Showing posts with label Windows Registry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows Registry. Show all posts

Clean your computer's registry

I have used many registry cleaners in the past to clean my registry. To be honest, this is the only freeware that I have had multiple successes with. Most registry cleaners leave my computer with some troubles after deletion of certain important system registry keys. But with Regseeker, I've never had a system error after registry cleaning. In fact, I have found my computer to start up faster and run more stable. That is why I highly recommend the software and encourage you to download it.



RegSeeker is a perfect companion for your Windows registry !
RegSeeker includes a powerful registry cleaner and could display several informations like your startup entries, various histories (even index.dat files), installed applications and much more ! With RegSeeker you can search for any item inside your registry, export/delete the results, open them in the registry. RegSeeker also includes a tweaks panel to optimize your OS ! Now RegSeeker includes a file tool to search for duplicate files, bad shortcuts and more !

Click Here to download RegSeeker
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Registry fix reviews become very important when the computer starts to develop some problems. Frequent crashes and freezes; error messages, slow speed, and difficulty in accessing your files and programs on your PC are some of the signs that your Windows Registry has been corrupt. Before you download any registry cleaning tools, it is important for you to read some registry repair tool reviews.

What is a windows registry? It is a directory that stores all the settings for the operating system for Microsoft Windows. The Windows registry contains settings and information for all the software and hardware of the PC.

Any changes that a computer user makes to the files, programs and control panel settings of the PC are stored and reflected in the registry. Over the years, due to the saving and installing of files and programs on your PC and later on deleting them, some unnecessary and redundant files and bits can be left on the registry, which then affect the registry's performance.

Today, there are many registry fix tools that are available on the Internet which you can download and use to clean your registry. However, with so many tools available on the Internet, it can be really difficult to decide which registry fix tool to use. And this is where you will need to read registry fix reviews.

So, do registry repair tools are really work?

Registry clean tools firstly carry out a scan of your registry, in order to identify all the faults and problems in your registry. This normally takes a few minutes and involves the computer user doing a few clicks on the PC to activate the registry cleaning software to do the scan.

Before the registry cleaning tool starts to repair your registry, it creates a back-up file of your original registry, saving all the files and registry settings on your PC before the cleaning process starts.

Next, the registry repair tool scans the PC and lists all the errors it is found in the registry. It then gives you the option to activate the software so that it can clean all the corrupt files and repair the registry.

These registry fix tools have many features and options which you can use to ensure that the tool thoroughly cleans your computer. This is an automated process, and you can see the registry cleaning tool going through all the corrupt files which have been identified, cleaning them and repairing them.

Since the registry is the central part of your computer which influences your computer's performance, stability and speed, fixing your registry using a reliable tool will undoubtedly improve your computers performance. The reliability and speed of your PC will be enhanced after cleaning the registry.

Using a registry fix tool is the best solution for solving the registry problems because manually modify your registry is very complicated. In fact, the computer's registry is a very large database such that repairing it is impractical, and requires a high level of computer expertise.

When you read registry fix reviews, the key things you should check on any registry repair tool before you download it are, how it works, its features, its ease of use, effectiveness and the level of online support offered.

For detailed registry fix reviews tools, visit our registry repair tools website below for comprehensive analysis of our top rated registry fixers.

Nikki Montgomery is an e-business specialist in computer performance optimization. For a Free Registry Scan and registry fix reviews, visit here

Article Source: Nikki_Montgomery

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To repair the Windows registry manually is a very complicated process that even computer technicians dare not do unless it is the last thing they can possibly do to save a computer. However, in order to repair the Windows registry manually, one must have a thorough understanding of what the Windows registry is, how it is structured and how it works.

Understanding the Windows Registry
The Windows registry feature is a relatively new addition to the Microsoft Windows system. This means that it was not included in the earliest versions of Windows, namely Windows 3x and older. Instead of the registry feature, these earlier versions of Windows have an .ini file and a .dat file stored in each folder and subfolder. These .ini files and .dat files contain the settings and configuration data for the files in the folder or subfolder they are linked with.

Storing settings and configuration data in this manner is very tricky. The .ini files and .dat files can be deleted by accident if the user of the computer is careless, and this action can cripple the entire system.

Upon the development of the Windows NT system, these settings and configuration data came to be consolidated in what became the Windows registry feature. At first, the Windows registry was just a database where these settings and configuration data may be viewed by typing in the command regedit.exe, but cannot be edited.

Later versions of Windows - Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 - saw changes in the Windows registry feature, and the command used became regedt32.exe rather than regedit.exe. The main difference between regedit.exe and regedt32.exe is that while regedit.exe interface allows the computer's user to view more information about the registry keys, regedt32.exe allows the user to do more with the registry keys using additional functions.

The first version of Microsoft Windows to integrate the best of regedit.exe with regedt32.exe is Windows XP. In Windows XP, the command name regedit.exe is used, as well as the interface of the older version of regedit.exe. These are then combined with the functionality of regedt32.exe. This version of the Windows registry became the staple in later versions of Windows such as Windows Server and Windows Vista.

The Components of the Windows Registry
The Windows registry as we know it now has two basic components: the key and the value. The key is similar to the folders that we can find in Windows Explorer, and each key can have subkeys within it, just like a folder in Windows Explorer would have subfolders. The value, on the other hand, is the name/data pair that is contained within these keys and subkeys. They are the little pieces of data where the information about how our computer should be running is stored.

