If you’re running a Microsoft Windows operating system, you might have come across one of many potential registry errors. These can be symptoms of other software failures, but more often than not, they’re brought on by problems with the registry itself.

So what is the Windows registry? When you install an operating system, a library of information is copied on to the machine. The registry is a vast collection of records containing personal settings, device configurations, and just about every piece of information related to your system set-up.

The registry is fundamental to the performance of your system. If the records become corrupt, you’ll face serious problems and in some cases, the computer may refuse to boot.

You’ve probably noticed that in the months or years since you purchased your system, the performance seems to have dropped. Many people are baffled by this. You might be running programs well within the system’s requirements, yet it still seems to be working slower and slower.

This is a typical problem which is normally related to the registry. Every time you install a program or any kind of software, entries are copied to the Windows registry. If you later remove the software, certain settings can get left behind and this can lead to bemusing error messages.

Maybe you’re being warned about DLL errors. The monitor may be flickering to that rather ominous blue warning screen. Most error messages on the operating system layer can be traced back to invalid entries in the registry. As long as they exist, you’ll notice a slow decline in the speed of your computer.

Thankfully, there’s a way to overcome all of this. Many software developers have released registry repair programs, and we’re pleased to say that many of them are very effective.

These applications are designed to search through your entries and delete any stray records which the uninstall packages might have skipped over. The end result is usually a faster system with better organization and better performance. So you can say goodbye to the error pop-ups.

Don’t sit back and let your registry fall victim to constant errors though. There are many malicious programs floating around – particularly spyware and adware – which will settle in the registry and store data that can be extremely difficult to remove.

The easiest way to prevent viruses and spyware from attacking your registry is to install a protection later on the operating system. Consider purchasing an anti-Virus package, or at the very least some anti-Malware software. This will prevent third party programs from spreading harmful performance-effecting files in to the registry.

Be sure to keep a back-up of your registry files and this will protect you from serious losses in the event of a problem.

To make a back-up, open up the MS Dos prompt and type the following:

Attrib -s -r -h C:\Windows\System.dat
Attrib -s -r -h C:\Windows\User.dat

Then to copy your existing registry, type:
Copy C:\Windows\System.dat C:\Windows\System.000
Copy C:\Windows\User.dat C:\Windows\user.000

To restore a registry, use the following after the first prompt:

copy C:\Windows\System.000 C:\Windows\System.dat
copy C:\Windows\User.000 C:\Windows\user.dat

Obviously, when you revert to an archived registry, it will affect the programs that you have installed. If you’ve added programs since you last backed up the registry, you will need to re-install them, or at the very least update them.

It may be possible to fix a registry entry manually. To explore the available options, go to the start bar and open up a run dialogue.

Type regedit.

This will open up the registry overview and you can navigate your way to the entries that need adjusting. Be careful thought. Editing the Windows Registry can have severe knock-on effects if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s possible to damage the registry by removing a single record!