When Windows Vista was released, there was a lot of speculation about the registry. Some folks seemed to think it would be drastically different from the one used in XP. But this isn't the case. While there are some changes between the XP and Vista registry, they're basically very similar.

Some (very brave) computer users have even tried running XP registry cleaners on their new Vista operating system. The results were that the majority tools still did a perfectly good job of cleaning the registry. Although some only had limited functionality. Certain tools, such as compressing the registry, didn't work.

If you are going to run your XP tool on Vista, make sure you backup first. I know it's not the most exciting task but don't just jump in head first. You'll likely regret it!

So while XP and Vista's registry are very similar, I highly recommend you buy a registry cleaner that's 'Vista Compatible'.  Perhaps you've already got one that's been updated for Vista. Most of the major registry tools have already been revamped to incorporate Vista. Companies that produce the tools don't want to lose customers as Vista becomes more widely used.

To find out if your registry cleaner is Vista compatible, you'll need to find the product's homepage. The easiest way to do this is to go to Google and search for it by name. The first result you see should be the link you need.

So what about the tools you recommend on this website?

I spent some time going through the various tools featured on this site to find out if they're compatible with Vista. On each product's page, you'll now find the list of supported operating systems at the top. You'll be pleased to hear that both Registry Easy and Regcure, the two top recommended products, are both Vista compatible.

To sum up, yes XP cleaners will likely have at least basic functionality on Vista. If you're going to test them out, BACKUP first. But I recommend you obtain a Vista compatible registry cleaner. Existing uses will likely be able to do this free by downloading the latest version of the product they already use.