Introduction

WinZip Registry Optimizer is a Registry maintenance program for tuning up your Registry with utmost care. A more organized and an error-free Registry has a deep impact on the system performance. WinZip Registry Optimizer is so designed to clean up your Registry from all the invalid and obsolete entries which accumulate with constant usage in a very smart and effective manner.

Why does Registry need optimization?

Registry is the Windows database containing all the information regarding the applications installed on the system and the settings of the operating system Registry is comprised of keys and values. Each key can have many sub-keys and each sub-key can have many sub-keys. The structure is hierarchical similar to the directories that exist on system. Values are the actual information stored in each key and sub-key. Obsolete and unwanted Registry entries start flooding the Registry with continuous system usage. Many a times we install some application and uninstall it later leaving the remnants behind, files are deleted but a blank Registry entry is still reflected. These invalid and out-of-use entries flood the Registry making it bulkier and adversely affecting the system access and response time and overall performance shows deterioration.

Registry is also encountered with the fragmentation problem. Random deletions and un-installations leave empty blocks in the Registry and these blank entries can hamper the smooth functioning of the Windows. Application crashes, system slowdown, unwanted prompts, system hangs, under-performance are the serious repercussions.

How can WinZip Registry Optimizer be of help?

The Windows inbuilt solution is the Registry Editor, but before using this complicated tool, a complete knowledge is recommended as any changes or deletions done without having a complete insight can be very harmful for the system.

WinZip Registry Optimizer is a one touch, least cumbersome and technically highly advanced software to bring in best out of your system worn out with time. WinZip Registry Optimizer promises a practical performance impetus without deception.

What can WinZip Registry Optimizer do?

• Optimize Registry in smart and invariably the simplest way.

• Repair and clean Registry from unwanted and invalid Registry entries.

• Defrag and optimize system Registry.

• Fix all the problems and create an error-free Registry.

• Relieve from application, system crashes and hang-ups encountered often.

• Prevent from the unwanted prompts appearing time and again.

• Improve system response time.

• Speed up system performance.
  

System Requirements

The program automatically adapts itself to the operating system on which it runs, so you do not require any manual settings. WinZip Registry Optimizer is made compatible to 64-bit Windows version also.

Recommended system configuration:

• Microsoft Windows Vista, XP and 2003, Windows 7 (both 32 bit and 64 bit).

• Graphics mode 800x600 with 16.7 m colors.

• 5 MB free hard disk space (an additional 10 MB is needed during installation only to accommodate the initial setup files).

• Intel Pentium or processor equivalent to industry standards with 500 MHz or above.

• 128 MB RAM.

• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Registry?

Registry is Windows database which stores all the information related to Windows applications and the settings supporting the operating system in the heirarchical structure. It comprises of keys, sub-keys and values. Each key comprises of values which store the actual information. Registry has to be well-organized and error-free to maintain proper functioning of the system.

What are the reasons which corrupt the Registry?

Registry is the central database of the system. Registry is fragmented when we delete or un-install some or the other programs leaving small empty blocks in the form of blank and invalid Registry entries. These entries are not automatically removed and remain in the Registry unless removed and interrupt with the proper functioning of the system thus degrading the performance. These unwanted and invalid Registry entries keep on accumulating and corrupt the Registry.

What does WinZip Registry Optimizer do?

WinZip Registry Optimizer analytically scans through the Registry and identifies the invalid Registry entries. After the scanning is complete, the scan results are displayed out of which you can select and remove the entries as per your discretion. Before the cleaning is done, WinZip Registry Optimizer creates a back-up of Registry such that you can refer to that in case you accidentally delete important data. Therefore, WinZip Registry Optimizer is the safest and the most dependable way to optimize your Registry.

How does WinZip Registry Optimizer positively affect the system?

WinZip Registry Optimizer is the best Registry Cleaner available in the market. It does the following to positively affect the system.

• Optimize Registry in smart and invariably the simplest way.

• Repair and clean Registry from unwanted and invalid Registry entries.

• Defrag and optimize system Registry.

• Fix all the problems and create an error-free Registry.

• Relieve from application, system crashes and hang-ups encountered often.

• Prevent from the unwanted prompts appearing time and again.

