clean registry manually xp

Topics Internet Media Printer Social Media Smart Devices Email Network Hardware Phone Software Legal About Us Accessibility Terms of Use Privacy Policy Copyright Policy CA Do Not Sell My Personal Information. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.Learn why people trust wikiHow Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher.Keep in mind that the Registry is an extremely sensitive archive that documents every process and setting on your computer, so deleting entries from it can result in anything from minor errors to a bricked computer. Only edit the Registry if you're confident you won't remove something important.The Windows Registry stores information about every process, program, and setting on your computer, so removing the wrong entry can result in your computer failing to work properly.Unfortunately, cleaning the Registry by hand isn't safe, and following the steps in this article may not result in your computer speeding up or resolving corrupted Registry entries due to the limited approach you'll have to take. If you want to clean your Registry in an effective, thorough manner without deleting anything important, use the Registry Cleaner app instead.The best way to clean the Registry without using a program is by placing your computer in Safe Mode. This will prevent other programs from interfering with your cleaning, becoming corrupted, or making changes to your computer.Before you can begin cleaning out the Registry, try removing the programs you no longer want to use:If you accidentally corrupt your computer's Registry, you may need to restore your operating system from a backup.A pop-up menu will appear.You'll find Restart in the pop-up menu. Do not stop holding down. Shift until instructed to do so.Once the screen turns blue, you can release the ? Shift key.It's in the middle of the screen.

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The Windows XP registry is one of the most important components of your PC. The registry is where Windows XP stores all of your computer's device and file associations, as well as critical information about drivers, directories, Windows applications and more. Each section contains a different set of entries related to different aspects of Windows XP operation. This second level will have more directories to choose from, and will make it easier for you to find entries you need to clean the registry. Delete entries in the registry that you know are either causing conflicts or are no longer necessary. Several programs are available that do the dirty work for you. Some even include backup capabilities to retrace their steps in the event of a critical error. Clean your boot records by changing which programs load themselves at startup. From here, you can clean out registry entries that are causing certain programs to run on startup. Tips Back up your system files before you clean your Windows XP registry. Windows XP Home Edition users can download the backup application from the Microsoft website. Warnings Do not clean the Windows XP registry unless you are absolutely sure you know which entries you are deleting and which entries must remain. If you delete vital registry entries, it is very likely that your PC will begin to behave erratically. Always double-check the definition of entries before you modify them. Items you will need Windows XP Administrative privileges within Windows XP Resources Registry resources from Microsoft.com Tips Back up your system files before you clean your Windows XP registry. Writer Bio This article was written by a professional writer, copy edited and fact checked through a multi-point auditing system, in efforts to ensure our readers only receive the best information. From fixing your old devices to catching up on recent tech-trends, we've got you covered.

If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. I think if you can do it yourself than why shouldn’t you?” - Luis K., Australia Registry is a central part of the Windows operating system and even though you can clean registry manually in theory, it is not easy. It is not easy even if you are really good at understanding how Windows works and here’s why. The registry is just too big, and even small mistakes can make the operating system very unstable very fast. The registry is changed by everything that happens on the computer including copying files, moving files, installation of programs, uninstallation of programs, installation of new drivers etc. It can face fragmentation problems when registry keys are removed. It can become bloated from normal use and from mismanagement by poorly written software. There are unused registry keys and dll file conflicts that need to be resolved. If not you can do it manually by using the following procedures: If you think your up for it, here are some ways you can manually clean the windows registry. Each application creates many keys which are important for its functionality. Registry entries of uninstalled software need to be removed if they have not been properly taken care of. It takes a registry cleaning software a few seconds to do most of this and a few minutes to do a lot more than this, and it does this without making silly mistakes that humans can make. Computers should do all the hard work, and thats so people can get on with their lives. With reliable registry cleaning software as your assistant in maintaining the Windows registry, you will have more time for the things you like to do on your computer. If You Need Additional Support on This Issue Then Please Don’t Hesitate To Contact Me On Facebook. Many problems that you encounter can be attributed to a corrupt and bloated registry. It’s just in his nature.

