The registry is the heart of Windows, a space that contains all the references to the general configurations of the operating system and is where the customizations and values of each option contained in the various programs are stored. When you open Internet Explorer, for example, and edit an option from a drop-down menu or by checking, you also edit a registry key. In many blogs and also on Navigaweb.net, when we talk about tweaks and tricks to optimize the system, we often end up getting our hands on the registry keys. This is because, each trick, nothing else is that, the activation or modification of a specific function that on Windows it is not possible to change from the graphical interface. For those who manage Windows computers but also for the more curious and geeks, we see some of the best programs for the registry, to modify the keys, to make a security backup and to defragment and compact the registry .
First of all, it is necessary to underline the importance of registry keys in Windows therefore, when you get hand to modify something, you must pay absolutely attention because every change is received immediately, without having to receive confirmation warnings or click on Save . If the change was made incorrectly or important registry keys were deleted, the stability of Windows itself is risked and may no longer work.
Fortunately, after a change, the changes will take effect, almost always, only when the computer is restarted. If you have a little experience, if you work in the IT field or if you change registry keys only by following your trusted guides (like this blog), then let's say that you can do everything but you must always have a backup for security in order to restore any errors.
To open the registry key editor, go to the Start menu and write the regedit command in the Run or Search box.
The Windows registry editor is really difficult to understand and use even for expert users. In general, you navigate the routes indicated by the guides and do not touch anything else.
NOTE: In Windows 10 the registry editor has improved and allows, from the top bar, to quickly paste the path of a key, which is very useful when you find a guide asking to change a certain key.
In order to have a registry editor that is easier to use and with which you can find out much better, you can download two similar programs .
1) O&O RegEditor has an interface similar to that of the Windows Registry Editor, but has greater ease of access to the functions for the quick search of any entry, to copy and paste keys and values, to keep track of changes and export keys as XML files.
2) Registrar Registry Manager that in lite version can be downloaded and used for free.
This program is perhaps the best registry editor that can be found because it is complete with functions that will make those who work as a systems engineer happy.
The graphical interface is easy to use and you navigate through the paths as if they were Windows folders .
The most important functions are those to search for a specific registry key (which is really bad in regedit) and the possibility to put a bookmark on the keys that you want to remember, without having to look for them every time.
The keys can be rewritten, added strings, deleted and edited dword and .reg values, with simplicity, in the values
There are also functions to act on the permissions and take possession of those protected and non-modifiable keys and the entire registry can be backed up and restored .
3) To backup the registry keys, in addition to the methods indicated, you can also use a program called ERUNT .
This tiny software does only one thing, backing up your entire registry. It also provides a small .exe file that allows for immediate recovery. Before experimenting and modifying registry keys, making a backup with ERUNT is absolutely recommended.
Another excellent program for backing up and restoring Windows registry keys is Tweaking.com Registry Backup
4) After saving the registry keys, it may be interesting, if you have this need, to see their contents.
You can then use Windows Registry Recovery which is only used to read the contents of the registry and to extract a lot of information on the PC.
5) The Eusing Registry Defrag program, which allows you to defragment registry keys and, on the whole to optimize the Windows system, is to be avoided. Defragmenting means putting all the data close together and allows you to recover some space and memory. Most IT experts advise against the defrag of registry keys and therefore also this type of program.
6) Registry Tweaker is a program that allows you to make changes to the registry, without changing the keys by hand but enabling or disabling the hidden functions in Windows. The difficulty in using it lies only in the English language, otherwise every modification is described as in an encyclopedia, with all the details of the case.
7) When we talk about registry keys on the internet we often mention programs to optimize Windows and delete obsolete keys, those that refer to files that no longer exist.
Like Registry Cleaner there are programs similar to CCleaner to clean the Windows registry, described on another page.
In addition, Easus Registry Cleaner can be named here.
Finally, I remember the article on Windows registry keys to correct errors and improve performance
