Though there are many people who don't yet believe registry corruption is an issue in Windows XP and Vista, the truth of the matter is registry corruption is a mortal enemy to these operating system. It can cause many problems for these operating systems and the persons who use the computers they are installed on.
A registry consists of a huge number of files and folders. Within these files and folders are pieces of code that show or point to the next place a command will find the information it is looking for. Of course, each operating system's command will require several, maybe even millions of these pointers to find all it needs to carry out its mission.
Registry Corruption Causes Slowdowns
When pointers from no longer needed software still exist in the registry, they point to files an operation doesn't need or worse yet, they point to a file that is no longer in the registry. This means an operation will be sent out looking for something that is useless for its completion. So, all an unneeded pointer does is waste time. These types of pointers are a form of registry corruption.
Because Windows XP and Vista are so large, false pointers waste a lot of the computer's time and resources doing operations that are in no way helpful. Such operations need to be repeated again and again until the right pointer has shown the operating system the correct path. Of course, this will make the computer appear to be operating slowly.
So you can see, the overall effect registry corruption has on a computer is that is slows down its operations. Sometimes this slow down will not be too noticeable. However, it is possible for registry corruption to slow the computer to the point it makes it difficult to use the computer at all. Registry corruption also makes a computer prone to errors and even the blue screen of death.
Viruses, Spyware, Registry Corruption May All Look the Same, But...
Registry corruption may make a computer behave in a similar fashion to the way a computer operates when it is infected with spyware or a virus. Like registry corruption, spyware and viruses can also make a computer slow down and be error prone. However, where registry corruption makes the computer preform unnecessary operations, spyware and viruses steal the computer's resources.
If all, or a high percentage of your computer's resources are being used spyware and viruses, your computer won't be able to perform any task, even an easy one like connect to a Web site. The way to check to see how many resources are being used is to press ctrl-alt-del, which will open up your task manager in Windows XP. If you have Vista, you will have choose "open task manager after you press ctrl-alt-del.
With a lot of your computer's resources being eaten up by spyware, your computer would be unable to perform such simple tasks as opening up the Web browser. It may eventually get your browser open, but you would notice it would do so abnormally slowly. This is the way a computer would act if it had spyware infecting it or if it had a corrupt registry.
The bottom line is, spyware and viruses make a computer preform poorly. Part of this poor performance may be errors and crashes, or the computer may be just plain slow. The confusing thing is a corrupted registry will make a computer behave in the same way for different reasons.
For optimum computer performance, you must not only keep your computer free of spyware and viruses, you must also keep it free of registry corruption. Doing so will keep your computer speed like it was when it was new and it will keep crashes to a minimum. - 16738
A registry consists of a huge number of files and folders. Within these files and folders are pieces of code that show or point to the next place a command will find the information it is looking for. Of course, each operating system's command will require several, maybe even millions of these pointers to find all it needs to carry out its mission.
Registry Corruption Causes Slowdowns
When pointers from no longer needed software still exist in the registry, they point to files an operation doesn't need or worse yet, they point to a file that is no longer in the registry. This means an operation will be sent out looking for something that is useless for its completion. So, all an unneeded pointer does is waste time. These types of pointers are a form of registry corruption.
Because Windows XP and Vista are so large, false pointers waste a lot of the computer's time and resources doing operations that are in no way helpful. Such operations need to be repeated again and again until the right pointer has shown the operating system the correct path. Of course, this will make the computer appear to be operating slowly.
So you can see, the overall effect registry corruption has on a computer is that is slows down its operations. Sometimes this slow down will not be too noticeable. However, it is possible for registry corruption to slow the computer to the point it makes it difficult to use the computer at all. Registry corruption also makes a computer prone to errors and even the blue screen of death.
Viruses, Spyware, Registry Corruption May All Look the Same, But...
Registry corruption may make a computer behave in a similar fashion to the way a computer operates when it is infected with spyware or a virus. Like registry corruption, spyware and viruses can also make a computer slow down and be error prone. However, where registry corruption makes the computer preform unnecessary operations, spyware and viruses steal the computer's resources.
If all, or a high percentage of your computer's resources are being used spyware and viruses, your computer won't be able to perform any task, even an easy one like connect to a Web site. The way to check to see how many resources are being used is to press ctrl-alt-del, which will open up your task manager in Windows XP. If you have Vista, you will have choose "open task manager after you press ctrl-alt-del.
With a lot of your computer's resources being eaten up by spyware, your computer would be unable to perform such simple tasks as opening up the Web browser. It may eventually get your browser open, but you would notice it would do so abnormally slowly. This is the way a computer would act if it had spyware infecting it or if it had a corrupt registry.
The bottom line is, spyware and viruses make a computer preform poorly. Part of this poor performance may be errors and crashes, or the computer may be just plain slow. The confusing thing is a corrupted registry will make a computer behave in the same way for different reasons.
For optimum computer performance, you must not only keep your computer free of spyware and viruses, you must also keep it free of registry corruption. Doing so will keep your computer speed like it was when it was new and it will keep crashes to a minimum. - 16738
About the Author:
As you can see, either or both registry corruption and spyware/ viruses will cause your computer to slow down and crash. Now, see how all the best registry scanners rate against one another and even get a free registry scan and a free spyware scan at Hiel Strassman's: Registry Repair Software. Also, get more inside information on registry scanners at: Registry Cleaner.