You'll find this next to an icon that resembles a set of tools.It's in the middle of the screen.Type in regedit to do so.Doing so opens the Registry Editor program.Since the only files you can safely delete are ones pertaining to programs you've already uninstalled, you'll want to find a folder that matches the name or company of a program you no longer use.Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.Doing so deletes the Registry entry.Once you're finished deleting the folders of programs you've already removed, you can proceed.Once your computer finishes restarting, it will be back in regular mode, and your Registry's changes will be saved.This app can help guide you through cleaning your Registry by scanning for corrupted or unnecessary files, determining which ones are safe to remove, and removing them as needed. To install it, do the following:Click Finish once the Registry Cleaner finishes installing, then click Yes when prompted.A drop-down menu will appear.Registry Cleaner will begin scanning your Registry for bad entries. When the results display, you can proceed.Doing so causes Registry Cleaner to remove any unnecessary or corrupted entries.If your computer begins acting different or displaying errors for normal processes, you can restore your Registry by doing the following:Make sure to safely remove your Kindle (and any USB device, for that matter) by ejecting it. Doing so will often fix those issues.However, it's recommended to always backup your registry first and only do it if you know what you're doing. You can then use the delete key or right click and delete on entries.Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 595,709 times.By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker.

XP owners with a lot of mileage on their computers and tons of programs will appreciate the rapid, precise approach of a smart cleaner.Here are some of the things an XP registry cleaner can do to clean things up:Many XP registry cleaners also take the time to optimize and organize the registry. This can include defragmenting the log and fixing registry files with improper extensions.Best of all, most users haven't had a clean XP registry since they bought their computer, so they're bound to notice the benefits that come with one!It's important to choose a program with a good track record of performance.Our XP registry cleaner doesn't disturb any of the entries you need to run your day-to-day applications. In fact, our registry cleaner only targets corrupt and antiquated files that have no use on your computer.Don't forget that MyCleanPC also has live tech support to walk you through the process. We'll help you get the clean registry you need, without any of the pitfalls.Other features require payment. Computer security and performance improvements will vary depending upon the condition of your computer, the software you are using, and other factors outside of our control. There will be a one-time charge to activate MyCleanPC ofRealDefense may offer other products and services when you call us. When the Command Prompt appears, type the following commands, one at a time and press Enter after each command, replacing C: with the Windows’ drive letter:You’re most likely to receive Access denied if your Windows XP is on NTFS and not on FAT32. If it’s on FAT32, you can continue the steps below. Here is an example of path: You must insert the Windows Vista DVD while you’re logged in as an Administrator in Windows Vista. You can install updates for your Windows 7 once this process is done. Windows 8 will reinstall any applications you installed and create a copy of these applications on your desktop, but backup your data before you do a refresh.

It’s why he started a blog in the first place. He heard over and over how hard it was to find simple, plain-English solutions to Windows troubleshooting problems on the Internet. Enter: Windows Wally. Ask away, and he will answer. Disclaimer: WindowsWally.com is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation, nor claim any such implied or direct affiliation. The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only. The owners of this site are compensated by relationships with the recommended software products. Whatever the case, they'll have left their mark on your computer in ways you're not able to see: most notably, via a registry entry.Why? Because excess registry entries could be a source of clutter on your computer that you have no idea even exists. You'll be surprised at the benefits a clean XP registry can have. All you need is a way to properly remove these outdated, unnecessary entries.In short, it's a data log of all the preferences of all the applications you've ever downloaded and installed on your computer. More than that, it's the place where Windows XP stores its settings as well. The way your programs behave and the preferences you set for them are archived in the registry and recalled each time you launch an application.Not only is there a lot riding on its performance and function, a smooth-running, well-organized registry is less likely to give you problems with such frequent use. It can also prevent things like application crashes, freezing and more when it comes to apps that are trying to launch a corrupt or missing registry file.Misplacing or deleting an important registry file can mess up your preferences and cause applications to function incorrectly. In addition, XP can behave erratically and experience its own issues if the registry is tampered with.A cleaner application will work quickly, going through thousands of registry entries in seconds, removing any that are problematic or unnecessary.