• Improve system response time.

• Speed up system performance.
  

I want to purchase the program. How will the product be delivered to me?

If your purchase of the product is successful, a confirmation email will be sent to you immediately, which will include the download link of the setup file and the registration key of the product.

If you have also selected the backup CD option while placing your order, it will be delivered to you within 7-10 business days.

I want to purchase the product. Will I get a download URL for that?

If your purchase of the product is successful, a confirmation email will be sent to you immediately, which will include the download link of the setup file and the registration key of the product.

You can also download the latest setup file of the product directly from the following link
http://download.winzip.com/wzro/wzregopt.exe

I have purchased and installed the product but it still says that I need to purchase it. Please elaborate on this.

You need to register the trial version of the product using the registration key you purchased. This will unlock the full functionality of the product.

What is the correct procedure of installation of the product?

Download the latest setup file of the product and then double click on it to start installation. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation. Now, register the product using the registration key which you purchased.

I have purchased the product, but I have lost the necessary information to install it?

In this case, please write to us with all your purchase details at support@winzip.com and we will provide you with the product.

I do not understand much about the Registry, what if I use this product and something goes wrong with my system ?

We have included sufficient amount of information in the documentation with this product and we have made this product simple to use, so you will be able to understand easily. And in case of any problem, you can reverse the changes made by this product using the 'Backup Registry' option and select the desired Registry backup and restore it. Your system will be back in the previous state.

I want to use the product, but will it be safe to delete the Registry entries?

WinZip Registry Optimizer is undoubtedly the safest way to optimize you Registry. We have made the product very secure and safe. Before the cleaning is done, WinZip Registry Optimizer creates a back-up of Registry such that you can refer to that in case you accidentally delete important data. A system restore point created in which Registry back up is taken and you can always revert to the previous state using the option Backup Registry.

How will I know about the updates for this program ?

We will keep you posted of the updates released. You can also write to us at support@winzip.com to get the updated version.

Copyright

WinZip Registry Optimizer is Copyright © 2011 WinZip International LLC. All rights reserved.

For further queries related to WinZip Registry Optimizer program contact us at support@winzip.com

Welcome Screen

The new interface of WinZip Registry Optimizer is designed for your convenience. The main screen with the new look has sections for Registry scanning, error reporting, and system summary. It tells you the number of registry errors found on previous scan, whether these corrupt entries are fixed, when was the last Registry Scan performed, Backup and Optimization were taken, and above all lets you to optimize system in a single click. The One Click Optimization feature enables you can scan, fix and optimize Registry in one go.

Actions that can be performed from the main screen includes:

• One Click Optimization
• System Status
• Scan and Fix Registry Now
• Registry Status

One Click Optimization

WinZip Registry Optimizer comes with a advanced registry cleaning and optimization mechanism. When you click on the 'One Click Optimization' button the program performs following tasks:

• Scans for error in the Registry as per the scan areas specified.
• Removes the invalid Registry entries found in the scan process.
• Finally, optimizes and compacts the size of registry.

System Status

System Status shows if any registry errors were detected on your system during last scan, including the status of the errors found, whether fixed or pending. Steps involved in scanning and optimizing Registry includes:

• Scans for error in the Registry as per the scan areas specified.
• Takes partial backup of the Registry i.e. backs up Registry areas which are brought under error list.
• Removes the invalid Registry entries found in the scan process.

Scan and Fix Registry Now

Click this option to start scanning process by activating the Scan Registry screen. This section cleans up and streamlines your Registry by finding and removing the invalid data references. On clicking the 'Scan and Fix Registry Now' button the tasks performed are:

• Scans for error in the Registry as per the scan areas specified.
• Takes partial backup of the Registry i.e. backs up Registry areas which are brought under error list.
• Removes the invalid Registry entries found in the scan process.

Registry Status

It further has a section Registry Status that inform you when the last Registry Scan, Backup and Optimization were taken. Your system summary report is contains:

• Last Registry Scan: Shows the date and time of last Registry scan performed on your system.
• Last Registry Backup: Shows the date and time of last Registry backup taken on your system (partial backup).
• Last Registry Optimized: Shows the date and time when Registry was last optimized on your system.