Keys are organized into hives. The hives found in a Windows registry are:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR) - the hive where the keys and values pertaining to the myriad of applications we use on our computer are stored.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) - contains information on the settings used by whoever is using the computer at the given moment that the computer is being used.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) - pertains to the general settings used by all the registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_USERS (HKU) - keeps information corresponding to those in HKCU, for all registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC) - temporary information that the computer gathers when it is booted up.

Editing and Repairing the Registry
There are a number of ways that a person can use to edit and repair the registry. Among these methods are:

Manual editing. Manual editing means opening the registry using the regedit.exe command and sorting through the registry keys and values by yourself, deleting values and keys that you find invalid or suspicious.

Windows Registry Editor. The Windows Registry Editor is a support tool released by Windows as a companion to the Windows registry. It can be used to locate keys and values, rename them, change them, add to them or delete them.

Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Also referred to as Group Policy, MMC is used by system administrators to manage networks and computer system components, including registry editing in various computers included in the network.

Registration Entries (.reg). In this method, registry changes are put into a registration entries file and then run using a script.

Windows Script Host. Alterations to the registry can also be done by scripting using Visual Basic or JScript. The basic methods that can be used under the Windows Script Host are: RegDelete, which deletes values from the registry; RegRead, which restores a key's value or the name of a value in a key; and RegWrite, where new values are created or existing values are changed or written over.

Windows Management Instrumentation. The automated process of performing administrative tasks in Windows, including Windows registry repair and editing.

Console Registry Tool for Windows. This method makes use of the reg.exe tool and of various codes and scripts typed in at the Command Prompt of the Windows OS.

As thorough as Windows registry repair can be when done manually, it is very time consuming and extremely risky. Even expert computer technicians avoid having to touch the Windows registry unless there is nothing else that can be done about the registry's problems. If errors are committed when trying to repair the Windows registry using one of these methods, it can result in destabilization of the system. If this happens, the user would need to reformat the computer and reinstall the operating system completely.
The Easier Way to Repair the Windows Registry
As mentioned, to repair the Windows registry using the methods listed above is highly risky, tedious and time-consuming. A superior way of addressing problems with a computer's Windows registry is by using third-party registry cleaner software. Using such software will greatly reduce the time and effort that is necessary for otherwise repairing the Windows registry manually. Most of all, third-party registry cleaners are much, much safer and risk-free.

One particular registry cleaner that stands out among the rest is RegCure. It is quick - it can do all the scanning and repairing that needs to be done in as little as a minute. It is thorough - it seeks all the invalid entries and malicious code hiding in the dark corners of the computer's registry. And most importantly, it is safe - it has a backup and restore feature that allows the user to go back in case that a mistake is done during the scanning process. Using RegCure is the best way to do a Windows registry repair. Download a free scan of RegCure from the link here.

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Run registryRegistry problems may be repaired either manually by accessing the regedit utility built in Windows or automatically through registry repair software. The regedit utility is accessed through the Start Menu -> Run and then typing regedit before clicking OK.

Keeping your system free of registry problems and fragmented entries is difficult even for the most experienced of users. The task is daunting and rather confusing simply because there are so many registry entries and detailed knowledge is required to effect any changes and not cause damage. Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

The top registry repair software solutions like Registry Booster help you do all this work automatically at the click of a button.

Registry Booster - repair your registry with the click of the Repaid Registry button

Simply click on the Start Scan button to scan your registry and identify problems. Once these problems are listed you can repair your registry with the click of the Repaid Registry button. To defrag your registry, just click on the relevant button.

1. Start up Registry Booster from the Start Menu->All Programs->Registry Booster or by clicking directly on the Registry Booster on your desktop or Quick Launch bar.

2. Registry Booster starts in System Overview mode. The scanning and the defrag features are immediately available at this stage as may be seen from the screenshot below.

Registry Booster starts in System Overview mode


3. Scanning the Registry - To start scanning your registry immediately, click on the Start Screen button.

Scanning the Registry


4. Registry Booster scans your registry.

Registry Booster scans your registry


5. Once complete, Registry Booster provides you with a summary of the problems found.

Registry Booster provides you with a summary of the problems found.


6. Click on the checkbox to select registry entries to repair (default is Repair all Errors). Create a Backup by clicking on the Create Backup button create backup button. Once backup is complete, click on the Repair Registry button repair registry button.

7. As soon as your registry is repaired (this should not take very long). reboot your machine to start noticing the dramatically improved start-up times, stability and general computer operational performance.

8. Defragging the Registry - To defrag the registry click on the System Overview tab on top or on the Registry Defrag tab on the left-hand side of the user interface. Either option will take you to the defrag screen.

defrag screen


Click on the Defrag Registry button to begin the process.

Defrag Registry button


9. This process may some time and your computer may appear sluggish. It is advisable to shut down all applications while defragging your registry for optimum results. Sluggishness is only temporary because of the advanced scanning and correction technology used by Registry Booster. Once defragged, you may need to reboot to experience enhanced performance.

Understanding the Windows Registry
Your system's registry is a central database used to store information necessary to configure the system for preferences, applications, and hardware components. Registry repair and preventative maintenance is important because the registry contains information that is constantly referred to by the system during operation. The more preferences, software applications, drivers, and hardware components that are installed on the computer, the more complex the registry becomes. Registry repair becomes critical when this registry becomes corrupted or littered with keys no longer relevant to your system. The Windows registry is a vital part of Windows and if it is damaged then your whole system may be corrupted.