Neither our writers nor our editors get paid to publish content and are fully committed to For example, files that do not exist anymore and which would take hours to delete manually. Rather than publishing a typical list of top programs, we’d like to test and compare free registry cleaner tools. Overall, all of them remove entries like Invalid class keys, program shortcuts, shared DLLs, application paths, help files, file associations, empty registry keys, etc. Most of them provide useful features such as scan progress, scan scheduler, severity indicator, ignore list, automatic backups, startup manager, run on startup, log files. And, of course, all these registry cleaner programs have one click repair feature. You can also check our guide about this kind of software. We used a median desktop PC with 8GB RAM running on Windows 7 Professional. But first, a quick basic data summary and short descriptions. For fair results, each time we had created a restore point, and went back to it to test the next program. You can see the results in a table, though remember that a registry cleaner isn’t a PC maintenance tool and it isn’t designed to speed up or optimize a computer. Registry cleaners only help fix registry errors. Also there are summary about fixed erros and system loading boost. Thus we tried out their free edition of latest 12.5.0 version. It found 848 errors in about 6-minutes long scanning. It is also worth mentioning that real-time monitoring of system condition has been recently added to this free version, which is rare for such type of software. This “cleaning” function targets various PC areas, 12 to be exact, and to find out which are those areas please read our full Advanced SystemCare review. It seeks out invalid DLL keys, files associations and references, and then fixes it in a few seconds. Scan report is available in two forms: brief and detailed. In the first case, it only shows the number of errors and offers a one-click fix.

Full report sorts errors by categories with explanations and tips, allowing a user to specify the type of errors to eliminate. Full scan includes junk files and temporary files, to help free hard drive space. In the Pro version it also displays recommendations to boost PC and Internet connection. Registry cleaning is available only as a part of full PC scan, thus it allows you to schedule regular cleaning. When we scanned our PC, it found 160 errors, which is more than others. Users can find and then explore problems and their description after the program has finished scanning and analyzing the system. Registry defragmentation and backups are available too. In our test it found 16 errors, though we’d also want to point out the following. Ccleaner isn’t just a registry cleaner program, as it doesn’t only optimize registry. One can install it from an executable file or as a portable version.Tools section allows to view, change or uninstall programs, find and remove files that taking up a lot of disk space. One can install free CCleaner in two ways: full installation or via a portable version, that does not require installation. Scan options for registry fix include system software, fonts, shared libraries, startup entries, virtual devices, history, etc. Additional tools inside Defencebyte, e.g. browser cleaner, Windows service manager, uninstaller, scheduler, etc.It is another free registry cleaner tool, and is as simple as such a program could be. It does not speed up the system so well, though is good to clean out the registry. Eusing is a free registry cleaner that works on Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10. There one can view the problem, its registry keys, value for each entry. Menu can be presented in one of 33 languages available. Other useful tools by Macecraft Software include History Cleaner, File Cleaner, Startup Optimizer, Registry Compactor, Windows AntiSpy, Software Uninstaller.

Backup your files before you continue. Windows 10 will reinstall any applications you installed and create a copy of these applications on your desktop, but backup your data before you do a refresh. Backup your files before you continue. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server. Download recovery disk for Windows Vista. Microsoft utility to repair corrupted registry keys that prevents programs from being completely uninstalled or blocking new installations and updates.You should back up any valued data from your computer before making changes to the registry.Follow format 7.0.xxx where xxx can be 100, 120, 130, 140 and so on.Follow format 6.0.xxx where xxx can be 100, 120, 130, 140 and so on.Follow format 1.5.0.xxx where xxx can be 100, 120, 130, 140 and so on.Back up the registry. It protects your privacy and makes your computer faster and more secure!Click here Most of us regularly update our virus definitions, empty the Recycle Bin and so on. Its purpose is to keep your Windows Registry tidy, efficient and help applications to run without a hitch. On every Windows PC, the Registry stores preferences and settings for applications and the Windows operating system itself. Over time, as you install and uninstall applications, the registry can become littered with old entries. These can cause error messages and slow the computer down. If you want to ensure that your PC functions correctly, and remains fast, you'll need to clean it up. Cleaning the Registry can help to remove all this left over data. After removing the application, some of this data may remain - creating a security risk. Cleaning the Registry will remove this left over personal data and help prevent data theft should someone get access to your computer. But there are two key reasons not to: You'll probably find your computer starts much more quickly too! We encourage you to download and try it out, we know you'll like the results!

