Windows XP is a pretty robust operating system, and is much better than its predecessors. Many people are still using XP despite newer versions of Windows like Vista and Windows 7 being available. However, there are times when you will need to perform a registry repair on Windows XP.

As a start, let me briefly explain what the Windows registry is. Windows registry is a central database of operating system and other user-related and software settings. It is constantly accessed and modified by the operating system and is crucial to the stability and performance of the entire computer system. So it needs to be in tip-top condition all the time.

The registry can get corrupted over time by software that are not developed properly, by virus or spyware attacks and even general use. People used to wipe or format their hard disks and reinstall Windows to fix registry problems but nowadays it's much easier.

A type of software called registry cleaners can scan the entire registry, which can grow to be a huge database, and look for problems. After finding the problems, it will perform a registry repair. This means that wrong information is fixed, obsolete information removed in order to prevent conflicts, and other general optimizations are done. There's no need to put up with errors and substandard computer performances any longer after the errors are fixed by the registry cleaner.

It's a common misconception that once this is done, the computer will perform well all the time in future. There's actually a need to do periodic registry repairs and maintenance. This is where the true usefulness of a registry cleaner software comes in. It makes it fast and convenient to perform the registry maintenance and repairs by automating the work, so all you need to do is to click. There are however many such software around, so be sure to use a good one for best results.