Understanding the Windows Registry

Topic: Understanding the Windows Registry

In order for the Windows operating system to properly manage all of the hardware and software it typically contains, Microsoft has employed the use of the Registry, a massive database of information about your computer. The Registry essentially replaces the Windows.ini and System.ini files found in earlier versions of Windows. The reason for this is to allow faster and more comprehensive retrieval of data about a given program, hardware component or user.

The Registry is divided into multiple sections that contain specific information about the computer, peripheral hardware, installed software and of course the currently logged on user. It combines all of this information into a dynamic database that allows Windows to operate properly based upon the current user's preferences.

Every time a new hardware component or software is installed, the Registry is typically updated to reflect this. In addition, many programs use the Registry to store configuration information about the program or a user's preferences. Unfortunately, over time, the Registry can grow to enormous proportions, especially if the various programs you've installed do not do a good job of deleting and/or updating its Registry entries.

The result of this, is that Windows will start more slowly, run slower and eventually, you may experience hardware and/or software failures. This can be very frustrating because, until now, the only reliable way to clean the Registry was to manually review and delete entries.

Obviously, it takes a very experienced user to understand the cause and effect of any changes made, hence many users are fearful of modifying the Registry. Given that the Registry tracks some rather complex values, a typical user's fear of the Registry is definitely warranted - change or delete the wrong value, and of course the entire system may fail or you could lose potentially valuable data or even worse, need to reformat and reinstall the Windows operating system and all of your third party software!

With the introduction of Windows Registry Repair Pro, you may put your fears to rest! We give you the ability to safely and automatically optimize the Registry to keep it in peak operating condition - without being concerned about causing irrecoverable damage! Windows Registry Repair Pro will guide you through this process using a "Wizard" style interface or GUI to help you identify and remove unneeded entries. The program always makes a backup copy of the original Registry before it is modified to allow you the ability to restore an earlier version if needed.

You no longer need to fear the Registry with Windows Registry Repair Pro, instead you can safely work with it and keep your computer in top shape!