A Quick Look at Registry Repair Tools
There is a wide range of tools available that can help you repair or work with your system's registry. One of the more important registry repair tools is a registry editor, which you can use to change values in the registry. There is a Registry Editor that comes with Windows, or you can use a third-party registry program such as Registry Mechanic.

Registry repair tools like Registry Mechanic include applications that help you fix the registry after it gets messed up, but they can also help prevent problems from occurring. While Registry Mechanic is designed for registry repair and fixes a wide range of common Registry problems, RegClean (free from Microsoft) is designed to repair registry problems specific to several Microsoft products.

When and Why do Registry Problems occur?
The latest statistics show that about 94% of computers have corrupt and possibly harmful files. On average, almost each PC will have about 150+ errors on them due to corrupt or missing registry entries.

If your system is new, you usually will not notice the need to effect any changes to your registry. However, over time, your registry will grow as you add and remove software and hardware on your computer. These additions and deletions will cause your Windows registry to become fragmented, corrupted or full of errors.

When you remove software from your system, for example, it is highly probable that residuals are still littering your hard drive and your regsitry.

The result? Frequent error messages, slow start-ups, sluggishness, declining performance, system stalls, severe degradation in operating speed, unstable and frequent application errors and crashes, and, at times, even an inability to start Windows.
Related Software: Registry Booster

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When you try to edit the registry editor you may receive the following error
Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator

If you have Windows XP Professional (See: Manual steps to restore the registry in Windows XP) and access to an administrative user account, you could change the registry editor options in the Group Policy Editor.

1. Click Start, Run
2. Type GPEDIT.MSC and Press Enter
3. Go to the following location

- User Configuration - Administrative Templates - System

4. In the Settings Window, find the option for "Prevent Access to Registry Editing Tools" and double-click on it to change.
5. Select Disabled or Not Configured and choose OK
6. Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer
7. Try opening REGEDIT again

If you still can't open "registry editor", your computer may be infected with a virus, trojan, or spyware. You need scan your PC to remove the viruses. Download HiJackThis, Spyware Doctor, or Trend Micro Internet Security to scan your system.

Note: Please Edit your registry with registry cleaner software (Registry Booster, Registry Mechanic etc.) because any changes you make to the registry using Registry Editor are permanent, there is no 'undo' button, so be very careful what you do.Source: www.downloadatoz.com

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Being a computer user, I'm sure that there are times when your computer starts to slow down and programs can take an age to start up. Even booting the computer takes forever and this can be very frustrating especially for those who use their PC's for work. There are many things that can cause these declines in performance but one of the most common problems is windows registry errors. This article will hopefully shed some light on what the windows registry is and how we can keep it in good working order.

The windows registry contains settings of all the software that is installed on your computer. These settings make our software run the way we want them. For example when we add our favourite picture to the desktop background, the computer remembers that we want that picture displayed and stores it in the registry. Another example would be the computer remembering our preferred font or default font in a word processor. Any and every software setting is stored in the windows registry and this is why it must be kept in good order.

Windows registry errors can arrive on our machines from software programs that may have been installed or uninstalled incorrectly. We can also get errors in the windows registry from virus and spyware infections. Keeping a registry error free is an essential part of computer maintenance.

Repairing registry errors can be done by using a registry editor. The trouble with this method is that if you are not completely sure about where the registry key is that is casing errors then it is possible that the wrong key may be deleted which could stop software working correctly or in a worst case scenario, it could leave your PC unable to boot. So be careful, if you are unsure don't risk it.

Fortunately there is an easy way to fix windows registry errors that anybody can do, no matter what level of computer experience they have and that is to use a software program to scan for and repair windows registry errors. Using this method is much safer because registry repair software will backup the registry before any errors are repaired so that if things should go wrong they can be fixed easily.

Once downloaded the registry repair software is simple to install and takes only a couple of minutes. When installed we can then scan the windows registry for errors and again this should only take a couple of minutes but may take a little longer if errors are found. When the scan is completed a message will be displayed informing you of the results of the scan and if there are any errors contained in the registry.

If there are no errors, congratulations, but remember to scan your registry regularly to keep the registry in good order. If there are errors in the registry don't worry, these can easily be fixed in just a couple of clicks and the software will walk you through fixing these errors. After registry errors are fixed you will notice a performance increase meaning programs will start quicker and boot times will improve.

Tom Walsh runs a successful registry repair software website here
Article Source: www.articlecity.com by Tom Walsh
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Vista is one of the newest operating systems to come from Microsoft, and has millions of people using it every day. It's a very popular operating system, but has a big "Achilles heel" in the form of the registry. This causes your PC to run slow and with errors, and is easily fixed by using a registry cleaner... but which one is the best for Vista?

Although there are a lot of registry cleaners out there, they have all been designed to do the same job, which is to fix an area of Windows called the 'registry'. This is a big database which stores all sorts of settings and information about your computer... which includes everything from how much hard drive space you have left to how many contacts you have on Skype. This database is a crucial part of Windows, and is constantly being used by Vista.

However, even though the registry is very important, it still causes some of the biggest problems in Vista, which include your computer running slow and with errors. This is all caused by your computer using too many registry files at once, making it confused and leading it to save many of them in the wrong way. This makes the files incredibly difficult to read, forcing your computer to run slower and with a lot of problems as it struggles to process them.

