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Even when you
have the services of an excellent Windows registry cleaner at your disposal, it
is nonetheless of the utmost importance that you understand what that registry
cleaner is doing to your computer. In order to get the maximum effective use out
of your registry cleaner, it helps greatly to know a bit of the vocabulary used
in building and editing your Windows registry.
The following
are definitions of 11 basic terms you’ll want to know to before you start
messing with your registry so that you can conduct proper and effective registry
cleaning and repairs.
Active X
Objects: These are visual controls that web pages and software programs use
to share and reuse various common functionalities. Using something called COM
technology, a web browser can automatically download, install, and execute
Active X components onto your computer. A familiar example of an Active X Object
is Macromedia Flash Player.
Content Type:
These are registry values that are stored in your Windows registry’s file
extension registry records for the purpose of enabling Internet Explorer to
properly handle any and all files it receives off the web.
Control Set:
This is a full set of all the configuration data Windows requires to start
any devices or system services. The registry always maintains at least 2 control
sets at all times - CURRENTCONTROLSET and LASTKNOWNGOODCONTROLSET. The
CurrentControlSet is the one used to start the system most recently. All the
designations for the system’s control sets are stored in the Select subkey.
DLL File:
Stands for Dynamic Linked Library. This is a code repository that stores all the
functions required for your computer to run each program installed. Upon
starting any program, it is to the DLL library that Windows refers in order to
load and execute the program file in question.
File
Extension Record: These are used to associate a specific file extension with
a particular piece of installed software. For example, a file with the extension
.DOC is usually read as a Microsoft Word document.
File System
Cache: This is a select area of your computer’s memory reserved for storing
frequently used pages, allowing for quicker and easier retrieval with less disk
activity.
File Type
Record: For every particular type of file, the file type record will specify
the name, its default icon, and the related shell commands. Each file type is
then referred to by the File Extension Record (explained above).
GUID:
This stands for Globally Unique Identifier and is an integer number made of
128-bits that is stored in the registry and 100% guaranteed to be unique
throughout the entire world.
Hives:
These are the fundamental divisions for all information contained in the Windows
registry, and comprise its essential organizational structure. Hives are
sections into which all registry Keys and Values (see below) are logically
organized.
Key: One
of the two primary components of a Windows registry, a Key is any folder that
shows up in the left portion of the window. A Key may contain one or more
Subkeys as well as entries. An example of a Key and its sub keys is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows. The words in ALL CAPS comprise
the Key, and those that follow are its Subkeys.
Values:
The other primary component of a Windows registry. Stored with the keys are
name-data pairs known as Values. Values are referenced independently of keys
and separately from them.
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