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The Registry
The registry database is the heart of every Windows® system. It is a database that contains all the information that Windows® needs in order to function properly on your computer. This includes information on your hardware, software, system components, drivers, settings, user profiles and much more besides.
Application programs and the registry: Almost all Windows® applications and programs also store their settings in the Windows® registry. The only exception to this rule are old, 16-bit applications written for Windows® 3.x which you should no longer use unless you absolutely have to.
Garbage left in the registry when you remove programs: In addition to their automatic installation routines most application programs now also store information enabling you to removing the application from your computer later – either with the Add/Remove Programs facility in the Control Panel or with a separate uninstaller provided with the program.
Unfortunately, both of these uninstall methods usually leave an amazing number of obsolete program entries and references in the Windows® registry. Things are even worse if you simply delete the application yourself without using the uninstaller, or move its files and folders to another location. Then even more orphaned entries are left in the registry.
Consequences of a growing registry: Your registry grows continually as the number of redundant and orphaned entries increases, and this makes your system slower and slower because Windows® has to work its way through a much bigger database every time it accesses it. Since even simple actions like mouse clicks and keypresses can generate literally scores of registry accesses this can create a very significant processing overhead.
Furthermore, the entire registry is always loaded into your computer’s memory, so a bloated registry also hogs more and more memory, making it unavailable to other applications.
Advantages of an optimized registry: As you can imagine, this means that having an optimized registry is very important for a smooth, fast Windows® system. At the same time, it’s also important to understand that precisely because the registry is such a crucial part of Windows®, editing it always involves an element of risk. See Security for details on this issue.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9 seeks out and safely deletes all this garbage clogging up your registry, getting your Windows® system back up to speed. Many experienced Windows® users routinely reinstall Windows® and all their software once every year or so because of this “registry clogging”. If you use Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9 regularly you can avoid having perform this annoying chore! |
