|
By James Ricketts | September 2007
The registry plays a crucial role in the functioning of your
Windows computer. Therefore, it is vital for you to perform regular registry
maintenance. The simplest and most efficient way to perform registry maintenance
is by using a registry cleaner utility. In this article, we will list a few
things to look for before buying a
registry cleaner utility.
Scanning Technique Used
You might get attracted toward registry cleaners that boast of
finding hundreds of errors from the registry. But, as a vigilant user, you must
check the scanning technique they use before opting for one of them. Primarily,
registry cleaners either use the Bulk and Deep technique or the Smart and Safe
technique to perform a registry scan.
The Bulk and Deep technique runs a thorough scan of the registry
and displays all errors on the screen. The main drawback of this technique is
that it displays even the unknown entries as errors. However, not all unknown
entries are errors. Many of these entries might be added by programs that you
use that your registry cleaner is not aware of. Deleting these entries might
lead to more problems on your system instead of reducing them. Therefore,
registry cleaners using this technique are not a safe bet.
The Scan and Safe technique runs by using complex algorithms and
works toward finding only genuine errors. If the
system registry cleaner program using this technique finds an entry which it
is not sure about, then the program will take additional measures to find out
the importance of this entry. Although registry cleaners using this technique
may display fewer results, each reported error is well analyzed and genuine. The
registry cleaner programs using this technique are efficient and they
effectively optimize your registry by removing all junk from it.
Advanced Backup and Restore Features
9 out of 10 registry cleaner programs available today offer
registry backup utilities that enable you to make a full backup of the registry.
Although useful, the main drawback of a full registry backup is that when you
restore a full registry backup, you lose all changes made to the registry since
the backup was taken.
To take care of this issue, you can choose from one of the
advanced registry cleaners available that enable you to perform selective
backups and restores. Selective backups enable you to make a backup of only that
part of the registry that you are going to edit. This way, if you make a
mistake, you just need to undo that specific change without affecting any other
part of the registry.
The second thing that you must look for in your Registry Cleaner
program is whether or not it provides both full and selective backup/restore
features.
Defragmentation Feature
Most of the unwanted registry entries and registry errors are
removed from your system when you run a registry scan and repair the errors.
But, this is not enough. Large amounts of data in the registry can fragment its
files, and many registry entries when removed leave behind vacant spaces, called
registry holes, in their place.
To remove the registry holes and to re-index the registry files to
make them contiguous, you need to defragment the registry. Defragmenting the
registry is a very important aspect of registry maintenance. And you must ensure
that the registry cleaner you opt for provides this feature.
Other System Maintenance Features
The first three features take care of most of your registry
issues. However, there are certain other activities and programs on your
computer that may tax the registry and your system. Startup
programs—applications that load at system startup, Internet
Browser Help Objects (BHOs)—Internet Explorer add-ons, such as Google
toolbar, and Internet Explorer files—Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and
History are some of the examples of these files and programs.
Many registry cleaners come equipped with additional features that
enable you to manage these programs and files to help you keep both your system
and registry healthy. Therefore, to assure yourself all-around maintenance of
your computer, it is a good idea to go in for the registry cleaner program that
provides you with these additional PC maintenance features.
Most of the registry cleaners available today offer trial
versions. Therefore, prior to putting your money on a registry cleaner, download
its trial version first, and test it for some time to ensure it meets your
requirements. Also, always buy a registry cleaner that is compatible with your
operating system. For instance, if you use Windows XP, then the registry cleaner
you buy should support XP, otherwise, you may end up with more problems than
before. Additionally, try to go through user reviews and feedbacks to ensure the
credibility of the software you are going to buy. Remember, buying a
good registry cleaner program can help you in optimizing the performance of
your computer. However, dubious software may increase the number of problems
instead of reducing them.
| 
