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Registry Cleaner

Adding a registry cleaner to your computer cleaning calendar

Deep in the dark recesses of your computer is your registry. Your registry is one of the most important parts of your computer, and it also one of the most fragile. One wrong move can turn your computer into an expensive paperweight, which is why cleaning should only be handled by program that can get the job done right. There are hundreds of registry cleaning products on the market today, and not all of them work the same way or are as thorough and safe as the next one.

Understanding the Registry

Before we talk about cleaning your registry, let's take a look at what your Windows registry is in the first place. The registry is a vast directory on all Windows machines that keeps track of all of your settings. Your Windows registry contains information for just about every part of your computer, from how the hardware on your machine works to how most of the software on your computer works to settings data for each PC user. If a user changes a setting on the control panel, a file association, or an installed software change, information about those changes are housed in the registry.

Another cleaner?

While the registry is used to help your PC run a bit more efficiently, it can also be home to unwanted or redundant items or bits of information. A registry cleaner has the ability to eliminate items that either shouldn't be there or are no longer necessary. Whether you're getting rid of keys associated with viruses and malware or you're deleting information that was attached to software that has already been removed, a registry cleaner will perform a complete scan, then delete any unnecessary items. Leaving this kind of material in your system's registry can cause it to become sluggish and unresponsive. 

It is safe to say that not all registry cleaners work the in the same manner. Most use one of two scanning methods. Some use a safe method that ensures errors are carefully analyzed before they are reported. Others use a deep scan method that may be a bit more extensive. In addition to those two differences, there are a great many other differences among registry cleaners.

• Some cleaners perform an automatic backup of your system registry before they get started. This can be immensely helpful should problems occur during the course of the scan.
• Some registry cleaners have an easy-to-use interface while others are oriented for the more technically savvy. Look carefully at the screen shots provided and user reviews before you make your final decision. What you need will depend on your level of computer expertise. An easy wizard type interface may be best if you have very little computer experience
• Most registry cleaners have all sorts of add-on features like automatic scan scheduling, defragmenter tools, and 24/7 technical support. Understanding which features may be helpful to you will be an essential part of the process.

What's Out There Now?

One of the best products on the market is CCleaner. This extremely customizable program works as a spyware and adware scanner as well as a registry cleaner. The initial scan of your hard drive should only take a few seconds, or minutes depending on the speed of your machine, and once the scan is done, the cleaning is even faster. CCleaner is the industry standard, but there are other options if you're looking for a program with more bells and whistles.

If you're looking for something a bit fancier, RegistryFix is one of the best known dedicated registry cleaners out there. There is a cost to the program, usually between $35 and $40, but you get a lot more program than you do with CCleaner or other shareware cleaning programs. One of the most attractive parts of RegistryFix is the fact that the interface is very simple and even fun to use. CCleaner is plagued by lots of tabs and boxes that can overwhelm someone who isn't a certified computer expert.

RegCure is another excellent full service registry cleaner. Priced at $29.95, RegCure is a bit more palatable for those people looking for a full service product without the high price tag. The interface offered by RegCure isn't going to win any awards for beauty or design, but it isn't difficult to figure out and when you consider how well the product works and how many options it offers for the relatively low price, it really isn't a salient point to complain about. One interesting feature offered by RegCure is the ability to scan for improper file associations. If you have ever double clicked on a file only to have nothing happen or have an annoying box pop up and tell you that your computer doesn't know what program to use to play/listen to/watch that file, than you know how frustrating it can be. RegCure will look for common file types that are associated with the wrong program or with a program that isn't installed on your machine any longer and notify you so you can fix it before you actually need to use that file.

RegCure can even scan your Start Programs list to make sure all the links listed there are valid and that programs that are long gone aren't still reflected there. It can also clean up your computer's add/remove program list to delete any programs that aren't installed on your machine any longer, and like all good registry cleaners, RegCure has a complete registry back up option that will help protect you in case something gets deleted, moved or changed by accident.

Another choice is Registry Mechanic. Priced at $29.95, Registry Mechanic does a great job of having several different modes; ones for amateur computer users and advanced ones for experts who really want to whip their registry into shape. It also comes with a handy registry compressor that will compress seldom used entries so that your machine as a whole runs faster and performs better.

Which Registry Cleaner is Right for Me?

While it is clear that not every registry cleaning product is created equal, the most important thing you can do as a modern computer user is to ensure that you have at least one registry cleaning program available on your computer at all times. RegCure is likely the best combination of value and tools, but if you can't afford to give yourself a program like that, use a free one instead since low quality protection is better than nothing at all. The key you have to remember is that most of these products won't run by themselves unless you by one with an automatic scheduler. Once a week, take some time and run your anti virus scan, your anti spyware scan and your registry cleaner to keep your computer in fighting shape.

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