Every version of Microsoft Windows has what's called a registry. This is a library on the computer where all program entries and logs of installation and removal are stored. Windows XP is no exception, and the XP registry is a very good example of a stable registry system. Older versions were prone to accidents, and failures which made them unreliable at times.

The registry itself can be damaged by a multitude of malicious software programs, and can also degrade due to lack of maintenance. Most people should run their spyware, malware, and virus scans at least once a month followed by a registry cleaner. This keeps the machine clean, clutter free, and in good working order. The windows XP registry is no exception to this recommendation either.

No matter how good the registry system is, if it's neglected by the user it will eventually break down. The registry on Windows Vista and Windows 7 are very similar to the model on XP but with a few changes. On Windows Vista they tried to make the operating system completely automated in its routine maintenance so you'd never have to bother with it. This proved more troublesome than helpful as many users liked doing this on their own.

The registry on Vista was also extremely hard to work on in the event of an accident, or program failure. Every time you would try to modify something it would constantly pop up either asking you if you meant to do this, or telling you that you don't have permission to do this. In order to get permission you had to be logged on as an administrator which is nothing new. However in some cases even when you were logged on as administrator it still would not let you make the changes.

This was resolved for the most part in later service packs but it's still a very hard system to work on. Compared to the Vista registry, the XP registry was very easy going and very user friendly. You could add fixes, change values, and even modify complex strings with just a few mouse clicks and key strokes. Windows 7's registry is much similar to Vista's, but with the ease of access of XP's.

Windows 7 was primarily developed to replace Windows Vista which many including Microsoft themselves were very disappointed in. In trying to make the next best thing they ended up making an operating system that was completely idiot proof. Unfortunately it did this by cutting the control available to the user. So in essence Vista was a big brother type of operating system, always watching, and reminding you of what you shouldn't do.

Fortunately we're moving on from Vista, however many people are still using XP and will continue to do so for a while before upgrading to Windows 7. For some it's fear, for others it's simply taking their time and watching what happens, and finally some people just like their Windows XP based systems. Aside from the XP registry the system did have some flaws, but it did get the job done and wasn't as big of a resource hog as Vista. This is perhaps why over 70% of business's still use it to date. If you are one of those businesses, and you are experiencing problems with the registry, you may benefit from an XP Registry Cleaner.