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How Do I Clean the Registry?

Q: How do I clean the Registry in Windows 2000?

A: Whether you're sprucing up the Registry simply to reclaim a few megabytes on your hard drive, or suspect that an application's weird behavior lies in some screwed-up entries, you should know how to maintain this crucial component of Windows 2000.

First, the usual disclaimer: Always back up the Registry before messing with it. The simplest way to do this is to launch Backup by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup. Then stick a floppy into the PC's drive and click the Emergency Repair Disk button, and check the box "Also back up the Registry to the repair directory." (You're killing two birds with one stone here, since you should have a repair disk handy anyway.)

Commercial maintenance suites like Norton SystemWorks include Registry cleaners, but you can skip the expense and download Microsoft's RegClean instead. The current version (4.1a) works fine with Windows 2000. After you unzip the download, run regclean.exe, wait until it's finished, and click the Fix button. That's it.