Windows registry is a vital part of your operating system and can be easily cluttered if not kept in check. To keep your registry clean and organized, make sure to follow these tips:

  1. Group key and subkey entries into five main categories called hives.
  2. Keep track of the date and time when each entry was created.
  3. Maintain a copy of your Windows registry on a separate hard drive or computer so you can easily restore it if needed.
  4. Use an online registry editor to help you keep track of your registry changes and updates.

The shocking reality is that your computer’s performance will not suffer if you never manage the registry. Other basic hygiene habits, including getting rid of bloatware, making disk space available, and stopping unwanted apps, are significantly more efficient ways to boost your PC’s performance.

Ways to Clean Windows Registry Safely

Open Registry Editor

PowerShell allows you to run a large number of shells commands, some of them need administrative rights.

You must start Windows PowerShell as an administrator or an elevated Windows PowerShell if you want to use it to manage the computer.

Create a registry backup

On the Export dialog box, click the Format tab, and then select Microsoft Word. In the File Name field, type a name for your document, such as “My First Report.” In the Save As field, type a file name for your document. Click Save. ..

Save your backup file to the following location:

Clean up Program and application registry entries

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE ..

Delete the entries for the “Windows Update” subkey in the “Software” section of the Windows Registry.

To minimize the software and user interface on your computer, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Windows Start menu and click on “Software.”
  2. Click on “User Interface.”
  3. Click on “Minimize all.” ..

Double-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then double-click SOFTWARE. These are subkeys associated with applications installed under all user accounts on the computer.

Delete any uninstalled programs associated with the subkey. ..

Clean up Invalid shared DLLs

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon This will expand to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and the location where Windows is running.

Shared DLL key contains hundreds of entries with DWORD values. The name of these entries is the location/path of the file. For Checks if it’s an invalid entry, see if the location/path is correct. ..

You can correct the path of these Appetizer by deleting it.

Final Words

Windows registry is a system database that stores settings and preferences for your computer. It can become cluttered over time, which can lead to problems with your computer’s performance. You can clean your Windows registry using Windows tools as well as some third-party applications. Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 support these techniques. ..