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Know the Signs...

For out of the box computer performance, a clean and repaired system registry is essential. Any of the followings common problems are very likely to be related to an obsolete, damaged or corrupt registry file (key or value):



  • Lost computer speed / slow PC performance – This is usually due to outdated, unused and left over data cluttering your registry and wasting your computer resources.
  • Computer freezing / system crashes / Windows errors - White screens and/or crashes are caused by 3rd party shell extensions.
  • Blue screen of death (aka blue screen, BSoD, stop error, blue screen of doom) – This is the result of Windows being unable to recover from a critical system error. Usually requires a reboot.
  • Access violation – This appears when an application tries to access storage that is not designated for it.
  • DLL/Shell errors – These errors are generated by missing or corrupt .dll files as a result of a badly removed, installed or uninstalled program.
  • .exe errors – These errors appear at a system or a program start up due to obsolete files in the Windows registry.
  • General protection fault – This occurs when a running program violates the hardware rules.
  • ActiveX error – This is caused by browser settings and misconfigured system files.
  • System32 errors – This is often caused by missing or corrupt system files.
  • Windows Explorer errors – These errors can be generated by a dirty and cluttered registry forcing Explorer in a loop process.
  • Runtime errors – These errors occur during the execution of a program.

All these common problems negatively affect computer performance, speed and stability. Maintaining a clean registry and fixing all these common errors, eating away at your computer resources, is not only time-consuming, but also requires expert knowledge of the Windows system. However, it doesn’t need to be that complicated. With a few simple clicks and in only a matter of seconds, NetDuster will automatically scan, clean and fix any of the above problems, making your PC clean, tuned up and fast. Try NetDuster for Free!

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What is the Windows Registry?

The Windows registry is basically a system dependant registration database (hierarchical database), an essential element of any Windows operating system. It is used by the operating system and other software to store a wide range of data, settings and configurations regarding the users, the system and its components. Whenever a new piece of hardware or software is installed, uninstalled or modified, the new configurations are updated and stored into the registry. Windows continually references to this file during its operation, from the moment you start it up to its shutdown. This allows Windows, each time it boots up, to retrieve and load the configurations from the registry, to know which driver needs to be loaded and what settings need to be applied for any specific computer hardware or software.

The registry hierarchal structure is similar with the directory/file structure (tree structure) on the hard disk. Each branch is called a hive or main key (HKey) and can contain other subkeys, which in turn contain values. The data is stored in the lowest level element of the registry. The registry entries can take different formats such as, but not limited to: string, binary, dword (double word), integer types.

There are six main keys / subtrees (five in Windows 2000, Windows XP and Vista) each one of them containing a specific portion of the information stored in the registry. Note also that, because the registry stores data about the hardware and software installed on and available to your computer, much of the registry is very specific to the computer and its current configuration.

  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR): contains information about applications, such as file associations and OLE Object Class IDs and their connection with the applications used to handle them. It is built as a collection of HKCU\Software\Classes entries appending HKLM\Software\Classes entries.
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU): it’s basically a shortcut to the part of HKEY_USERS referring to the current user.
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM): incorporates data about all of the hardware and software installed on the computer. Due to the fact that you can specify different hardware configurations, the current configuration is stored in HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG.
  • HKEY_USERS (HKU): stores user preferences (such as colors and control panel settings) for any individual user of the computer. It also contains a starting template for the new users.
  • HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC): shortcut to the current hardware configuration part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
  • HKEY_DYN_DATA: points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE storing information for the Windows' Plug-&-Play subsystem. (Windows 95/98/Me only)



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