b.tech.review

Windows. When you first install it works pretty well. Files open and close with a relative amount of speed and the system is pretty responsive. But after a few months you notice a drop in performance. Tasks that used to take a few seconds now take 30 or 45 seconds. If you have more than one program open at a time the system slows to a crawl. One of the main culprits for this problem is the Windows system registry. In simple terms, the registry houses information about everything that is installed or created on your computer (and a few others things as well…configuration settings, etc.) If you uninstall a program or delete a file it may appear to have been completely removed from your system. This is not always the case, as the registry still will contain traces of what you deleted. Over time this can (will) slow down your system. Well by now you might be thinking, “how can I clean out the registry”. I’m glad you asked.

There are basically two methods for accomplishing this task. The first one is to manually go in to the registry and clean out by hand. I don’t recommend doing this. If you’re not sure about what your doing you can really mess things up. The second method is to use a program to clean the registry for you. There are a ton of available programs that will clean the registry, some with better results than others. I have found that CCleaner does the best job, with the least amount of hassle.

CCleaner is very easy to use. All you do is open the program, click on a few buttons and your done. CCleaner will also clean out your temp files as well, which can also slow down your system over time. Once you open the program you will have several options to choose from on the left side: Cleaner, Issues, Tools, Options.

The Cleaner will clean out your temp files, just click on “Run Cleaner” in the bottom right corner. Issues will scan your registry, show you what it found, and then let you choose to clean it up. Click on “Scan for Issues” and then “Fix Selected Issues”. After you click on “Fix Selected Issues” the program will ask if you want to back anything up, there is no need to do this. I have been using this program for a long time now, and I’ve never had a problem.

I recommend cleaning out temp files and the registry at least once a month, more if you have time. By doing this, you will save yourself the frustration of working with a slow system. Download CCleaner here. The download link is at the top right of the page. Happy cleaning!

|> brandon