Scan and Fix Registry Errors

The Registry in which Windows and other applications store information can begin to hold data that is no longer valid on continual usage of the system. Such information points to a location on the hard drive where there was a file, but which no longer exists. There may be several reason behind these invalid Registry entries but such invalid links occur often because of programs uninstalled do not completely remove their registry entries, programs were not correctly uninstalled by the user, etc. These invalid data eventually begins to clutter your Registry, slowing Windows down and causing other possible problems.

Invalid links are common in system Registry, and is always a good practice to regularly clean them. The Scan Registry section will clean and streamline your system Registry by finding and removing these invalid data references.

Start the cleaning process by selecting Start Scanning Now. By default, all the areas prone to Registry errors are selected.

During the scanning process you can notice the Registry keys being analyzed. At any time you can abort the scan process by clicking the Stop Scan button.

Once you are through with the scanning process, the program displays the result window that summarizes all the Registry categories scanned and the total errors found under each category. The problems found are divided into various categories so that you can easily get to know the problems under each category.

The category headings are linked to a new window that details each and every error found under that category. The error entry in the new window describes the name of the invalid reference and the path/location referring to it. By default, these invalid Registry entries are selected for repair. Uncheck the box Select All to exclude all the entries or manually un-select the entries which you want not to be repaired, else keep the default condition to fix the errors.

Right-click menu options on the results window:

• Unselect All or Select All: Use this option to exclude/include the entries in the deletion list.
  

• UnSelect this/Select this: The program has the provision to exclude/include any particular entry from deletion by un-checking/checking the box associated with it.
  

• Invert Selection: Another feature you have with right-click is to invert the current selection i.e. all the checked items will get unchecked and the unchecked items will get checked for deletion.
  

• Copy Description: The name and description of the selected entry can be copied and pasted to other location or file.
  

• Go to Key: Of all the various options available with right-click, you can check the authenticity of the data presented as valid or not. Though we would suggest to take cautious steps before making changes to the Registry manually. More Info...

Before fixing the problem entries you can review them individually and if you find any entry to be excluded from the list of invalid entries, uncheck the box associated with it. It is advisable to be extremely careful when deleting the Registry entries. If the list of corrupt entries is more, you can scroll-down the bar to view all the entries in the list or opt to maximize the window.

Optimize Registry

Registry plays a key role in the configuration and control of Windows operating systems. It is the repository for both system wide and per-user settings. The data in the registry is stored in hundreds of keys and sub-keys. Windows and programs query the registry for information constantly. With passing time, as programs are used, installed and uninstalled, data is scattered all over the registry with many number of free blocks in between. Think of Registry database as a chart with rows and columns in a big queue. Even when the data is deleted from a Registry block, it still maintains a reference to the next Registry block consuming the same amount of space that it occupied before. When new items are added to the Registry, they are added at the bottom in a queue. So over time, the Registry ends up with a lot of blank cells. If any of these blank Registry corrupts down, it may pass invalid information to calling program causing system halt and slowdowns or can even cause a system crash.

Querying a Registry with fewer entries is faster. Furthermore optimizing the Registry makes the load time shorter.

How to optimize Registry?

WinZip Registry Optimizer compacts system Registry to improve performance of your computer. The WinZip Registry Optimizer eliminates registry fragmentation thereby giving you a fresh new registry with no redolent or obsolete data. For optimization of registry go to the Optimize Registry tab which will state when you did your last Registry optimization or if you have not optimized it yet. Now, click the button Optimize Registry Now to perform optimization.

A confirmation dialog appears, which states that your computer will restart automatically once the optimization process is through. Know that you should close all the open documents and applications before committing to optimization. Click on Yes to start the optimization process. The progress indicator bar appears as shown in the image. Once the optimization process is through, your computer will automatically restart to effect the changes.

Manage Registry Backup

WinZip Registry Optimizer has been designed in such a manner that its absolutely safe to remove and optimize Registry. But in case if you feel that removal of Registry has caused any of the installed program to work erroneously, or your computer is taking a lot of time to boot, or is running slow, or has affected your computer in any other way, you can always revert the state of your computer to the last known good configuration. The Restore function will help you to get back to your previous smooth-functioning Registry stage and solve the problem.