Luckily, you can use a registry cleaner to fix this problem. However, you need to make sure you have the best registry cleaner for Vista, because that will remove the most problems from your computer. Registry cleaners work by scanning all the files inside your registry, and then fixing any of the damaged or corrupt ones they find. The best cleaners will fix the most problems inside your registry, and having tested all the most popular cleaners, we've found one which works very well on Vista.

We believe the best Vista registry cleaner is a program called "RegAce." This is a relatively new registry cleaner (only being released in early 2009), making it one of the most advanced and able cleaners to deal with Vista. It's very popular, with 100's of downloads a day, and works flawlessly on the operating system. It works so well because it has several unique features, which include an advanced scanning engine (which finds and fixes more problems on Vista than most other cleaners) and a complete backup facility (which protects your PC from any problems it might face from a registry scan).

From our experience, the best Vista registry cleaner is a program called RegAce
Article Source: James_Henry_Johnson
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There are so many registry cleaners available today that it is often difficult for us to choose the best one. Before buying any registry cleaner or getting a free one, you must know which of them are really producing results. Because you might be one of the person who might end up downloading a free registry cleaner which has spyware or malware in it. There have been many cases where pc user's have used an infected registry cleaner for years without realizing that they are doing so. In order to avoid this, we need to know something about registry cleaners before we use one.

A registry cleaner is basically a tool or a software which is used to remove any unwanted, harmful or junk file from your registry. And would we want to do that? In order for your computer to run processes faster. Basically, our registry keeps track of our system's installed software, hardware configuration, file associations, windows system settings and user preferences. All the programs we run in our computer usually has it's track in the registry. This might be any software you are running, or using internet browser, video's being played or even when you are playing a game. Maybe all this makes sense to you but you might be asking why do we need registry cleaner? The problem with windows registry is it usually cannot clean the unwanted files from your registry. This might be a very severe threat to your computer as it may cause software crash, browser crash or system crash. Or your whole computer might freeze or give you a blue screen. It happens mainly when your windows gets overloaded with all the processes or in other words gets bulky and cannot accommodate more processes in the registry. Usually the processes you run does not occupy much space but the old unwanted files keeps gathering and occupy a huge space in the registry without you knowing.

Now, if you are just a person who rarely uses pc and surf Internet, you might not need a registry cleaner. But if you are a person who uses pc very frequently for Internet surfing and use many software at your startup, you might need to get one. And in extreme cases if you are facing a regular crashes and your computer freezes then it is must for you to scan with a registry cleaner now.

Our review team in mykillerreview are experts in reviewing offline and online products and have already reviewed hundreds of products. After noticing so many complaints from Internet users about registry cleaners, our review team have tested all the top paid and free registry cleaners. The results of the top 5 registry cleaners which have produced maximum points according to their performance, speed and user's feedback are posted now in here Go ahead and grab one Registry Cleaner before you get frustrated with your computer.
Article Source : Saif_Chy
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When asked what a perfect Optimizer is, you can say that it's a registry fix tool particularly for Windows that is made Registry Repair by Miracle Technologies. By turning to registry categorical technology, Perfect Optimizer is said to be in a position to repair over 99% of PC Problems.

download xp registry clean

This is done to its virtual memory, physical memory, as well as the page file memory. If you go through a perfect optimizer page, you'll also discover the software provides ActiveX protection.

This helps the Registry Repair software in stopping adware, spyware, and the other undesired software in gaining access to the areas of the system that are regarded as to be quite exposed.

A number of them love the scheduler as it truly sets and forgets the software.
But naturally, not everyone is pleased with the perfect Optimizer. There's also some negative Registry Repair Perfect Optimizer Review. Not all products can thrill the patrons. It is a useful system enhancement tool that you should use if your computer have frequent hangs or poor PC performance. It increases the speed at which the Registry Repair PC processes the basic jobs.

The software is capable of deleting those undesired cookies and files from web Explorer and can also remove and fix the registry items but these are said to be less than adequate.
In fact, limited technical support has also been offered by program makers to decide this concern. However [*COMMA] it is just available through support tickets and e-mail.

It can just about remove those systems that might have been looked over by the Windows System.

Windows registry repair is a necessary part of Registry Repair inexpensive PC upkeep. So making sure it is optimized permits Windows to look into and update the registry and avoid being tied-up with invalid entries. Whenever the registry contains invalid information it will cause error messages and'freezes' for your system. Windows Registry Repair registry clean utility Software
Relying on a cleaner to fix the Windows registry can make sure that it contains only what Windows requires, and that each entry is correct . Most users realize the damage that viruses and trojans can do, and are wary to protect themselves against them. But many users forget that regular Windows registry correct is equally as fundamental to keeping a faithful PC. Therefore , even if you install antivirus programs you have got to also perform a Windows registry correct periodically because even a virus-free machine will be flooded with inaccurate registry data at some point soon.

download xp registry clean

Windows registry correct software need to be installed to circumvent the nightmare of invalid registry entries whether they were made by spyware, removing drivers, or just everyday operations. This is the easiest way to have a fast performing PC, and it just takes 2 minutes to use the program. The sole other choice is to spend money on a new PC or drag it to a high-priced PC consultant. In outline, you must realize how counting on Windows registry correct software will save everyone a giant amount of cash in the future.
Article Source here by Sydney Mccormick
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Once you begin experiencing registry errors on your computer there is are not too many thing that you can do to help alleviate the problem. You will need to do something, because the problems will not get better on their own.

