My computer is running slow. I have cleaned out my history, cookies, etc and degragged.

I have read on the internet about cleaning/fixing the registry. Does anyone know about this and/or how to do this? I also read that most software programs out there will cause more problems than fixing the registry.

I am totally at a loss.

I appreciate any assistance.

What you read was correct. The register is an extremely complex and critical "nerve center" of windows, and I have never seen an automatic "cleaner" yet that did not eventually damage something. I have tested several. Most of the time it is just that some programs will suddenly not run, or don't run correctly. In extreme cases it damages Windows and XP will not boot. I use a scanner that searches for words that I type in, but I manually review and delete the entries so that I know what is being nuked and what is not. This works for me.

At this point, my suggestion is to run a Hijack This scan of your computer and post it in the malware forum HERE.There is also a possibility that you have a baddie or two slowing you down, and that you have a lot of junk loading that you are not aware of.

How do you run a Hijack? I have never heard of that before. I am sure there is alot of junk that could be deleted, but I am not a computer geek and am leery of deleting something that I am not sure of.

I appreciate your assistance in this.

Hijack this is a registry cleaning program.

It is extremely powerful, and should only be used if you have some knowledge of the program. Their is an option on their to run a scan and make a log of your findings. Please run the scan and post the log in the correct forums.