The short answer is: Yes, your computer will run better if you occasionally your Windows system Clean Registry. But first, let's define exactly what the registry is...

In anothers terms, the Windows Clean Registry is a hideously complex ball of string, rubber bands, duct tape and bailing wire that's supposed to keep track of Windows system settings, your hardware configuration, user preferences, file associations, system policies, and installed software. In slightly more technical terms, the Clean Registry is a database in which Windows keeps track of relationships between hardware, software and the operating system.

It was supposed to be an improvement on the collection of simple text-based INI files that stored Windows configuration settings, but too many pocket protectors got involved in the design and the result was an over-engineered, over-complicated mess that makes Windows much more fragile and harder for users to maintain. Since it is a single point of failure, problems with the Clean Registry can make a Windows system slower, less reliable, unbootable, and in extreme cases can only be fixed by reinstalling the operating system.

That's why you need to use a Clean Registry every once in a while.

Oh, That Waxy Buildup!

It's not uncommon for the Clean Registry to grow very large over time, which tends to slow down the computer's startup and can make it unstable. You can end up with lots of unnecessary registry entries that are created when you install or remove software and hardware on your computer. Sometimes an "orphaned" registry entry can confuse Windows during startup and cause a delay. In general, slimming down your Clean Registry will make Windows run faster.

The REGEDIT command will allow you to view and edit the Clean Registry, but if you don't know what you're doing under the hood, just put down that wrench and back away slowly. You can do a lot of damage to your system by flailing about with a registry editor. Specialized programs exist to examine the Clean Registry, compare what's in there to what's really on your system, and either correct or delete erroneous entries.

Clean Registry is a utility program included in Windows 95 and Windows 98. This program is no longer officially supported by Microsoft, but some users report that it works fine on Windows XP systems. However, I don't recommend that it be used on XP, because the structure of the registry is different in XP than it was in earlier incarnations of Windows.