Here are a few things you can do.
1. Manually repair your computers registry. Sounds simple enough but you need to remember the registry holds important information for every part of your computer, from file locations, installed and removed programs and important updates. Unless you are a computer genius, digging around in the registry and changing entries can mean even bigger problems for you computer.

2. Ignoring the problems and errors. While this option sounds as unreasonable as you could imagine, people resort to this more often then they will admit. It may be alright in the beginning when the errors are few and far between, but as they get worse your not going to be able to keep ignoring them.

3. A registry cleaning software. This is probably your best option at this point. Specially designed software that goes in and quickly diagnosis any problems and performs different functions depending on what needs to be done.

Not all registry cleaners are the same. Some of the features you want to look for when shopping around is for a registry cleaning software that does more then just delete old or unused registry entries. The program should also help to fix any entries that are corrupted.

The ability to defragment or organize the registry as well as compress the registry, making your computer run smoother and with less errors. Just make sure that the program will deal with all of the available registry errors, not just some of them.

If you have registry errors and a slow PC here is the #1 solution for Windows Registry Errors this is guaranteed to fix the errors and make your PC faster, just click here
Article Source: Brad_Armstrong
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Regtool equips you with most powerful and most user-friendly Registry Cleaner on the Market.

Regtool restores system performance. With Regtool you can carefully clean and fix the Windows Registry with just One Click!

Automatic Scanning The Regtool Automatic Scan takes the hassle out of diagnosing the Registry.

Custom Scanning Regtool is intended to accommodate every category of user. Regtool incorporates fully-automated backups every time you clean your Registry.

User-Controlled Cleanup Cleaning the Registry is somber business; that's why Regtool puts the control in your hands. At the conclusion of a scan, Regtool displays a browsable list of detected errors. Clean them all, or hand-select the ones you think ought to go.

Backup & Restore Don't worry about making mistakes. Regtool incorporates fully-automated backups every time you clean your Registry. Regtool was intended to defend your system without your having to be anxious about it.

Auto Update or Manual Update Regtool's authoritative cleaning capabilities aren't just for one-time use. Its regular updates give it the muscle to frequently advance its cleaning abilities over and over. How it receives these updates is left up to you: set them to download routinely or stop them entirely.

Full Registry Backup Utility Do you want a full-proof way to guard the reliability of your system? Regtool gives you that peace of mind by letting you construct backup Registry images at any time you want, images that you can patch up at your discretion.

Easy to Use Easy controls, instinctive design, and one-click error fix make Regtool the perfect balance between power and customization.

Tech Support When You Need It When it comes to keeping your computer working right, Regtool is the utility that never sleeps, and neither do we. Use our 24/7 tech support to undertake problems night or day, every day of the year.

Try Regtool free now!
Articles Source here by Regtool
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It really gets annoying when your computer displays a registry error message because it really affects the performance of your system. It is not known to a lot of people that this is one common problem that computer users are experiencing every so often. The performance of the computer is not the only thing affected because it can even cause malfunctions in your hardware devices like the monitor and CPU.

All the operating systems of Windows is really prone to experiencing having a registry error message at least once. It is already assumed that when your computer displays a registry error message, it means that something is not working properly within your registry. The downside about these registry errors is that you can never predict when your computer will be experiencing it. But even with this downside, the least you can do is to be aware whenever your computer is already experiencing such errors. Your system most likely has registry errors when it is processing things very slowly, when there are tons of error messages coming out of nowhere, and when your system crashes every once in a while. Remember that all of these signs should appear before you can conclude that your computer is suffering from registry errors. When at least one manifests, you can already find software that can repair your registry.

The most common way by which people are handling registry errors is by downloading a registry cleaner from the Internet. Do not worry about spending money for these registry cleaners because they are considered as a freeware all over the Internet. At the same time, you can also research about what specific registry cleaner can be considered as reliable and effective. After downloading the registry cleaner of your choice, you can already install and run it to detect the errors present in your computer's registry. After identifying all these unnecessary information on your registry, you just have to delete them. By doing this, you should not experience the problems that your system is experiencing before the registry scan.
Remember that your computer is just a machine and that it can experience different problems while you are using it. You really do not have to stress yourself too much about it. One just needs to know that it only takes the right knowledge and information to make sure that you can handle the situation when a registry error message appears on your computer monitor one day.
Find out how to eliminate registry error messagewith registry cleaners. Do a free registry scannow and find the cause.
Article Source: George_Tho
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You need to detect registry errors because you are experiencing performance issues with your computer such as slow speed which are most likely brought about by registry errors. Oftentimes though the users are unaware of such errors and therefore the same are not appropriately addressed. But do you know that even an average user can uncover registry problems? You don't need to call a technician or go to your computer shop to bring your unit for repair. All you need to do is to download a good registry fix software program and you must be good to go.

You see, the registry is considered to be the most crucial component of your operating system. Most of the computer issues such as slow speed, poor performance, system crashes, and more can be rooted to a corrupted registry. It is therefore important to detect registry errors, clean and fix them, to resolve these issues. If this is ten years ago, you may need to employ the services of computer technicians which can be both time consuming and costly. Fortunately, technology has also made it possible for any ordinary computer user to fix these errors like what pros do with the use of effective registry software.
What the registry software will do is to run a scan on your computer to detect registry errors and with just a few simple clicks you will be able to fix the errors by yourself. It is important to note, however, that the registry is a sensitive component just as it is the most crucial to your hardware. You mess with the registry, you mess everything. Although you can fix the registry manually, this is something that is not recommended unless you are a highly technical person or a geek who can resolve such issues without further complicating or messing the system. One incorrect move and you may need to say goodbye to your system.

