Do you really know or understand what Windows registry is?
The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It contains settings for low-level operating system components as well as the applications running on the platform: the kernel, device drivers, services, SAM, user interface and third party applications all use the registry. The registry also provides a means to access counters for profiling system performance.
The registry contains two basic elements: keys and values. Registry keys are similar to folders and each key can contain subkeys, which may contain further subkeys, and so on. Keys are syntax similar to Windows path names using backslashes to indicate levels of hierarchy.
E.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows refers to the subkey “Windows” of the subkey “Microsoft” of the subkey “Software” of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root key.
Windows predefined seven root keys.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKLM
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG or HKCC (only in Windows 9x/ME and NT-based versions of Windows)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT or HKCR
HKEY_CURRENT_USER or HKCU
HKEY_USERS or HKU
HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA (only in NT-based versions of Windows, but invisible in the Windows Registry Editor)
HKEY_DYN_DATA (only in Windows 9x/ME, and visible in the Windows Registry Editor)
All registry keys may be restricted by access control lists (ACLs), depending on user privileges, or on security tokens acquired by applications, or on system security policies enforced by the system. Different users, programs, services or remote systems may only see some parts of the hierarchy or distinct hierarchies from the same root keys.
If you want more detailed information about windows registry you can refer to Wikipedia.
When you install programs, its keys and values are embedded in the registry. But if the applications are infected by virus or are uninstalled improperly, or your computer is infected by spyware or file associations are changed or a number of unnecessary files use your system resources, the registry entries will be damaged and cause registry errors. The registry errors absolutely make computer slow and maybe it’s “the symptoms of light”.
Our computers will display some common apparent phenomenon to tell us that is cause by registry errors. The “Blue Screen of Death” is a common type of registry error. The computer is crashed by improperly configured setting on the registry and displays the blue screen error. “Dll errors” are other common types of registry errors when an application is missing a vital .dll file that helps run the executable files of that application. Registry start-up errors are other common registry errors which usually occur when a start-up item is missing or improperly configured.
When we encounter with registry errors, we can use registry repair software such as Acebyte Utilities Free to fix the issue which is the best and safest way.
