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Q: I have a question on registry cleaners.  Today I downloaded the program Reg Cure, did the free scan, and found many errors but did not purchase it.  I did some research into registry cleaners and found some were scams and not worth the money.  Reg Cure got top ratings.  What is your input on my findings and should we purchase it? 

– Leonard H.
Niceville, FL

A:  As regular readers of this column know, I usually raise a red flag whenever I mention working in the Windows registry.  That’s because of all the components that comprise Windows, no single part is more critical to Windows’ proper operation, or more vulnerable to accidental corruption at the hands of a well-intentioned user than is the registry.  The registry is where Windows ties everything together, including important information like which program to launch when you click on a particular file extension, which sub-components are required when various programs run, what entries to put on context menus when you call them up, and much more.  Everything from a list of the software that’s installed on your computer, to the name of the last document you loaded in your word processor is in the registry, and both Windows, and most of your programs rely heavily upon it.  So, if even part of the registry becomes corrupted, your system can stop working pretty catastrophically, even though it’s not physically damaged.

The problem with the registry is that it contains so much information, that it becomes bloated over time.  Badly-behaved software de-installers don’t delete all the registry entries associated with the program they are supposed to remove.  Programs create registry keys for on-time use, but never remove them.  These are only a couple of examples of how clutter builds up in the registry.  The real problem is that when your system needs to read something from a cluttered registry, it can take far longer than normal, resulting in degraded system performance.  Registry cleaners are a type of software that scans the registry, identifies clutter and gets rid of it.  But which one to use?  There are plenty of them available online, but a word of caution here.  A few issues back, I talked about how some malware authors are disguising their software as legitimate-looking applications, such as the so-called “Anti-Virus 2009”.  Those same warnings apply to registry cleaners, so be extremely wary of what you download.

Which finally brings us to your question, Leonard.  I did a cursory search for reviews, and found the reviews for Reg Cure to be adequate, but it didn’t get top marks.  I often use CNet.com as a site for both a review of a product I’m considering downloading, and as a source for the download link, since they go to great lengths to ensure that their links are Spyware and virus free.  CNet recommends (and I agree) CCleaner, which just happens to be 100% free.  You can read reviews and download it at tinyurl.com/bvw7kn.  For readers interested in learning more about RegCure, CNet’s link to it is at tinyurl.com/b3nwcb.  There’s also a pretty good review of it at tinyurl.com/bdoyvc.