The best thing that you can do is to get a good registry fix software program that will empower you to detect registry errors and fix your computer today. There are several programs that you can check and review from which you can choose the software that is most appropriate to your needs. Most software are guaranteed to be safe to use as they have the capability to revert to the previous registry when you don't get the desired result or if your computer does not behave as it should after the fix.

Do a free registry scan now and detect registry errors of your Windows system in the shortest time possible with registry cleaner.
Article Source: George_Tho
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A great feature of the Registry Editor is it's ability to import and export registry settings to a text file, this text file, identified by the .REG extension, can then be saved or shared with other people to easily modify local registry settings. You can see the layout of these text files by simply exporting a key to a file and opening it in Notepad, to do this using the Registry Editor select a key, then from the "Registry" menu choose "Export Registry File...", choose a filename and save. If you open this file in notepad you will see a file similar to the example below:


REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=dword:00000000
"CmdLine"="setup -newsetup"
"SystemPrefix"=hex:c5,0b,00,00,00,40,36,02

The layout is quite simple, REGEDIT4 indicated the file type and version, [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup] indicated the key the values are from, "SetupType"=dword:00000000 are the values themselves the portion after the "=" will vary depending on the type of value they are; DWORD, String or Binary.

So by simply editing this file to make the changes you want, it can then be easily distributed and all that need to be done is to double-click, or choose "Import" from the Registry menu, for the settings to be added to the system Registry.

Deleting keys or values using a REG file
It is also possible to delete keys and values using REG files. To delete a key start by using the same format as the the REG file above, but place a "-" symbol in front of the key name you want to delete. For example to delete the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup] key the reg file would look like this:

REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]

The format used to delete individual values is similar, but instead of a minus sign in front of the whole key, place it after the equal sign of the value. For example, to delete the value "SetupType" the file would look like:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=-

Use this feature with care, as deleting the wrong key or value could cause major problems within the registry, so remember to always make a backup first.

Regedit Command Line Options
Regedit has a number of command line options to help automate it's use in either batch files or from the command prompt. Listed below are some of the options, please note the some of the functions are operating system specific.

regedit.exe [options] [filename] [regpath]
[filename]Import .reg file into the registry
/s [filename]Silent import, i.e. hide confirmation box when importing files
/e [filename] [regpath]Export the registry to [filename] starting at [regpath]
e.g. regedit /e file.reg HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT
/L:systemSpecify the location of the system.dat to use
/R:userSpecify the location of the user.dat to use
/C [filename]Compress (Windows 98)
/D [regpath]Delete the specified key (Windows 98)
Source: pctools.com
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Editing the Registry

The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE) is included with most version of Windows (although you won't find it on the Start Menu) it enables you to view, search and edit the data within the Registry. There are several methods for starting the Registry Editor, the simplest is to click on the Start button, then select Run, and in the Open box type "regedit", and if the Registry Editor is installed it should now open and look like the image below.


An alternative Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE) is available for use with Windows NT/2000, it includes some additional features not found in the standard version, including; the ability to view and modify security permissions, and being able to create and modify the extended string values REG_EXPAND_SZ & REG_MULTI_SZ.

Create a Shortcut to Regedit

This can be done by simply right-clicking on a blank area of your desktop, selecting New, then Shortcut, then in the Command line box enter "regedit.exe" and click Next, enter a friendly name (e.g. 'Registry Editor') then click Finish and now you can double click on the new icon to launch the Registry Editor.

Using Regedit to modify your Registry

Once you have started the Regedit you will notice that on the left side there is a tree with folders, and on the right the contents (values) of the currently selected folder.

Like Windows explorer, to expand a certain branch (see the structure of the registry section), click on the plus sign [+] to the left of any folder, or just double-click on the folder. To display the contents of a key (folder), just click the desired key, and look at the values listed on the right side. You can add a new key or value by selecting New from the Edit menu, or by right-clicking your mouse. And you can rename any value and almost any key with the same method used to rename files; right-click on an object and click rename, or click on it twice (slowly), or just press F2 on the keyboard. Lastly, you can delete a key or value by clicking on it, and pressing Delete on the keyboard, or by right-clicking on it, and choosing Delete.

Note: it is always a good idea to backup your registry before making any changes to it. It can be intimidating to a new user, and there is always the possibility of changing or deleting a critical setting causing you to have to reinstall the whole operating system. It's much better to be safe than sorry!
Source : pctools.com
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Maintaining the Registry

How can you backup and restore the Registry?
Windows 95
Microsoft included a utility on the Windows 95 CD-ROM that lets you create backups of the Registry on your computer. The Microsoft Configuration Backup program, CFGBACK.EXE, can be found in the \Other\Misc\Cfgback directory on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. This utility lets you create up to nine different backup copies of the Registry, which it stores, with the extension RBK, in your \Windows directory. If your system is set up for multiple users, CFGBACK.EXE won't back up the USER.DAT file.


After you have backed up your Registry, you can copy the RBK file onto a floppy disk for safekeeping. However, to restore from a backup, the RBK file must reside in the \Windows directory. Windows 95 stores the backups in compressed form, which you can then restore only by using the CFGBACK.EXE utility.

Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 98 automatically creates a backup copy of the registry every time Windows starts, in addition to this you can manually create a backup using the Registry Checker utility by running SCANREGW.EXE from Start | Run menu.

What to do if you get a Corrupted Registry
Windows 95, 98 and NT all have a simple registry backup mechanism that is quite reliable, although you should never simply rely on it, remember to always make a backup first!

Windows 95
In the Windows directory there are several hidden files, four of these will be SYSTEM.DAT & USER.DAT, your current registry, and SYSTEM.DAO & USER.DAO, a backup of your registry. Windows 9x has a nice reature in that every time it appears to start successfully it will copy the registry over these backup files, so just in case something goes wrong can can restore it to a known good state. To restore the registry follow these instruction:

1. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.

2. Click Restart The Computer In MS-DOS Mode, then click Yes.

3. Change to your Windows directory. For example, if your Windows directory is c:\windows, you would type the following:

cd c:\windows

4. Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each one. (Note that SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0 contain the number zero.)

attrib -h -r -s system.dat
attrib -h -r -s system.da0
copy system.da0 system.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.da0
copy user.da0 user.dat

5. Restart your computer.

Following this procedure will restore your registry to its state when you last successfully started your computer.

If all else fails, there is a file on your hard disk named SYSTEM.1ST that was created when Windows 95 was first successfully installed. If necessary you could also change the file attributes of this file from read-only and hidden to archive to copy the file to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT.

Windows NT
On Windows NT you can use either the "Last Known Good" option or RDISK to restore to registry to a stable working configuration.

How can I clean out old data from the Registry?
Although it's possible to manually go through the Registry and delete unwanted entries, Microsoft provides a tool to automate the process, the program is called RegClean. RegClean analyzes Windows Registry keys stored in a common location in the Windows Registry. It finds keys that contain erroneous values, it removes them from the Windows Registry after having recording those entries in the Undo.Reg file. You can download this free utility from our downloads page.
Source:pctools.com
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The Registry has a hierarchal structure, although it looks complicated the structure is similar to the directory structure on your hard disk, with Regedit being similar to Windows Explorer.

[font_body]Each main branch (denoted by a folder icon in the Registry Editor, see left) is called a Hive, and Hives contains Keys. Each key can contain other keys (sometimes referred to as sub-keys), as well as Values. The values contain the actual information stored in the Registry. There are three types of values; String, Binary, and DWORD - the use of these depends upon the context.

There are six main branches, each containing a specific portion of the information stored in the Registry. They are as follows: • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - This branch contains all of your file association mappings to support the drag-and-drop feature, OLE information, Windows shortcuts, and core aspects of the Windows user interface.

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER - This branch links to the section of HKEY_USERS appropriate for the user currently logged onto the PC and contains information such as logon names, desktop settings, and Start menu settings.

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - This branch contains computer specific information about the type of hardware, software, and other preferences on a given PC, this information is used for all users who log onto this computer.

• HKEY_USERS - This branch contains individual preferences for each user of the computer, each user is represented by a SID sub-key located under the main branch.

• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - This branch links to the section of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE appropriate for the current hardware configuration.

• HKEY_DYN_DATA - This branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, for use with the Plug-&-Play features of Windows, this section is dymanic and will change as devices are added and removed from the system.

Each registry value is stored as one of five main data types:

• REG_BINARY - This type stores the value as raw binary data. Most hardware component information is stored as binary data, and can be displayed in an editor in hexadecimal format.

• REG_DWORD - This type represents the data by a four byte number and is commonly used for boolean values, such as "0" is disabled and "1" is enabled. Additionally many parameters for device driver and services are this type, and can be displayed in REGEDT32 in binary, hexadecimal and decimal format, or in REGEDIT in hexadecimal and decimal format.

• REG_EXPAND_SZ - This type is an expandable data string that is string containing a variable to be replaced when called by an application. For example, for the following value, the string "%SystemRoot%" will replaced by the actual location of the directory containing the Windows NT system files. (This type is only available using an advanced registry editor such as REGEDT32).

• REG_MULTI_SZ - This type is a multiple string used to represent values that contain lists or multiple values, each entry is separated by a NULL character. (This type is only available using an advanced registry editor such as REGEDT32).

• REG_SZ - This type is a standard string, used to represent human readable text values.

Other data types not available through the standard registry editors include:

• REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN - A 32-bit number in little-endian format.
• REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN - A 32-bit number in big-endian format.
• REG_LINK - A Unicode symbolic link. Used internally; applications should not use this type.
• REG_NONE - No defined value type.
• REG_QWORD - A 64-bit number.
• REG_QWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN - A 64-bit number in little-endian format.
• REG_RESOURCE_LIST - A device-driver resource list.
Source : pctools.com
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Description of the registry

The Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, defines the registry as:A central hierarchical database used in Microsoft Windows 98, Windows CE,Windows NT, and Windows 2000 used to store information that is necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications and hardware devices.

The Registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system,and the ports that are being used.


The Registry replaces most of the text-based .ini files that are used in Windows 3.x and MS-DOS configuration files, such as the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys. Although the Registry is common to several Windows operating systems, there are some differences among them. A registry hive is a group of keys, subkeys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files that contain backups of its data. The supporting files for all hives except HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP,Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. The supporting files for HKEY_CURRENT_USER are in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles\Username folder. The file name extensions of the files in these folders indicate the type of data that they contain. Also, the lack of an extension may sometimes indicate the type of data that they contain.

