Registry
Windows Registry is a database in Microsoft Windows Operating System. It accumulates and stores the information of all the registered and third party applications, device drivers, and user settings. It galvanizes as soon as the operating system boots and loads the startup utilities when the user logs in. It has the ready access to all the required files to run a program. Every manipulation in software/hardware settings and preferences is noticed, verified, and registered in the Windows Registry. As a base, Windows Registry has five predefined root keys, stated below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Settings precisely of local computer
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Information gathered at runtime
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Information about registered applications
HKEY_CURRENT_USERS Settings of currently logged-in user profile
HKEY_USERS Settings of each user profile
These Registry Keys are kind of vessels that contain cluster of Registry Values. Values are then, non-containers and are directly executable files.
Some hives are automatically loaded (those stated as startup utilities), while others are held on standby, until the user commands them to open by launching a specific application.
Registry ERRORS
It was expressed that the windows registry keeps on gathering information and continuously records this information in the form of keys and values. With the installation of new applications, new values are generated and kept in the registry. When uninstalled, the same applications might not be able to clean these values. Due to this characteristic of Windows Registry, it keeps on increasing its size. If this process is carried out constantly, a point comes, when the registry is overloaded and cause inconveniences in running certain applications. To avoid such consequences, the registry must be timely visited and cleared from the unused and unwanted values. In case of non-compliance, the applications will take superfluous time to load the required programs and will result in delayed processes.
Another issue with Windows Registry is the fragmentation of information. Applications, when installed, create relevant registry keys and values, and when uninstalled, wipe out the same keys and values, respectively. The elimination of registry values creates a vacuum space between the clusters of information, forming fragments. On a command of user, when a specific program is desired to execute, the system crawls through the windows registry and arranges the required files in a sequence, to be executed. In case of fragmentation, the system experience break ups, while passing through the vacuum spaces between fragments of information. This causes the system to take an elongated time to prepare, and run that specific program and makes the process slow.
FIXING Registry Errors
It is obvious that the Window Registry must be cleaned and refreshed for a suitable operation. Due to unknown reasons, none of the Windows version provides the utility to perform this task. To do so, third party applications are consulted with. While surfing the internet, a user may come across to many adverts offering to perform this duty at discounted rates. It is to notify the general user to beware of such deceitful assurances. Many third party applications are easily available for such assistance, without costing a penny. Among which, Registry Recycler is a notable one. It is a lightweight application, easy to download and install. Via an easy step, its strong scanner examines and detects problematic and corrupt keys and values within minutes. When the scanning is done, a summary of errors is generated and displayed for detailed review, if required. Eventually, the user is manually asked for the further instructions, whether to fix these errors or ignore them.
Registry Recycler also helps defragmenting the problematic fragmentations on the registry. With two simple steps, the Registry Recycler analyzes the registry to detect the possible empty spaces and then eliminates these spaces by performing the defrag process.
These were some simple and easy ways, which not only fix the registry and eliminates the errors, but also boost up the performance of an operating system, as clutters of unsolicited information is erased to create room in the primary memory.
