User's Manual

Cleaning the Registry
In the following chapters, you will find out how you can use the TuneUp Registry Cleaner module to clean the
registry and why it is important to do so.
All modifications to your system will be monitored by TuneUp Rescue Center and can be undone if
necessary.
Introduction
The registry is the heart of a Windows system. It is where Windows continuously stores entries (values and keys).
In addition, each newly installed program and every newly connected hardware item is entered in the registry
where it records keys and values. When you start up a program, Windows does not call up this program directly.
Instead it opens the program using a key in the registry, which was created there when the program was
installed. This entry must also be deleted from the registry when the program is uninstalled since it is no longer
required. It is often the case, however, that Windows does not delete these entries properly, which is why a great
many invalid entries build up over time.
These entries are not just created when programs are installed, but also during many other tasks. For example,
the history list of recently used documents in the Start menu works using the entries in the registry. These ref-
erences become invalid when you move or delete a document. Since Windows does not clean the registry reg-
ularly, we recommend you do it yourself with TuneUp Registry Cleaner.
By cleaning your registry regularly your whole system and all your programs will be more stable. This is why this
is one of the functions that TuneUp Utilities can also run regularly as part of the Automatic Maintenance.
Before cleanup can take place, the registry must be checked for problems. You can either fix these all at once or
individually.
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