Registry hiveSupporting files
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAMSam, Sam.log, Sam.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SecuritySecurity, Security.log, Security.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SoftwareSoftware, Software.log, Software.sav
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SystemSystem, System.alt, System.log, System.sav
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIGSystem, System.alt, System.log, System.sav, Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log
HKEY_USERS\DEFAULTDefault, Default.log, Default.sav


In Windows 98, the registry files are named User.dat and System.dat. In Windows Millennium Edition, the registry files are named Classes.dat, User.dat, and System.dat.

Note Security features in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista let an administrator control access to registry keys.

The following table lists the predefined keys that are used by the system. The maximum size of a key name is 255 characters.

Folder/predefined keyDescription


HKEY_CURRENT_USERContains the root of the configuration information for the user who is currently logged on. The user's folders, screen colors, and Control Panel settings are stored here. This information is associated with the user's profile. This key is sometimes abbreviated as "HKCU."


HKEY_USERSContains all the actively loaded user profiles on the computer. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is a subkey of HKEY_USERS. HKEY_USERS is sometimes abbreviated as "HKU."


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEContains configuration information particular to the computer (for any user). This key is sometimes abbreviated as "HKLM."


HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTIs a subkey of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. The information that is stored here makes sure that the correct program opens when you open a file by using Windows Explorer. This key is sometimes abbreviated as "HKCR." Starting with Windows 2000, this information is stored under both the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER keys. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes key contains default settings that can apply to all users on the local computer. The HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes key contains settings that override the default settings and apply only to the interactive user. The HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key provides a view of the registry that merges the information from these two sources. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT also provides this merged view for programs that are designed for earlier versions of Windows. To change the settings for the interactive user, changes must be made under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes instead of under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. To change the default settings, changes must be made under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes. If you write keys to a key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, the system stores the information under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes. If you write values to a key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and the key already exists under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, the system will store the information there instead of under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes.


HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIGContains information about the hardware profile that is used by the local computer at system startup.


Note The registry in 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista is divided into 32-bit and 64-bit keys. Many of the 32-bit keys have the same names as their 64-bit counterparts, and vice versa. The default 64-bit version of Registry Editor that is included with 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista displays the 32-bit keys under the following node:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node
For more information about how to view the registry on 64-Bit versions of Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
305097 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305097/ ) How to view the system registry by using 64-bit versions of Windows

The following table lists the data types that are currently defined and that are used by Windows. The maximum size of a value name is as follows:
  • Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Vista: 16,383 characters
  • Windows 2000: 260 ANSI characters or 16,383 Unicode characters
  • Windows Millennium Edition/Windows 98/Windows 95: 255 characters
Long values (more than 2,048 bytes) must be stored as files with the file names stored in the registry. This helps the registry perform efficiently. The maximum size of a value is as follows:
  • Windows NT 4.0/Windows 2000/Windows XP/Windows Server 2003/Windows Vista: Available memory
  • Windows Millennium Edition/Windows 98/Windows 95: 16,300 bytes
Note There is a 64K limit for the total size of all values of a key.

NameData typeDescription
Binary ValueREG_BINARYRaw binary data. Most hardware component information is stored as binary data and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format.



DWORD ValueREG_DWORDData represented by a number that is 4 bytes long (a 32-bit integer). Many parameters for device drivers and services are this type and are displayed in Registry Editor in binary, hexadecimal, or decimal format. Related values are DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN (least significant byte is at the lowest address) and REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN (least significant byte is at the highest address).



Expandable String ValueREG_EXPAND_SZA variable-length data string. This data type includes variables that are resolved when a program or service uses the data.



Multi-String ValueREG_MULTI_SZA multiple string. Values that contain lists or multiple values in a form that people can read are generally this type. Entries are separated by spaces, commas, or other marks.



String ValueREG_SZA fixed-length text string.



Binary ValueREG_RESOURCE_LISTA series of nested arrays that is designed to store a resource list that is used by a hardware device driver or one of the physical devices it controls. This data is detected and written in the \ResourceMap tree by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.



Binary ValueREG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LISTA series of nested arrays that is designed to store a device driver's list of possible hardware resources the driver or one of the physical devices it controls can use. The system writes a subset of this list in the \ResourceMap tree. This data is detected by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.



Binary ValueREG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTORA series of nested arrays that is designed to store a resource list that is used by a physical hardware device. This data is detected and written in the \HardwareDescription tree by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.



NoneREG_NONEData without any particular type. This data is written to the registry by the system or applications and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value



LinkREG_LINKA Unicode string naming a symbolic link.



QWORD ValueREG_QWORDData represented by a number that is a 64-bit integer. This data is displayed in Registry Editor as a Binary Value and was introduced in Windows 2000.


Source : support.microsoft.com
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What is the Registry?

What is the Registry?
The Registry is a database used to store settings and options for the 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 95, 98, ME and NT/2000. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the PC. Whenever a user makes changes to a Control Panel settings, or File Associations, System Policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the Registry.

The physical files that make up the registry are stored differently depending on your version of Windows; under Windows 95 & 98 it is contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT, for Windows Me there is an additional CLASSES.DAT file, while under Windows NT/2000 the files are contained seperately in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory. You can not edit these files directly, you must use a tool commonly known as a "Registry Editor" to make any changes (using registry editors will be discussed later in the article).
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