How to Clear the History From Regedit

Clearing the history from Regedit can help speed up your computer.

Clearing the history in your computer registry can help improve speed as well as clear up space on your hard-drive. There are many different programs that can be used to do this for you, but these programs can often miss some of your compiled history. In these cases, you may want to manually clear the history. This should only be done if you know exactly what you're deleting, however, because it can mess up your computer programs otherwise. If you're not sure, download a free registry scanner instead. Links to these can be found in "Resources."

Instructions

1. Click the "Start" button on your desktop, then "Run." Type "Regedit" into the "Run" box and hit "Okay."

2. Click "File" then "Export" to create a backup file. You should always back up your files so you can fix any mistakes made by accidental deletion.

3. Click on the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE+" file on the left side of the registry editor. This will expand the file and allow you to view the history of all other programs on your computer.

4. Scroll through the list of programs until you find the history from the program you wish to delete. Click on the folder and a list of registry history will appear on the right side of the screen. Right click the file, then click "Delete."

5. Import the registry backup file if you made any mistakes. This can be done by clicking "File," then "Import" and navigating to the registry backup you made in step 2.

Tips & Warnings

• Never delete anything unless you know for certain you won't need it. Tinkering with the registry can mess up your computer if you don't know what you're doing.

References

• Registry Cleaner Tool" What is a Regedit Cleaner?
• Tech FAQ: How to Clean the Registry

Resources

• RegSeeker Registry Cleaner
• SystemCare Registry Cleaner