Ultimate Guide: How to Fix Broken Registry Items in Windows 10/11

Do you want to know how to fix broken registry items? This guide will explain the signs, causes, and how to delete broken registry entries. Usually, you don’t need to do anything in the Windows registry. 

Many programs and parts of Windows rely on it for your computer to function effectively. So, if something goes wrong in the Windows registry, your computer may 

• use more power, 
• experience random crashes, 
• take longer to start up and shut down, and
• have low performance.

So, it’s crucial to keep your Windows registry working. Let’s find out how to repair the registry in Windows 10 and 11. 

What is Windows Registry?

The Windows Registry serves as a comprehensive storage area. It contains vital information about Windows, user preferences, software, hardware, and other essential elements that make up your PC.

This information is arranged into “keys” and “values,” which act as the registry’s essential building blocks. Windows refer to this information whenever it needs it.

Your PC may experience various broken registry issues, such as whether they go missing, become infected with malware, are improperly changed, or break.

That’s why preventing such occurrences and preserving your registry’s integrity is crucial.

Signs of Broken Registry Items

There are usually some signs when the registry items on your computer are broken. These warning signs can tell you if there’s something wrong with your Windows registry. Here are some signs of broken registry items to look out for:

1. Slow PC Performance

If your computer suddenly starts running slowly and takes much longer to perform routine activities, it may be due to broken registry issues in Windows 10 and 11.

Related: Why Is My Computer So Slow? How to Speed It Up?

2. When Your PC Crashes Often

Is your computer freezing or crashing more frequently than usual? This could be the result of a broken registry.

3. When Your Computer Gets Unusual Errors

Do strange error messages occasionally appear for no technical or adequate reason? Broken registry issues could be the cause.

4. Longer Startup and Shutdown Times

If your computer takes too long to start or shut down, the fault could be from the Windows registry.

5. When Software is Unresponsive

Windows Registry issues may cause unexpected software crashes or programs that don’t respond as they should.

What Causes Broken Registry Items

Several reasons can cause broken registry items. Here are some of the common ones:

1. Effects of Viruses and Malware

Malware can cause serious problems with the registry. Malware can leave behind traces that continue to cause slowdowns and error messages even after removal.

You can use a registry cleaner on Windows 11 to delete these leftover traces. Also, viruses typically target and change the system registry, leading to issues with the registry.

Malware and viruses are serious problems you must tackle to stabilize your PC performance actively.

Related: How to Prevent Malware: Lock Down Your Online Safety

2. Registry Fragmentation

Registry fragments are similar to having duplicate keys but are less troubling. These errors can happen when uninstalling, upgrading, or updating software.

Also Read: Ultimate Guide: Why and How to Defrag Windows Registry?

3. Problems with System Shutdown

The system memory stores a copy of the registry every time your computer shuts down. However, this operation can have serious consequences if the PC shuts down or crashes unexpectedly.

Why You Should Backup Your Registry

Before you repair the registry in Windows 10, it’s crucial to back up your registry. When you have a backup, you can restore your computer if something goes wrong. 

This is crucial, especially when you’re cleaning broken registry entries. A backup gives you peace of mind and ensures your files are safe. 

To make it even safer, you can use a registry cleaner on Windows 11, such as Auslogics Registry Cleaner.

Manual Methods for Fixing Registry Errors

This section will show you how to fix broken registry items on Windows 11 and 10 manually. Go through each method and find the one that works for you:

Method 1: Using System Restore

One effective way to delete broken entries in Windows registry is to use the System Restore. You can use the system restore to revert your system’s registry to a moment when it wasn’t corrupted.

When important changes are made to your system, such as installing new software or drivers, Windows automatically creates restore points if you’ve enabled the System Restore feature.

You can also create the restore points manually. Here’s how to repair the registry in Windows 10 using the system restore:

• Type Control Panel in the search bar and click to open.
• Click Category beside View by and select Large or small icons.

• Select Recovery.

• Click Open System Restore.

• Click Next to continue in the window that pops open. Then, select your preferred restore point from the list. 

• Select Scan for affected programs to check drivers and programs. Click Close to continue if you’re OK with it. After, click Next.

• Check the information carefully before clicking on Finish.

The System Restore process will start and can take a while to complete. Your computer will restart when the restore process is finished. Your system will be returned to a previous state where your registry were whole and undamaged.

Related: [FIXED] System Restore Not Working in Windows 10

Method 2: Using the System File Checker (SFC)

Another way to fix broken registry items on Windows 10 and 11 is by using the System File Checker (SFC). You can do this using the command prompt.

The purpose of the SFC is to check the system file directory for any corrupted or missing files. And when it finds one, it fixes it. Here’s how you can use SFC to delete broken registry issues in Windows 10: 

• Type Command Prompt in the search bar. 
• Right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

•  Type command sfc /scannow and press Enter.

Your computer will search through all of its system files after you enter this command to identify any damaged registries. The examination often takes at least 30 minutes to complete.

Don’t worry if you run the SFC command and still get a notice saying, “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.” 

Restart your PC and try again. If it doesn’t work, check out the other methods in this guide. 

Method 3: Accessing Automatic Repair in Advanced Startup Options

The automatic repair tool can fix system boot issues and core system registry files. Here’s how it works: 

• Sign out of Windows by pressing Win + L. Then, click the the power icon. 
• Press and hold the Shift key and click on Restart.
• When the Windows restart and boot to the Windows Recovery page, search for Troubleshoot and click Advanced options.
• Select Startup Repair.