In Backup and Restore Registry section you can take backup in couple of ways:

Full Backups

Complete Registry backups can be taken manually by clicking the Take Full Registry Backup button.

Partial Backup

Whenever you scan and clean the Registry manually, after selecting the necessary Registry categories, the program automatically takes backup of these categories before removing their invalid entries. This may prove essential whenever you want to restore entries of such categories.

In the Partial Backup section, the backups are maintained by dates i.e. they are always categorized under the heads, Today, This Week, This Month, This Year, and Last Year.

How to Restore?

Simply select a backup record from the Full Backups or Partial Backups section and press on Restore. The Registry entries on the said date and time will be restored. However, if you find the section is piled up with obsolete backup data, you can delete them and keep only the ones required.

Settings of WinZip Registry Optimizer

WinZip Registry Optimizer allows you to configure settings as per your requirement for best and optimum output. The tabbed sections are mentioned below:

• Registry Optimization Settings
• Exclusion List
• Schedule
• Select Language

Registry Optimization Settings

By default all the Registry areas are selected for scanning, however, you can unselect an area by un-checking the mark against it and clicking on the Apply button. Pressing the Restore Defaults button will include all the Registry areas in scanning.

WinZip Registry Optimizer scans the bellow mentioned areas in Registry for errors:

Exclusion List

WinZip Registry Optimizer has a section to create Exclusion List. If you want to exclude a path from Registry scanning, you can add that path into this Exclusion List. Remember that if invalid Registry entries are created under the path excluded by you, WinZip Registry Optimizer will not be able track those registries and the sole purpose of optimizing your Registry will fail. Therefore, it is suggested that you should be more careful before excluding Registries.

For excluding a Registry, you just need to click on Add Entry and select the section which you want to add in exclusion list. The drop-down list provides the name of the hives. To be more specific, mention the complete path of the Registry key in the next box given, Specify Registry Entry. Press OK to add it to exclusions. You can even delete a entry from the exclusion list just by selecting the entry and clicking on Delete Entry button.

Skip errors due to removable media: When you install removable drives, it creates certain Registry entries. But if the drive is removed, Registry references will be invalid as it will link to the drive not found on your system. However, at a later time if you are certain to implant the same drive again, we suggest not to delete such Registry errors because in that case you will have to reinstall the drivers for the removable drive. Simply, check the option to skip Registry errors displayed in such condition.

Skip empty Registry Keys to be listed as errors: It helps to skip all empty Registry Keys to be listed as errors.

Schedule

WinZip Registry Optimizer comes with a built in scheduler for launching Registry scan automatically. You can schedule WinZip Registry Optimizer to run only once or every day or every week.

Steps to create a scan schedule:

• To create a schedule you need to select the type of schedule.You may schedule it to run once, every day or every week on a predefined time, date and day.
• Select accordingly the date, time, or week day.
• Click on Apply button.
• The scheduler is created!

The above steps will create a schedule for the program to launch itself automatically and start scanning for the errors in Registry as per the specified time/date/day.

Select Language

WinZip Registry Optimizer is localized in various languages (covers most of the languages). You can run this program in your desired language by this option. Click on Select Language tab, a window appears with various languages options in a drop down bar, select the desired language and click on Apply button.

A word of caution

It is always essential to take proper care while working with system Registry. Regular use of computer, installation and un-installation of programs and so on leaves traces in the Registry. These traces gradually pile your Registry with unwanted data which may cause your system to behave erratically or may crash it down. Therefore, we suggest that a novice should not update or delete any Registry entry.

You have WinZip Registry Optimizer that rectifies any invalid entry found in the Registry. Although WinZip Registry Optimizer uses high degree of safety measures in the removal of invalid entries, we strongly recommend that you take proper care before removing any entry from the Registry. When the scan is complete WinZip Registry Optimizer displays a list of invalid entries which affect the normal performance of your system. These invalid entries can be cross checked by right-clicking on it and choosing the Go To Key option.

This will open registry editor and will take you to the key which is invalid. It is suggestive that you check Windows Registry using this method before removing an entry from the results section, in case of doubt.