This unwanted data clutters up the Registry and does absolutely nothing useful, could marginally slow down your PC, and may sometimes even cause it to crash, especially if it contains references to non-existent files. In addition, uninstalling DirectX plug-ins may leave long lists of preset information behind. Your registry may also contain lots of useless data caused by simple housekeeping - if, for instance, you change the name of a folder or move it elsewhere, references to the original path-name may linger in the registry. The dedicated uninstall options provided by many applications (usually with a handy shortcut somewhere in the Start menu) are normally rather better at cleaning up after themselves, although even these have a habit of leaving a few invalid references behind. Unfortunately, removing an unwanted application using the standard 'Add or Remove Programs' applet is rarely thorough, and usually leaves some detritus in the Registry. When you first install any version of Windows onto a freshly-formatted partition, the Registry contents are clean and relatively compact, but once you start installing your applications the Registry grows in leaps and bounds. In SOS June 2004 I explained how to spring-clean your Windows Registry to clear out references to hardware that no longer exists, so let's complete the subject this month by turning to software. Windows constantly refers to it for information about each user and their preferences, the types of file each application can create, what hardware is available, and which ports are being used. The Windows Registry is a vast repository of references to both hardware and software installed in your PC, and its correct operation is vital to the smooth running of your machine. Housekeeping tasks and installations leave behind their own trail of junk, but fortunately it can be removed.
You can see in this screenshot that over 300 errors have been found and 45 missing files traced to other locations.Įven if you've cleaned out all references to old hardware from your Windows registry, it's a fair bet that it's not quite as spick and span as it could be. Most importantly, it backs up anything you might have changed, just in case you ever subsequently run into problems. Iomatic's Registry Medic can automatically scan for and repair a large variety of Registry problems.
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