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intheway

2 Posts

7511

January 26th, 2006 13:00

disk registry cleaner

Inspiron 9100
I heard that it is best to clean your registry with a utility program often.
my questions are:
  • which registry cleaner software is recommended?
  • does my dell come with one already installed?
  • why should I use one?
  • how often should I use?
  • what is and where is the registry in my laptop?
thanks
intheway
 
 

BigBrother

4.8K Posts

January 27th, 2006 11:00

intheway,

1.  There are a number of "registry cleaners" available.  Check www.download.com for some possible options. 

2.  Windows does not have a "registry cleaner" built in.  At least, not in the same sense as some 3rd party tools.  Windows XP does have a Disk Cleanup tool.  Info can be found at this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312/en-us

3.  My personal opinion on when to use a 3rd party registry cleaner is -- never.  I do not believe that it is necessary in a Windows XP environment.

4.  See my reply above.
 
5.  The Windows registry is a large text file containing information about installed programs, hardware configuration, license keys, software settings, and tons of other information which is important to the operation of your system.  If you are not already familiar with this subject, it may be prudent to avoid making any changes to it -- either manually or automatically with a "registry cleaner".
 
Here is some information from the Windows Help file regarding the registry:
 
Windows Registry

Windows stores its configuration information in a database called the registry. (The registry editor that ships with Windows is regedit.exe.) The registry contains profiles for each user of the computer and information about system hardware, installed programs, and property settings. Windows continually references this information during its operation.

Registry editors are available that enable you to inspect and modify the registry. However, you should not need to do so. Instead, allow Windows programs to modify the system registry as needed. It is strongly recommended that you do not edit registry settings yourself.

Warning

  • Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. At the very least, you should back up any valued data on the computer before making changes to the registry.

If you do damage your system, you may be able to repair the registry or restore it to the same version you were using when you last successfully started your computer. Otherwise, you must reinstall Windows. When you reinstall your system, you may lose any changes that have been made, such as Service Pack upgrades, which you must reinstall separately. For information about restoring the registry to a previous version, click Related Topics.

Steve

intheway

2 Posts

January 27th, 2006 12:00

Thanks for the very detailed info Bigbro

I will send it on to the person who gave me info about

modifying and cleaning the registry to make my machine go faster (I'll buy ram instead).

I did not do use a registry cleaner yet and after reading your message I probably will not.

Thanks again.

If it ain't broke don't fix it! :smileywink: D

 

 

GreyMack

2.2K Posts

January 27th, 2006 14:00

To make your machine run faster, make sure you have control of the software configuration before adding or upgrading hardware. Assure security, performance, and reliability by analysis and adjustment to eliminate or minimize unnecessary baggage, then add or upgrade hardware to meet your needs.

Use benchmark software for an indication of how your system performs in comparison to similar systems. If you're not getting the most from your current hardware, upgrades can at best only compensate.
 
 
GM

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