The utility will check your system and repair any registry issues. After that, restart your computer. 

Method 4: Manually Fixing Registry Errors through DISM Command

DISM is another helpful command-line utility that can help you resolve broken registry issues. DISM can inspect and correct problems with Windows System Image files. It functions both online and offline. 

Here’s how to do the DISM scan:

• Type Command Prompt in the search. Right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
• When the Windows opens, enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and press Enter.

The scan will begin, and it might take a while. After the scan, restart the computer and check if the problem has been resolved. 

Related: How to Resolve the DISM Error 1009?

Method 5: Reset the Windows System

You can reset your computer using the Windows reset function. This feature allows you to reinstall Windows after you’ve backed up your files. You can use it to fix broken registry issues in Windows 10.

Here’s how to do it: 

• Press Windows logo + I to open the Settings window.
• Search for Recovery and click on it. 

• Next, click on Reset PC.

• If you select Keep my files, the system will delete the settings and applications on the PC. But it’ll keep your personal files. If you select Remove everything, it’ll delete everything.

• Choose how you want to reinstall Windows. Then click Next to begin the reinstallation. 

After resetting your computer, check to see if the problem has been resolved. 

Related: How to factory reset an HP laptop?

Method 6: Using the Registry Editor

You can use the Registry Editor to fix broken registry items on Windows 10 and 11. You can use this feature to restore the registry settings if you have a registry backup. Here’s how to do it: 

• Type Registry Editor in the search bar and click to open. 

• Click on File and select Import.

• Search for the registry backup file and click on it.
• Wait for the system to restore the registry. 

Method 7: Using Disk Cleanup

When you uninstall drivers and software, they usually leave behind broken registry items. Over time, these broken registry files build up, cluttering your computer and affecting its performance. Luckily, you can use Disk Cleanup for cleaning broken registry entries.

Here’s how to delete broken registry entries with Disk Cleanup: 

• Type Disk Cleanup in the search bar and click on it.

• Select the drive you want to clean up and click OK.
• You’ll see unnecessary files you can delete.
• Click on Clean up system files and select the drive to run a detailed scan. 

• Select the drive you want to clean up again.
• Tick the files you want to delete under the Files section and press OK.
• Click on Delete Files to confirm.

After everything, restart your computer and check to see if the problem has been resolved. 

Related: So Easy to Do: How to Uninstall Programs and Apps on Windows 10/11?

Method 8: Check for Malware on Your PC

Malware-infected systems are one of the widespread causes of registry changes. The malware can damage or change registry entries on occasion. So, performing a thorough scan of your computer using Windows Defender is crucial.

This ensures that your computer functions properly and ensures its security. Here’s how to scan for malware using Windows Defender:

• Type Windows Security in the search bar and click to open. 

• Click Virus & Threat Protection and select Scan options.

• Click on Microsoft Defender Antivirus (Offline scan) and then Scan Now.

Windows Security will perform a deep scan of all the system files. It uses the latest protection updates to run the scan. However, check for updates to ensure you get the latest protection. 

After the scan, restart your computer and check whether the issue has been fixed. 

Use Auslogics Anti-Malware

Alternatively, you can scan for any potential malware on your computer using Auslogics Anti-Malware. It thoroughly scans your system for various threats, such as malware, spyware, Trojans, etc., using advanced algorithms and deep scanning techniques. 

The anti-malware monitors your computer in real time, detects possible attacks, and stops them before they can infiltrate and do damage.

Related: Signs of Malware: How to Know if Your Computer is Infected

Automatic Method: Using Third-Party Software

Think of the Windows registry as a big information storage room. Over time, this room can become cluttered with unnecessary, outdated, or broken items. Auslogics Registry Cleaner is like a smart registry cleaner for Windows 10 and 11.

When the program launches, it does a thorough scan of your registry. This scan finds any outdated, damaged, or unnecessary entries that could harm your computer.

Then, the Auslogics Registry Cleaner uses advanced algorithms to distinguish between entries that can be safely deleted and those that are necessary for the system’s operation. This guarantees that none of the crucial parts are affected.

The best part is that the Auslogics Registry Cleaner makes a backup of your registry before any changes are done. That means you can quickly restore your registry to its initial state if something unexpected happens.

Find out more here: Auslogics Registry Cleaner

Preventing Registry Errors with Auslogics BoostSpeed

This software covers the essentials to keep your computer working efficiently, such as streamlining your startup process and boosting internet speed.

One of the unique features is the Registry Cleaner, which is included in Auslogics BoostSpeed and you don’t need to download it separetely. In addition to speed optimization, BoostSpeed reduces clutter and automatically searches and cleans your system’s registry. 

When you use Auslogics BoostSpeed, you’re not just addressing registry issues. Instead, you’re actively working to improve your computer’s performance, stability, and effectiveness.

Find out more here: Speed Up Slow Computer as a Pro – Introducing Auslogics BoostSpeed 13

Conclusion

Your computer can suffer significantly from broken registry items. They can cause your PC to slow down, corrupt data, and cause several other inconvenient problems with your operating system.

That’s why knowing how to fix broken registry items is necessary whenever you encounter such problems. We’ve discussed eight reliable manual methods to fix the broken registry issues. You can go through them and see which one solves the problem.

Alternatively, consider Auslogics BoostSpeed if you think the manual methods are a little too complicated. This software is designed to automatically delete broken registry entries and take proactive measures to maintain your PC’s health.

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