The Windows Registry in
Short.
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.
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