The windows registry contains lots of information. Ités consistency can be checked with good commercial programs like SymantecÖ System Works. But there are some small things I miss with those programs. Hereés what SpyBot-S&D searches for:

• Missing help files û the registry contains information about the location of some help files. If those information points to incorrect directories, SpyBot-S&D will tell and allow to fix.
  
  
• Missing shared DLLs û the registry contains a list of dynamic link libraries, where they are located and how many programs use them. SpyBot-S&D checks if all locations are correct and allows to change them if not.
  
  
• Application paths û some applications (mostly those registered to a file extension) are registered in the registry. If they are pointing to a no longer existent program file, SpyBot-S&D can change their path or delete their entry.
  
  
• Wrong Uninstall information û every program that has ités own uninstall routine stores some information about it in the registry. If those information is incorrect, e.g. because the uninstall program was located inside a temp directory (there are lots of programs that stupid!), SpyBot-S&D will tell (and allow a change in future versions).
  
  
• Broken Desktop Links û if one of the links on your desktop links to a file that is no longer existent, Spybot-S&D will tell you and allow you to either point the link to another file or delete it.

Warning: Please be aware that changes to this items can corrupt your system! If you are not sure whether a setting is really a problem, better leave it!
Especially Microsoft OfficeÖ has some registry entries pointing the wrong directories and some even pointing to non-existent help files. Iéve changed the first, but I wouldnét delete the second kind of, because they may well point to files that will be installed on that æInstall on first useé base.