The Windows registry is a database where the operating system stores all kinds of information and settings, both its own and those of the programs we have installed. This record is constantly changing. Every time we install, update or use a program, different entries are created or modified in it so that everything can work normally. The problem is that, with the passage of time, there are unnecessary entries in the registry, orphan entries of programs that only increase its size.
When we talk about maintaining Windows, one of the tasks that is often referred to is cleaning the registry. How to analyze the entries in this database one by one (it has thousands of them) is literally impossible, there are programs to clean the registry that do it automatically. These programs are responsible for analyzing the entire registry automatically and locating all those unnecessary entries, which are useless, and which can be eliminated without anything happening.
The problem is that these programs often crash. And a bad cleaning of the registry can even leave our computer totally useless.
Problems cleaning regedit
Most cleaners usually delete entries that are in their own database. Among them we can find, for example, file associations, program license keys, settings and other values necessary for Windows, or specific programs, to function properly.
If a program deletes these entries, the problems that we can find are of all kinds. The easiest thing is for a program to lose its license , or stop working. This is the least of the problems, as we could reinstall it to repair it and get it working again. It can also happen that some Windows files are orphaned when they lose their association with the program we wanted to use to open them. We can also lose links to DLL libraries and cause errors to appear when opening or using software. Again, easy solution.
Problems start when only part of the entries are deleted . For example, if we have a program installed, and the cleaner deletes only some of the registry entries. The program stops working, but we cannot reinstall it because it is already installed. And don’t uninstall it either because, for Windows, it doesn’t exist. There may also be problems with some Windows functions or features, and even system startup damage.
Avoid problems when modifying or cleaning the Windows registry
Regedit is an essential and critical pass to the functioning of Windows. If we do not know about it, the best we can do is leave it as is, without modifying it. This way we will make sure not to screw up and spoil Windows. However, there are some configurations or tasks that force us to make changes to this database.
Therefore, whenever we are going to make changes to it, whether they are manual, execute a script that we download from the Internet, or trust one of the cleaning programs that we have just seen, it is essential to make a backup of regedit.
That cleaning the Windows registry improves PC performance is a myth. Even today, it is totally unnecessary to use programs, like CCleaner , which can give us more problems than they solve. Letting Windows manage its registry, and cleaning itself with the Windows 10 Storage Sensor, is enough to have our PC always ready.
In case something goes wrong, this backup will allow us to restore the changes (even from Safe Mode) to make the PC work without problems again.