Old software can have vulnerabilities, which are quickly discovered and shared amongst cyber criminals. CCleaner updates your software automatically to close security holes before they can be found. Easy to use, one click cleaning so beginners can optimize their computers in seconds. Plus, it's packed with advanced features for power users. As it gets older it collects unused files and settings which take up hard drive space making it slower and slower. CCleaner cleans up these files and makes it faster instantly. CCleaner erases your browser search history and cookies so any internet browsing you do stays confidential and your identity remains anonymous. CCleaner’s patented registry cleaner clears out this clutter to make your PC more stable. CCleaner helps you get to work, or play faster by letting you disable unneeded programs. It makes it easy to speed up a slow computer and keep your activity private — automatically and in the background. CCleaner updates once a month to stay on top! Making your device cleaner, safer and faster By using our site you accept our use of cookies. People who have administrative rights can easily scan and clean all users' registry at once.By fixing these residual and corrupted items in Windows registry, your system will run faster and more stable.It automatically backs up the system before any cleaning is performed. You can use the backup to restore the system to an earlier state.Wise Registry Cleaner will automatically clean up the registry in the background when the scheduled time is up. In settings, you can also create a 'Clean with 1-click' icon and place it on the desktop. With this feature, you can clean up the registry by just clicking the icon without opening Wise Registry Cleaner.After one-click optimization, you will see some improvement in your PC’s performance. These optimizations are reversible, you can easily restore the registry settings to the system defaults.No matter which one you choose, you can.

After the scan you can save results as a CSV, LiteLS, HTML, EML, DAT, or a SQL file, or even print it out. Errors can be viewed in detail separately in the Registry editor. Users may search processes, apps and files by entering keywords. One fine additional feature is websites blacklist. Nevertheless, it has good characteristics. Finally, it uncovered 108 registry errors in our test. It also shows registry errors locations that one can open right there. During our test Auslogics found 31 errors. This utility combs through areas like shortcuts, file extensions, help files, startup apps, fonts etc.For many users there are certain potentially useful things: viewing any error separately by right-clicking it the results, flexible backups and restore points at any moment, ignore list, one-click fix button called “Scan and Repair”. Jet Cleaner also provides a hardware information tool, flush the DNS cache, scheduling automatic cleaning. Overall it is quite effective in reducing system errors and slowdowns, locating and deleting junk files in recycle bin, recent documents, temporary files, log files, clipboard, memory dumps. With it you can also choose which areas to scan, make a restore point, and export the log of errors as HTML file.It has both free and paid versions, clean and convenient interface, regular automatic upgrades. It recognizes 20 types of errors on all registry levels. Additional features: startup manager, ignore list, registry optimization (recommended to use regularly to reduce registry fragmentation). It allows experienced users to manually search for the cause of issues. The features list gets bigger if you pair it with Pointstone System Cleaner. This is not typical for free registry cleaners. For each registry error it shows description, location, possible resolve, and editor. When you run the executable file of the program, the scan will be started automatically. This is very convenient, since the program doesn’t work in the background (in the tray).

If you’re still like none of those 15 tools, you can go explore AML, SlimCleaner, Kingsoft PC doctor, EasyCleaner, Argente, Cleanersoft Free Registry Fix, nCleaner, ACleaner, Registry Distiller, RegSeeker. Do you have a not so powerful computer from few years back or one running on older versions of Windows. Then PC optimization software, such as registry cleaners is one of the options to take care of issues. A typical registry cleaner program can do much more: remove temporary Internet files, browser cache and history, junk files, log files, system memory dumps, bloatware, thumbnails, as well as shut down unnecessary background programs. Essentially, a registry cleaner is a third-party application designed to remove redundant and obsolete files from Windows registry. More advanced cleaners can also correct invalid registry keys. Registry database is enormous and complex, so editing it manually will be a painfully time-consuming task.Key benefits of running such apps from time to time could be: to free up space, to boost performance, to help get rid of malware. Yes, theoretically, you can maintain registry without any special software, by uninstalling apps or clearing browsing history. Although, there are some issues that only a technical specialist can address. Removing keys manually can be dangerous and cause system damage. Many of those tools provide additional functionality characteristic of PC maintenance software. Typical features of a proper registry cleaner are the following: Some perform faster, others bet on thorough cleaning. In terms of pricing, it may seem strange but these utilities aren’t the most important software to use, so it would be senseless to pay a lot for it. On the other hand, cheap price means poor quality, we all know that. With free and paid cleaners, we may assure that you can find effective ones for free.

