Cleaning the registry has become an important part of computer maintenance these days. This is because the newer operating systems, Windows XT and Vista, very easily become corrupted. Also, though corruption could be a problem with earlier operating systems such as Windows 98, it was not nearly as big a problem as it is in today's huge operating systems.
Registry files are huge and complex. Some of these files tell each command a computer operation is carrying out where it will find its next needed file. You can think of these files as pointers.
The Trouble Created By Registry Corruption
In a very simplified sense, registry corruption is nothing more than pointers that leads to either the wrong place or no place at all. With the older smaller operating systems the amount of time it took to carry out a few false operations was negligible.
In the new, very large operating systems, one false pointer can lead the operating system hunting for a long time before it discovers the hunt will bear no fruit. Multiply this type of useless operation by thousands, maybe even millions and you will have an idea of the effect registry corruption has on your computer's speed.
Registry corruption can make a computer slow down so badly it can no longer be used. Of course, this would take a substantial amount of corruption, but it can and often does happen. Registry corruption can also cause the computer to crash and be error prone. Even the blue screen failure has often been the result of corruption in the registry.
Viruses, Spyware, Registry Corruption May All Look the Same, But...
Registry corruption may make a computer behave in a similar fashion to the way a computer operates when it is infected with spyware or a virus. Like registry corruption, spyware and viruses can also make a computer slow down and be error prone. However, where registry corruption makes the computer preform unnecessary operations, spyware and viruses steal the computer's resources.
To get an idea of how much of your computer's resources are being used, open up your task manager. (Ctrl-Alt-Del in Windows XP) This will show you how much of your CPU is in use at any time. If your computer is idle but you can see much of your CPU's power is being used, it could be spyware is using this power. It could also be that you have many programs open in your system tray. If you do, closing them should be your first order of business. The point is, if your computer's resources are being used, you will not be able to get the computer to do anything, even open up your Web browser.
If a lot of your computer's resources were being used and you tried to get the computer to do any task, like open up your word processor, you would see your computer would open it very slowly, if it was able to do it at all.
To summarize, spyware and/or viruses will make your computer slow and prone to errors and crashes. However, a corrupted registry will make a computer act in the same way.
It is important, but not enough to keep your PC free of viruses and spyware. On occasion a computer's registry needs to be scanned for and cleaned of corruption. Doing this will insure your computer will run without producing errors and it will always run at its peak speed. - 15634
Registry files are huge and complex. Some of these files tell each command a computer operation is carrying out where it will find its next needed file. You can think of these files as pointers.
The Trouble Created By Registry Corruption
In a very simplified sense, registry corruption is nothing more than pointers that leads to either the wrong place or no place at all. With the older smaller operating systems the amount of time it took to carry out a few false operations was negligible.
In the new, very large operating systems, one false pointer can lead the operating system hunting for a long time before it discovers the hunt will bear no fruit. Multiply this type of useless operation by thousands, maybe even millions and you will have an idea of the effect registry corruption has on your computer's speed.
Registry corruption can make a computer slow down so badly it can no longer be used. Of course, this would take a substantial amount of corruption, but it can and often does happen. Registry corruption can also cause the computer to crash and be error prone. Even the blue screen failure has often been the result of corruption in the registry.
Viruses, Spyware, Registry Corruption May All Look the Same, But...
Registry corruption may make a computer behave in a similar fashion to the way a computer operates when it is infected with spyware or a virus. Like registry corruption, spyware and viruses can also make a computer slow down and be error prone. However, where registry corruption makes the computer preform unnecessary operations, spyware and viruses steal the computer's resources.
To get an idea of how much of your computer's resources are being used, open up your task manager. (Ctrl-Alt-Del in Windows XP) This will show you how much of your CPU is in use at any time. If your computer is idle but you can see much of your CPU's power is being used, it could be spyware is using this power. It could also be that you have many programs open in your system tray. If you do, closing them should be your first order of business. The point is, if your computer's resources are being used, you will not be able to get the computer to do anything, even open up your Web browser.
If a lot of your computer's resources were being used and you tried to get the computer to do any task, like open up your word processor, you would see your computer would open it very slowly, if it was able to do it at all.
To summarize, spyware and/or viruses will make your computer slow and prone to errors and crashes. However, a corrupted registry will make a computer act in the same way.
It is important, but not enough to keep your PC free of viruses and spyware. On occasion a computer's registry needs to be scanned for and cleaned of corruption. Doing this will insure your computer will run without producing errors and it will always run at its peak speed. - 15634
About the Author:
As you can see, either or both registry corruption and spyware/ viruses will cause your computer to slow down and crash. Now, see how all the top registry cleaners rate against one another and even get a free registry and spyware scan at Hiel Strassman's: Registry Fix Reviews. Also, get more inside information on registry cleaners at: Registry Cleaner.
