Registry Checker Utility

Registry checker is a Windows built-in tool that has the capability of protecting the Windows operating system’sregistry from registry corruption. Registry checker was available in earlier versions of Windows. It has been replaced, as of Windows XP, with a System File Checker, otherwise known as SFC.

One of the problems with registry checker was that it did not upgrade. So, after Windows upgraded the operating system by running Windows Update, running registry checker would overwrite many of the upgraded files with the original ones. In other words, the upgrade would be nullified by registry checker.

SFC has replaced Registry Checker

SFC is a newer version of registry checker and it has made improvements over the original version. It does not have the problem of overwriting upgraded files. However, SFC is a command line utility. This means many everyday computer users are not comfortable using it. This is understandable. To further complicate matters, SFC simply finds problems with the registry but it leaves repairing them up to the user.

Using SFC

Up on boot up, Windows makes a copy of all the files that were successfully loaded up. When SFC finds problems in the registry, it is up to the user to find the files that were successfully backed up on the last computer boot up and use these files to replace the bad ones SFC has found.

SFC is run in the command line by using the command SFC/scannow. This scan is very useful if there are no problems with the registry. For instance, if your computer is running slowly and you’re trying to find out why it is, running SFC will tell you whether or not there are problems in the registry. If there aren’t, you’ll know it is not registry corruption responsible for slowing down your computer. However, if SFC does turn up problems, it can be a somewhat awkward and arduous task to repair these files.

Registry Cleaners to the Rescue

It is for this reason most people prefer to use a registry cleaner instead of using SFC or registry checker. A registry cleaner will scan registry files just as SFC well. However, if problems are turned up it will repair these problems as well. More impressively, it does all this in just a few minutes.

The downside to a registry cleaner is that it is not built-in, so it cost money. However the price is, I feel, very reasonable. Moreover, if you are not sure whether or not you need a registry cleaner, you can get a free scan with your choice from many good registry cleaners. In this way you will see whether or not you need to purchase one or look elsewhere for the problem with your Windows operating system.

More times than not, when a computer is running very slowly, is giving error messages, freezing or crashing, there is registry corruption behind it. Also, more times than not, when registry corruption is cleaned out of the registry, the PC will return to working great!

By Ed Lathrop