Watch out for software that edits the registry!!!

At Southern Cross we have had to fix a number of  ”broken” registries. And while we are getting very good at it, prevention is always better than cure so please read on.

At the heart of every Windows PC is a database which contains information and settings for hardware, software, and user settings. This database is called the registry. When you change your desktop background picture it is logged in the registry….when you install a new piece of software it gets logged in the registry. Basically the registry contains all the information that your computer needs to operate.

Think of the Registry as the heart of Windows, just like a real heart it has to be kept healthy and there is plenty of software to do this. Ccleaner, SpeedUpMyPC 2009, RegistryBooster 2009, are all examples. Also if a virus or mal-ware gets into the registry it can cripple your PC. Software like Hijack This & Adaware are designed to protect against this by “locking” the registry.

There is however a side effect to all of this software! The more that the registry is changed/altered the greater the chance that it is corrupted! Please do not use any of this software to edit, lock or clean the registry unless you know exactly what you are doing and have made a complete backup of your computer first!

The Registry can also be broken whenever any software is installed or un-installed. While this is a very rare occurrence it is much more likely when installing/un-installing antivirus and firewall software so it is recommended that you perform a backup before you do this.

If you have a broken registry (see symptoms below) please do not attempt to fix it yourself as you are likely to cause more damage & lose data. Please contact us and we will perform a “registry transplant” or recover your data.

Symptoms of a broken registry:

  • Your Computer starts to boot windows, you see the logo and the green loading bar but then the machine reboots or stops.
  • At start-up your Computer Says “Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\[file]” or “Windows failed to load because the system registry file is missing, or corrupt.”
  • You cannot install/un-install software
  • You regularly get a Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) when booting up your computer
  • Your computer always runs “CHKDSK” when booting up