How Do You Find A Good Registry Cleaner?

A new computer has a clean and organised registry, but after just 6 months to a year, literally hundreds of registry errors can develop, eating up vital system memory and creating errors. These can be costly to have a trained technician remove them. Regardless of what version of Windows you run, from Windows 95 to Vista sooner or later you will get an error of some kind. This is because as you use your computer the registry grows, constantly becoming cluttered with fragmented entries and invalid data

Why should I clean the registry?

When the registry becomes corrupted or disorganized, you'll experience slow bootup times, sluggish responses from programs, unusual error messages, and frequent lock ups or crashes.

Normal, everyday computer usage can cause the registry to become filled with errors and obsolete entries. Registry cleaners use code that safely integrates into Windows to make changes to the registry. The software will compare what is in the registry to what is actually on your computer and will then either correct or delete erroneous entries. The cleaning and repair process can also detect and remove dangerous software that may be running without your knowledge.

How do I fix the registry? Can I do it myself?

While some of us like to learn about our PCs and software through trial and error, this is not a safe option with the Windows Registry Editor. The Registry Editor allows users to view and modify registry contents manually, without the use of any additional software. But with cryptic names and no descriptive file information, it is not possible for most users to make safe changes with this tool. Registry changes, even just one incorrect registry entry, can cause irreversible damage to your PC, including a completely unbootable PC. You should never manually edit the registry unless you know what you are doing. Due to the high risk, even Microsoft recommends using specialized tools to make registry changes, rather than attempting to make manual changes. This is where registry cleaners make life easier for those of us without the time or knowledge to manually fix registry entries.

How do I choose a registry cleaner?

An internet search on "registry repair" or "registry cleaners" will display a bewildering array of results. How do you know which one to choose, and how do you know if they are any good?

Firstly, the easiest way is to seek the opinion of someone who has actually used a particular registry cleaner. Review sites can be helpful in this regard. The following 4 aspects will help you narrow down the field:

1. To ensure that modifications to the critical registry are safe, use a program from a software maker you can trust. Further, seek a company that offers technical support.

2. To ensure that registry repairs are thorough, use a program that can run complete repairs, rather than just a trial version. Trial versions tend to limit the number of errors it will fix.

3. To ensure a comprehensive approach to registry cleaning, use a program that not only cleans and repairs, but also allows for registry backups and restorations. This provides piece of mind to the user.

4. To ensure a balance of ease of use and user control, use a registry cleaner with versatility; ideally, the software will have different registry scanning/testing levels and will offer both automated and user driven (manual) repair option.