Ever windows computer today has what's called a registry.
This is a database of your computer's settings containing personal settings, setting for hardware, and most software that isn't related directly to the operating system.
This registry is divided up into what are called registry keys.
Think of a registry key as a folder that holds vital information.
Each key may have sub-folders referred to as subkeys.
These are the individual keys that will hold the system settings or paths to programs and applications.
If you want to see the registry keys, click START then RUN and type in regedit into the box.
After hitting OK, this will open up the registry editor showing you the keys.
Why is this important to the average user? Many expert users can edit and use the registry to fix problems or even customize applications and settings.
The average and novice users don't have the technical know how to edit this information.
But it's still important to the average user.
-Registry errors can cause your computer to slow down and even freeze up.
As these errors build up the system may respond slower and slower.
-Some malicious software like spyware can embed themselves into the registry and need to be removed to keep the computer safe.
The average user can use a program called a registry cleaner.
This can scan the computer and find any of these errors that need to be taken care of and fix them for you.
There is no need to be an expert to make sure the computer's registry stay error-free and can keep things like spyware away.
If you haven't done a registry scan, it's a good idea to do so soon.