Can anyone explain to me (not real computer savy) how to clean my registry?

**RATCHETMASTER** · 08-24-2007, 07:44 PM

I have had a slugish computer and I have emptied my files, on and off line and cookies. I know that one program loaded in my registry because my antivirus would not clean it (macafee).
I was told that I probably have stuff in my registry causing problems. But I don't even know what my registry is?

any help?
Thanks

**mbrownin** · 08-24-2007, 08:23 PM

Windows registry consists of a couple of data files on the PC where Windows applications as well as Windows itself store all kinds of configuration information. It first made its appearance in Windows 95. Before that, that same info was stored in INI files. To get an idea of what it looks like, go to the start menu, select "Run", and type in "regedit". Just make sure you don't change anything in it without knowing what you're doing.

Windows applications are real good at putting stuff in the registry, but never getting rid of it once it's no longer of any use. There are numerous registry cleaner utilities out there that can prune the old crap out of it.

**86 IROC-Z** · 08-24-2007, 08:28 PM

Take off the side panel of you computer. identify the second largest chip on the motherboard. squirt some dish soap on it and give it a real good scrub. That, and deleting all the porn off your harddrive, should clean it up reeeeeeeeaaal good

**Knighthawk LS1** · 08-24-2007, 08:36 PM

http://www.ccleaner.com

its what i use
Always make sure you back up your registry in case it deletes something it shouldnt

**LS1Powerhouse** · 08-24-2007, 10:14 PM

try a defrag

**NOSSLP** · 08-25-2007, 01:27 AM

ccleaner works good, and so does abexo registry cleaner. They are both free, but as knighthawk said, be sure to back up your registry when you run these programs incase it deletes something you need.

**tnthub** · 08-25-2007, 04:19 AM

Ccleaner is pretty good. I would download it, allow it to make a backup of the registry and run it. You may have to do it more than once (three times is pretty common), and make a backup each time (make sure to backup up the registry each time with a unique and sequential name in case of a problem).

Then do a shutdown and re-start to verify everything works.

The next step, provided everything works, is to go here: http://www.auslogics.com/

There is a free registry defragmenter and free disk defragmenter you can download. Same deal with the registry degragmenter, allow it to backup and do its job, shut down and re-start, to verify all works fine.

Then run the disk defragmenter. It works, in my opinion, better and more quickly than the defragmenter build into Windows (XP or Vista).

These free versions are completely manual but in my experience they are as safe as this type of utility can be, they do a backup first, and the results seems to be better than most other products I have found.