Buyers Guide

As with any purchase, it's worth spending a little time researching into exactly what you're buying, and which product best suits your needs. Here's a quick run-down of some things to consider when buying a tool to clean your registry.

You'd think that a software tool costing $40 would easily beat one costing around $20. You'd be wrong (as I was when I first started testing these products). Price isn't an indication of quality.

For example, I found that RegCure ($20) beat the pants off Error Nuker ($40) when I tested them both out. So don't use the product's price as a method to determine how effective it is.


The registry is a very important part of your computer. So the last thing you want to do is run a tool that's going to damage it. While all the tools I tested (repeatedly) didn't cause any problems, it's VITAL that you backup your registry. And a good registry repair tool should do the backups for you.

Look for a tool that does quick backups, and also sets a restore point. That double level of protection will guarantee that even if something did go wrong (and I can't stress enough that modern registry cleaners are very safe to use) you'll easily be able to flip back to your working PC.


This is an important area. You want a tool that's both kind on the system, and that finds and repairs a good number of errors. If you've read my Registry Software Scams article, you'll know that the two main problems with registry tools are software that don't find enough errors, and tools that find a suspiciously high number of problems. Realistically, if your PC is 6 months to a year old, you should expect around 400 - 600 errors that need repairing (not counting the deletion of empty registry keys).


The majority of registry cleaners on the market today are aimed at Home Users, while still having enough advanced options and error details to keep the more experienced computer user happy. But if you're an experienced user looking for tool with lots of advanced options then think about something like XP Repair Pro.


While the mainstay of any good registry cleaner is the scanning and repair engine, it's also worth considering some of the extras available with most tools. My recommendation would be to get a tool that has at least a good startup manager. And preferably some other optimization tools. Registry Easy, for example, comes with a whole host of extras, like a memory tweaker and a system optimizer.


Registry software works by deleting the junk and fixing the problems that it finds in your PC's registry. While this really does speed up and 'fix' your PC, it also leaves holes all over your registry. To optimize your system further, make sure you buy a tool that has EITHER a registry defragment tool, or one that deletes 'empty keys'. This will ensure your registry is always compact and efficient.



Registry Easy finds and fixes a high number of errors, while being kind to your system. It also features both methods of backing up - quick automatic backups, and easy setting of system restore points. You also get a great selection of extra tools, including a memory tweaker, system optimizer and startup manager. And it cleans up fully after itself, deleting empty registry keys. An excellent tool.

RegCure sets you back $20 but does a fantastic job, and totally surprised me when I installed it. It scans, repairs and defragments the registry and out-performed some tools that cost twice as much as it did. I think this is a great tool and if you're not looking for any extras, then go for this one.

	The best software I've found
	Comparison of the major programs
	Reviews of Registry Cleaning software