles and reviews at http://www.updateguy.com

Read full story