In laymen’s terms, a Windows Registry is a centralized database used in Microsoft Windows 9x, Windows CE, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 to store settings and options for the operating system. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the PC.

The Registry contains information that Windows refers back to again and again as you use your computer, referencing profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports that are being used.

It is important to keep your Registry clean and the only way to do this is to run a registry clean program, one specifically for the windows registry. A registry fix will identify and remedy any problems in your windows registry by removing the little bits of information that are left behind every time you have a failed installation or receive error messages when you add/update software on your computer.