How To Clean Registry Using CCleaner

Posted by dkszone on June 7, 2010

The most common reason for Windows PC slowing down is a messed up or bloated registry. Whenever you uninstall programs using the Windows uninstaller, some registry entries such as unused file associations are left over.

In order to keep your registry clean, you should uninstall programs using a good uninstaller such as Revo, uberstaller, Absolute uninstaller, etc. Or you should clean up your registry from time to time using a registry cleaner. Here are the steps to clean registry using CCleaner, a popular freeware registry cleaner.

1. Download and install CCleaner (download link at end of post). During the installation, uncheck the option ‘Add CCleaner Yahoo! Toolbar and use CCleaner from your browser’ before you hit ‘Install’ button.

We are tired of seeing so called free toolbars which hijack your browser and change the default search engine. There is even a free tool that lets you easily uninstall and remove the Ask Toolbar, the most peskiest of all.

clean_registry_ccleaner_install

2. Launch CCleaner after installation and click ‘Registry’ in the left panel. By default all items under the ‘Registry Integrity’ are checked. If you like to exclude any of the registry scans, then uncheck the option before hitting the ‘Scan for Issues’ button.

registry_cleaner_ccleaner_scan

3. Depending on your PC usage, registry scan may take a while. Once done, click ‘Fix selected issues…’.

ccleaner_registry_cleaner_fix_registry_errors

4. You will now be prompted to take a backup of the registry. Upon clicking Yes, CCleaner opens the Save as dialog, prompting you to save the registry file (.reg). Click No to skip this step.

backup_registry_ccleaner While keeping registry backup is recommended, you can turn this message off and stop it from further appearing by going to the Options tab. Click on ‘Advanced’, and then uncheck the option ‘Show prompt to backup registry issues’. All changes to settings are saved in real time, automatically. Ccleaner_disable_registry_backup_message

5. In the next step, a pop up window shows the first registry error, and allows you to fix each of the errors one by one. Click ‘Fix All Selected Issues’ to fix all of them at once. Click Close.

fix_registry_errors_ccleaner

Your PC is now ridden of any registry issues and will become faster in performance. Repeat the steps above every now and then to stop your Computer from slowing down.

Speed up your PC in other ways by fixing memory leaks, fixing slow startup, enabling readyboost in Windows 7/Vista, turning off taskbar thumbnails in Windows 7.

Download CCleaner

CCleaner works with Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.