What is Windows Registry?

The Windows Registry is an important part of Windows. It is a collection of databases of configuration settings in the Microsoft Windows operating system. When we install software or an operating system on our computer, the necessary information about its path, location, address, settings, references, database, themes, etc. is saved in this database. Apart from this, the necessary information related to hardware is also saved in the Windows Registry.

The most important thing is that we can also read the Windows registry, and if needed, we can also write it; that is, we can also make changes to it. Thus, we can say that the Windows registry is the main part of Windows where information about all types of software, hardware, Windows settings, etc. saved.

How does the Windows registry work?

Software and program settings, Windows default settings, Operating System Configure, Hardware Configure, Control Panel Settings, etc. are installed in Windows Registry. Whenever we load software or a program in Windows, all its database information goes to the Windows registry.

For example, whenever software is installed in Windows, a subkey is created in the registry in which the location, version of that software, the technology to start it, some necessary settings, etc. are automatically stored.

Why is the Windows registry used?

  Windows Registry is used to store information and settings of software programs, which mainly include hardware devices, user preferences, operating system configurations, etc.

For example, when you install a new program, instructions and file references from a new set are automatically added to the registry, one specific location to the program and to another that interacts with them, so that they can refer to other things for more information, such as where the files are located, which options to use in the program, etc.

Why is Windows registry cleaning important?

When your computer starts running slowly and hangs on the go, then understand that you need to clean the registry of Windows. There are already thousands of entries in our Windows registry, and new entries are made every day. When these entries become more than necessary, it affects our PC.

The biggest problem with Windows is that whenever we uninstall software, all the registries related to that software do not come out automatically. You can clean an uninstalled program’s registry manually, but if you clean the wrong registry, it can have an impact on Windows’ functions. For manual cleanup:

Open the registry editor, then follow the path Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software, identify the uninstalled program’s registry, and delete it.

Otherwise, you can take advantage of third-party tools like Ccleaner.  

How do I view the Windows registry?

To view the Windows Registry, first open the Run box by pressing Windows +R key. The Run dialog box will open. After that, type regedit in it and press enter key. Now you will see all the registry entries for Windows. In this case, all the data is in tree format.

  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: This key contains information or application information to work with.
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It contains all the settings of the current user.
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: It contains important information about the computer, including its software and hardware.
  • HKEY_USERS: It contains information about all current active users.
  • HKEY_CURENT_CONFIG: It contains information about the existing hardware of the local computer system.

Read Also: Fix INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE BSOD Error in Windows 11 [Solved]

conclusion

In this article, we have tried to tell you about what the Windows registry is, how it works, why it is needed, why it needs to be cleaned, etc.  However, we have tried to tell you everything about the Windows registry in this post. If you liked my article, what is Windows Registry, or you have learned something from it, then please share this post on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

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