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Registry Toolkit

A Smarter Fixer-Upper

If you do a lot of Registry editing, you've probably discovered some of the weaknesses of Windows' own Registry Editor: For starters, it's slow, it can't search and replace, and it has no undo option. TorchSoft's Registry Workshop program takes up a minimum of system resources and can perform blindingly fast searches. It also compares Registry files, and offers multiple undo and redo. Registry Workshop sports a toolbar, and it can open multiple local Registry files in a tabbed interface for drag-and-drop key editing. Sure, it's priced at $30 for a single computer, but for anyone who spends a lot of time futzing around with Registry settings, the program is well worth it.

Wash 'n' Rinse

Many utilities claim to remove obsolete Registry settings left by uninstalled programs: incorrect paths, unused file extensions, broken shortcuts, and other dead ends. The better Registry tools create backups ("cleaning" these system settings is risky). Even so, I avoid the commercial versions of such Registry utilities because all of my key-cleaning needs are met by a friendly freeware equivalent called CCleaner.

The program scans your PC's Registry for the usual unusual suspects and gives you the option to make a backup before cleaning out the gunk. While there isn't an option for restoring the deleted items, the backup is a simple .reg file; double-click it to bring back your deleted Registry keys.

CCleaner ventures way beyond Registry cleaning, however; the tool also finds and clears all of your Windows temporary files, and it sweeps away your browser or Start menu Run histories, cookies, and more. The program also runs application uninstallers and deletes orphaned uninstall entries. And it lets you select which types of files to cleanse and/or shows you a list of the files that will be deleted, before the fact.

Free and Easy Backups

Registry backups are insurance against a PC's going splat, and they give you protection from problems that may stem from alterations made to your system's Registry when you installed or even used other software.

Such backups in Windows 2000 and XP are easy to create with ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT). Just tell the tool where to put the backup and whether to back up more than the current user's settings. You can set the utility to create a backup each time you start Windows, so you don't have to remember to do this chore yourself. Every backup folder includes an equally simple restore program. Last but not least, ERUNT comes with the NT Registry Optimizer, which improves your system's performance by removing fragmented sections that can develop as you install and uninstall applications over time. Both of the programs are absolutely free.

Track Your Registry Changes

If you'd Like to know about Registry changes that are happening behind the scenes, Sysinternals' Regmon has the answers, in terrifying detail. The free tool's main window identifies which Registry key has changed, when it changed, the process (software) that changed it, and the text of the change (among other things). Only advanced users will understand all of the information Regmon provides, but others can set the filtering options to limit the program's reports to information they understand or need. For example, to monitor changes to the applications that start with Windows, choose Options, Filter/Highlight. In the Include box, type HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run; HKEY_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (these are the two most common locations where apps hide their startup commands). Or in the tool's Exclude box, you can enter the paths to keys whose changes you'd rather ignore (for example, HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer).