From the day we first start up our new computers, we have a job on our hands trying to keep it running fast and smoothly. Something we all know will slow down the computer and maybe even disable it are the parasites we know as viruses and spyware.

Beyond simply slowing down a computer, the wrong kind of spyware will read personal information, like social security numbers and banking information right out of the computer’s onboard memory. Fortunately, everyone is aware of this and so just about everyone uses a spyware cleaner periodically.

If you don’t have a top-notch virus/spyware scanner installed on your computer, you really ought to take care of this situation right away because spyware and viruses can cause great harm to you and your finances!

A Corrupt Registry

While viruses and spyware may be on the top of our list of worst computer outlaws, there is one more thing that threatens our computer’s ability to function with any amount of speed and efficiency.

It is registry corruption and though a lot of folks are not yet familiar with it, it can be very damaging to a computer’s capability to function. Registry corruption is known for making a once speedy computer about as functional as a doorstop. So, a computer that is virus and spyware free and is still operating somewhere between sluggish and brain dead, probably has corruption present in its registry.

Stopping Registry Corruption

There is literally no way to prevent registry corruption. The old adage is corruption comes from deleted programs. Though this may have been true a couple of years ago, it isn’t true of the enormous operating systems we all now use. It take a lot more effort to keep corruption from forming in Windows XP and Vista registries than it did in older registries.

With today’s huge file systems and the enormous amount of temporary files that get stored on hard drives as we surf the Net, registry corruption is inevitable. It takes no abusive action on a computer operator’s part to corrupt a registry.

Dealing With a Corrupt Registry

There are free registry scans available so it is easy to find out if it is registry corruption that is taking the spring out of your computer’s step. Of course, you will have to purchase a registry cleaner if it turns out there is a lot of corruption present. This is a small price to pay to get the old computer speed and performance back again.

Once again, don’t overlook the importance of checking your computer for registry corruption. It is true corruption in the registry does not have the capability of causing your identity to be stolen like spyware does. However, enough corruption in the registry can make it so one day your computer may suffer a crash it will not be able to recover from. I have seen this happen on more than one occasion!