Registry cleaners and anti mailware

[zxgumby]

Have the option to backup the registry before it fixes the errors with CCleaner..
Works good and is free

[buttsie]

Just happened upon this very balanced article by Mehmet Onatli

The key part to me is

"Registry cleaners can serve as options when Windows-specific solutions to speed up a slow PC falter or fail to revive a system that is experiencing occasional or frequent crashes."


In other words...if it aint broke it shouldnt be used but the first sign of trouble then it becomes an option to diagnose the issue and potentially neutralise it.


Do we Actually Need Registry Cleaners?

Are Registry Fixers Real Solutions for Real Needs, or Imaginary Answers for Imaginary Fears?
When an ingenious but naughty computer geek invented and propagated a digital virus, anti-virus software programs became important. When spyware and other forms of malware started using back doors to infiltrate our systems, anti-spyware solutions became necessities. But can we view registry cleaners under the same light? Are registry cleaners just as indispensable as the other solutions that protect our computer terminals from harm?

Let’s start with this question: what do registry cleaners protect us from, exactly?

Indeed, the Windows’ registry is the repository of options and settings important for the operations of the platform, making it the sector of the OS that is most susceptible to corruption. Useless and redundant files may be stored in the registry, files which may not have been uninstalled with the programs that brought them into the system. These files can slow down the PC, or worse, be incompatible with essential files and crash the OS altogether. So, knowing this, do we or do we not need registry cleaners?

Arguments in Favor of Registry Cleaners

Many people believe that the registry, being a vital cog in the Windows OS, should be allotted utmost care. The system refers to the registry each and every second, after all, to determine runtime functions for a variety of purposes. A glitch in the registry can potentially bring the entire system to its knees. Registry cleaners are there to carry out what their name exactly says: to clean the registry.

Does the registry need cleaning?

Most definitely! Think of the registry as a filter where data about options and settings accumulate. Some data are essential. Others are merely leftovers from programs that have already been uninstalled from the system. They serve no purpose, and some of them may even slow down the performance of the PC. A few are harmful, as they come in conflict with vital files necessary for the operation of the system. And a number of them can even be fatal, as they can potentially cause the collapse of the entire system. Registry cleaners are meant to remove these unneeded, and unwanted, files. A clean registry leads to a healthy system, after all.

Arguments Against The Usage Of Registry Cleaners

The other school of thought believes that registry cleaners are superfluous options. Windows has auto-correcting features. Any excess files left in the registry will be deleted later on, anyway. And registry cleaners can be dangerous to the system, too. Registry cleaners operate under a given set of algorithm that commands them to delete files which are deemed unessential to the operations of Windows. The problem is, Windows is a "closed source" system. Only Microsoft engineers know which files are essential and which files are not. Developers of registry cleaners only work on empirical knowledge, and not definitive information. What if registry cleaners delete a file that it thinks is junk, but is actually an integral piece of the Windows puzzle? Believe it or not, this has happened in many occasions.

Where Should You Stand When It Comes To Using Registry Cleaners?

In this day and age where Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP and Windows Vista dominate a staggering percentage of PC systems, the need for a healthy registry is at an all time high. Given the fact that Windows-related problems require Windows-specific solutions, registry cleaners can still be viable options in certain circumstances.