If you suffer from a slow running PC, you know how frustrating it can be. There are several possibilities as to why your computer is not performing to its full potential. Many times, the cause of a slow PC is an overloaded or junk-filled registry.

Computers running the Windows operating system have what’s called a “registry,” which is essentially a database that contains files for just about everything that happens on your computer, from websites you’ve visited to leftover apps. Many of these files are completely unnecessary to have in your registry, and an overload of these files will slow down your computer. When your registry is clogged with too many entries, your computer has to process more information, which slows down the processing speed, leading to sluggish performance and even freezing of your computer.

This common problem can be fixed by removing junk files from your registry. If you have a good antivirus program installed, run it and it will tell you if you have any malicious files. If you have malicious files, you should go to your Control Panel and uninstall them. Sometimes removing only the malicious ones doesn’t speed up your PC to its full potential. To optimize your computer, you should get a registry scan that will tell you which files are unnecessary and need to be removed. It catches things that an antivirus doesn’t detect, like leftover software apps from an uninstalled program. The registry software also flags any errors that are causing your computer to take longer to process. This is a common issue among a clogged registry, and is essentially to clear these speed-killing errors.

You can get a free registry scan from most registry software companies, which will tell you how healthy your registry is. Reputable registry cleaners tell you which caches and applications need to be removed. Some advanced programs also include features that allow you to avoid problems that can arise from a clogged registry, such as an automatic scanning scheduler so you can clean your registry regularly.

The last step is to run a reliable registry cleaning software that will identify all the files that can be removed to optimize the speed of your PC. Make sure any software you choose has a backup option to ensure your files are backed up in case something goes wrong during the cleanup. You should go for a top-rated software that has a customer support option and is easy to use.