Most Windows users have heard of the Windows registry. Various troubleshooting articles may have mentioned registry problems as well as editing and backing up the registry. Like a lot of people though, you may not even know yet just what the registry is. Before you can recognize and troubleshoot registry problems, you need to know what it really is.

What it Is

The registry is a key component of the Windows operating system and is essentially a centralized directory or database. What this directory contains are settings, information, changes and options related to hardware, software, preferences and applications. Whenever you install hardware or software or make changes in them, these changes are recorded in the registry. Changes on applications and preferences are also stored there. In other words, any change you introduce to your system is shown in the registry. Windows registries are present in Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, CE and 2000. In earlier versions, the INI files functioned in much the same way. This early version though was too cluttered.

The registry is a vital part of the operating system. You need it every time you use your computer. The information stored in the registry is what the operating system uses every time you turn on your computer. The system refers to the registry to determine what settings, options, preferences and applications should be loaded. In other words, the registry makes it possible for you to get just what you want and need.

Sometimes though, problems may arise. When the registry has too much information, your system could slow down and you could get lots of error messages. This is when you may have to edit your registry. The most usual methods are to hire experts or use software. Be warned though that incorrect editing of the registry could result in serious consequences such as loss of files.

Structure
The structure of the Windows registry is organized in a hierarchy. On top of this structure are the hives. There are different kinds of hives that hold various pieces of configuration information. Hives for example contain data on user preferences, user information, hardware and file associations among others.

Following the hives are keys which are like folders that store subkeys. The subkeys in turn may contain even more subkeys. Values are the ones that actually hold the relevant information in each of the keys. This is a simple way of viewing the registry hierarchy. For non-technical experts though, looking into an actual registry can really become confusing.

Registry Problems
You may not know it but you may have encountered a registry problem before. If your computer takes a lot of time booting, shutting down and is generally slow in everything else, then this may be a sign of registry problems. Sometimes, when you want to uninstall a program or application, it does not fully uninstall. This may lead to a lot of useless clutter. Your system will also still go through these entries every time you start your computer. This explains the lag time.

There are three main ways to fix registry errors. You can manually edit on your own, hire an expert or use software. You can manually access and edit registry errors by entering “regedit” in run after you backup your registry. If you are nowhere near an expert, you shouldn’t even consider taking a peek at your registry. Big mistakes can render your system unusable.

Hiring an expert however may involve a lot of expenses. Some experts do not come cheap even when the problem is very minimal. A third option is to use registry software scanners and repair kits. These automatically back up your system, detect errors and correct them.

The Windows registry may sound like a simple concept. In reality though, it can become a virtual jungle. Avoid mishaps by trusting registry repairs to the right people or software.