The Windows registry is like the central nervous system of your computer. It
houses hundreds of important preference and settings files that tell Windows how
to run programs, hardware, and even the Windows operating system itself.
Whenever you install new programs or drivers, new registry entries are written
so that the next time you turn on your computer all the software and hardware
runs the same as when you turned it off. It's a helpful way to keep everything
consistent on your PC. For example, whenever you change your desktop wallpaper
or mouse speed, an entry is changed in the HKEY_USER registry file so that the
next time you boot up and log in it will be the same as when you left it.
Registry Problems
Unfortunately the Windows registry is stored in files just like any other on
your computer. This means that they are prone to getting cluttered, damaged, and
corrupted.
The biggest cause of registry clutter and problems is the incomplete
uninstallation of software and hardware. Most of the time the uninstall process
will leave lots of leftover files and folders in the Windows registry, causing a
lot of clutter and conflicts with existing software and hardware.
How To Fix Corrupt Registry Files and Clean Up The Clutter
First of all you should know that you should never try to open up the registry
and play with it yourself. Leave this to people who know precisely what they're
doing and what they are looking for. People who try to fix it themselves tend to
seriously mess up their computer.
The best way to clean out the clutter is to use a special cleaner software
program. These programs will scan the registry and find all the obsolete,
corrupt, and broken files and then allow you to get rid of them with the touch
of a button. It's really quite simple and anyone can do it.
It's also important that you make a back up copy of the Windows registry just in
case. Most repair programs will provide a backup system.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/regrepairsbv/