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Is Registry Repair Necessary for Vista?
by Karen Ellen
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Overview
Is Registry Repair Necessary for Vista?
The registry is a basic component of the Windows operating system. In Vista, it's a database of all settings your application software and hardware need. Whenever you make any modification to your system through the Windows Control Panel or otherwise, those changes get recorded in the registry. The registry is not self-cleaning, so stray entries can accumulate, cause problems and require repair.
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Problem Symptoms
Third-party software and hardware manufacturers can place entries in your registry, loading it with useless coding that gets left behind after software or device uninstalls. Eventually, junk entries corrupt your registry, causing the familiar Windows "Blue Screen of Death," although this doesn't happen often with Vista. Another symptom is indecipherable messages such as ActiveX, DLL, .exe, Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer or runtime errors. Also, your computer may run more slowly or freeze.
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Reasons
Everyday activities, such as installing and uninstalling programs, downloading e-mail attachments infected with viruses, stretching your system's capabilities with too many programs, browsing the Internet, and acquiring any bugs that come with software, can eventually cause registry problems.
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Registry Cleaners
Vista can't clean its own registry, and you should not try to do it yourself or you could render your computer inoperable. Instead, use a third-party registry cleaner. They are also known as PC tune-up tools, and you can download them from the Internet, sometimes for free.
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Choosing a Cleaner
Websites that review and compare cleaners are useful but can deliver conflicting verdicts because cleaners work differently, and every computer configuration is unique. Some cleaners may count fragmented errors individually, while others lump them into one error. A cleaner that scans your system and finds loads of errors isn't necessarily better than one that doesn't. A better criteria is your feel for the software. If it's easy to understand and use, it's good for you. Even cleaners that charge for a license often let you run a free scan so you can compare.
If you don't notice marked improvement in your computer's performance or speed after a cleaning, you may need to try another cleaner. If you have an older system, a cleaner can do only so much to improve performance.
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Cleaner Functionality
Any cleaner should perform a backup of your current registry before making any changes, and the old registry should be easy to restore if something goes wrong. The cleaner should schedule and automatically perform regular system scans and fix anything it finds to keep your registry clean. Periodically, it should defragment your registry, putting all the data bits together in sequence so your system can access them more quickly and efficiently.