Controversy lies in the assumption that many of these tools don’t do much in terms of performance boost, but rather prompt a user to buy a paid version or just being a space for advertising. First, registry damage risk: low-quality programs can cause more damage than benefit, as many just try to free disk space without making distinction of entries and files. Secondly, and more menacingly, there could even be rogue utilitie that facilitate malware installation or trick users out of their money providing no real help. Critics also say, that in most cases reported errors are just entries from uninstall programs, and are neither good nor bad, and removing them won’t speed up PC performance. However, if a user detects a real issue slowing down the device, or a malware file that snuck into the registry, a reputable cleaner program would be a fit option.Most of these utilities prompt users to back up data or do it automatically, in some of them you have to find this option. Never start cleaning registry without creating a backup. As soon as you notice issues after the cleaner (e.g. a program doesn’t start as it did before), it is better to restore registry. Well, maybe you, for example, install several similar programs to choose the best alternative and then uninstall all the rest. Then you can run a scan additionally. In other cases a monthly scanning will be enough. After the scan, when a utility starts removing and fixing job, leave it to the job. When using a device it makes changes to the registry, and therefore it will impede the cleaning process and may cause mistakes. It is super easy, free and offers great functionality, even beyond dealing with registry. It is free for non-commercial use. Be sure to download it from the official website of Piriform, as some websites may try to trick you into buying products disguised as CCleaner. Before proceeding to repair, it offers to create a backup, as result, you can choose to fix all problems or a certain issue.

Note: there’s CCleaner for Mac, it doesn’t clean up the registry, it performs other functions. Surely enough, there are plenty of CCleaner alternatives. Other top-performing utilities include WiseCleaner, Auslogics, Eusing, AVG TuneUp, JetClean, WinUtilities, Registry Fixer, jv16, Glary Utilities, EasyCleaner, IObit. It has a simple interface, one-click repair button, automatic backups. It is also absolutely free, with free updates and without any term limitations. It gives full control to a user and, in case you want it, you can review scan results and exclude registry entries from the cleaning list. Auslogics has been tested by many industry experts and has got positive reviews generally. A scan takes seconds, and results are grouped by categories. However, if you are not interested in digging into the results, there is a Scan and Repair option. Note: by default, it sets Yahoo as homepage and search engine. Scheduled cleaning, restore option, various scan types are very handy appendices. Three scan types are normal, safe, and deep, plus the ability to schedule monthly, weekly or daily cleanups. Or system settings optimization to improve Internet speed for that matter. While scanning takes longer than with CCleaner or Auslogics, it is able to detect more system issues. This program allows finding and replacing specific registry entries, monitoring, defragging and cleaning the Windows registry. With jv16, you can choose how aggressive the cleaning will be. You can choose to ignore data related to definite programs (for example, antivirus, Firewall, server, and backup software). Scan results show registry keys, entry name, modified date, severity level, file reference, reason for detection; and scan results can be exported to CSV, HTML, SQL. Backups and restore points are in place as well. The only disadvantage is that some people find interface inconvenient and pretty difficult for beginners. Also a “Scan Now” button to review results before fixing.

Jetclean provides additional tools, e.g. Apps Clean, Windows Clean (uncheck if do not want them at the moment). Moreover, you can search for certain issues in the registry, such as problems with startup programs, application paths, uninstalled programs, fonts, virtual devices, file extensions, etc. As extra, there are system information tool, startup optimizer, performance booster, registry defragger, internet booster, software uninstaller. Note: during setup, it may install unwanted software. Before that he worked in media, publishing, advertising agencies from Ukraine, Hungary and Austria. Victor is an expert in SaaS, enterprise applications and optimization tools, sharing insights from the world of software development and marketing. He values and rigorously sticks to pragmatism, clarity, open-mindedness, efficiency and business ethics. Thanks for sharing it. CCleaner The name and logo of Thinkmobiles are. Thank you! Contact us if you need to.Our creative, marketing and document solutions empower everyone — from emerging artists to global brands — to bring digital creations to life and deliver them to the right personIf you need to completely remove Photoshop CS from your system, you should reinstall the application and remove it using one of the recommended methods because the procedures in this document only remove files and registry entries that will allow you to reinstall the application. The following steps list the minimum Folders, Files, and Registry entries that you should delete to allow the Photoshop CS installer to complete the installation without error. If an item is not present continue with the next task.Adobe doesn't provide support for editing the registry, which contains critical system and application information. Make sure to back up the registry or create a system restore point before modifying it. For more information about the registry, refer to Windows Help.