I want to install a Registry cleaner from the Internet and visited a website that had an assessment of the top ten cleaners, all of which offered a free scan. I tried three, with vastly different results as to how many problems there were on my year old computer. How can this be when they all claim to scan for the same things, and how can I tell which one to buy? Do you have any recommendations?
Ron Giddens, by email
Yes, save your money and leave the Registry alone! Unless you are seeing error messages that specifically mention the Registry then it is probably okay. The Registry is a basically a large database containing configuration settings for Windows and the programs and devices used by your PC. It is often unfairly blamed for a wide variety of common problems, from erratic behaviour to slow booting. That used to be true but from XP onwards the Registry is regularly backed up, well protected against corruption and Windows can even fix some problems on its own. In addition System Restore keeps copies of important Registry files that may be altered or damaged when new programs are installed and changes can be easily undone. It is true that over time the Registry grows in size, but even on a very well used machine it only adds a few seconds to the boot up time. Registry cleaners are supposed to remove redundant entries that might cause problems but in most cases they are harmless. The wide variations in the error reports can be explained by differences in the criteria used to decide which entries are no longer needed, and therein lies the danger. It is tempting to think that the cleaners finding the greatest number of errors do a better job. In fact the opposite is true and the more aggressive, or less selective cleaners run the greatest risk of deleting critical files that could wreck your system. Just remember the wise old mantra, if it ‘aint broke, don’t fix it, (and if it is broke, it’s probably not the Registry…).