Archive for October, 2009

How to Fix Windows Registry Errors

If you start getting weird error system messages or security messages on your Windows machine and you don’t understand what the problem is, the first thing you need to ask yourself is “how do I fix Windows registry errors?“. Most of those strange messages are related with the Windows Registry, and you need to fix it as soon as possible before losing your computer data.

While some may believe that by ignoring the problem that it will eventually get fixed on its own, this is not a wise decision as these registry errors are found in the deepest root of your computer, and therefore, they tend to get worse, much worse in fact if they’re not taken care of.

The Windows registry on your computer is responsible for storing information that is critical to your computer’s operations. When you make any changes like downloading a new software program, the Windows registry saves and remembers it for the future. Also, when you uninstall or install software, again these actions are recorded in the Registry.

Some of the more common Windows registry errors that you’ll encounter are:

  1. runtime error,
  2. DLL error,
  3. ActiveX error,
  4. Windows Explorer error,
  5. System 32 error,
  6. iExplore or
  7. iExplorer Error,
  8. Windows Installer Error
  9. Access Violation

 
You’ll want to immediately fix these Windows registry errors to prevent you computer from dramatically slowing down, or even worse lose your data.

Because the registry is so critical, it is also one of the main areas in which a lot of malware and viruses target. It is important to keep it clean in order for you computer to run at its best.

There are two methods to fix windows registry errors: an Automatic Method (Recommended) and a Manual Method. The Automatic method requires you to use a Registry Cleaner tool. In order to find a registry cleaner to fix your Windows registry errors, you can either go down to your local computer store, or you can go online and search for one there. You should read any and all reviews to find one that will perform the task on its own, without you having to do anything other than install it.

You’ll be able to find all sorts of free registry cleaners from sites like download.com, but in order to get a completely clean registry, you will need to buy one. Make sure that the registry cleaners you choose can work with your operating system. Some have specific operating systems that they will work for.

Fixing Windows Registry Automatically:

This is the recommended way to fix your Windows Registry errors with no hassles at all. You need to use a trusted Registry Cleaner program, such as RegCure Registry Cleaner from ParetoLogic. This is the software I use personally to keep my windows machines (both Vista and XP) in top shape and speed. I run it once every 2-3 weeks and has been a very valuable tool for me. It has also a registry-backup feature which I always use to be on the safe site. You can go ahead and download RegCure Registry Cleaner below and perform a free scan to verify its capabilities by yourself.

regcure free scan download

Fixing Windows Registry Manually:

One way to fix Windows registry errors, which most people don’t even know about, is to do a ‘system restore’. This is a manual method and is not guaranteed to work all the times. I highly recommend the Automatic method above.

  1. Go to your start menu, and then open up your program files.
  2. Scroll until you find the ‘accessories’ option, then click to open, where you should find the ‘systems tools’.
  3. Click on ‘systems tools’ and a screen will appear asking you if you want to go back to a restore point on your computer.
  4. You can view a calendar with all the different restore points that your computer creates.
  5. Click on a date that you know was before you developed the registry errors. It will then restore you computer to that point in time, hopefully, eliminating the error.

You won’t lose any saved documents or files in this process.

Some other excellent cleaner tools to fix Windows registry errors are
Registry Mechanic, Registry Easy and Registry Cleaner and Optimizer. All these, plus most others that you’ll find will usually come in free and paid additions. All of these Windows registry cleaners are easily installed, and after installation you can run them and just simply follow the prompts.

Spyware has become a problem that affects almost everyone that owns a computer at one time or another. It can not only be a very big annoyance, but it can also lead to bigger problems like losing all your stored information on your computer and even lead to identity theft. When a malicious virus is inadvertently downloaded or installed on your system, it can scan your computer for such things as your credit card numbers, banking information, passwords and other personal information.

The positive out of all this is that although the spyware threat is on the rise all over the world, so are the people that build these antivirus and antispyware software programs that are designed to help you not only fix current problems, but also help prevent further attacks on your system. Here are the top 3 free antivirus and antispyware tools that are available today, in my opinion.

  • Avast antivirus (Free Home Edition) is one of the best, free antivirus software programs on the market today. It provides all the strengths and protection of almost any paid software product. It can protect you computer along with the network because it has multiple shields that scan not only your files, but also any executables as well.You have the ability to set your own parameters for a custom scan. You can also adjust the security sensitivity level which is good when downloading files, emails and a lot of P2P’s. The updates are also a neat little feature as it will speak to you telling you that your system has been updated. With the Avast antivirus and antispyware tool, it will tend to slow down your system somewhat, but it usually isn’t enough to deter people from using it.
  • Ad-Aware is one of the most popular and trusted antivirus and antispyware software programs. However, the Free edition is only an anti-spyware program, not an antivirus. Although you can upgrade to a paid version that has more bells and whistles and provides also antivirus functionality, the free version will do nicely to start with. You won’t have as many options such as custom scheduled scanning, but there’s no skimping on the quality of its adware defense.You will also have access to all the updates for the software, just the same as a paid user. You get two options for scans; a smart scan or a full scan. The smart scan only focuses on the critical areas of your system. A full scan will take longer, but it will also do a more thorough job. You may need to disable or remove other programs such as the Alexa tool bar in order for Ad-Aware to install properly.
  • Although AVG Antivirus free edition only offers the basics, it is very capable of giving you complete protection for your system. It comes with a real time shield, a link scanner and also an antivirus and anti malware packaged together. This program is scheduled to run automatic searches for viruses and spyware, and you can also set your own scheduled scans. It won’t slow down system like others tend to do, and with its brand new interface, it’s easier then ever, for anyone, to navigate around.
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