Updated for March 2010

Why should I use a Registry Cleaner? - The Windows Registry is a very important part of your computer system, but it is also very complex. Over time, programs and files can clutter and damage the registry, causing your computer to have errors or lose performance. Only those well experienced with the registry have the skills necessary to manually clean it, but even then, it takes them a ton of time. A good Registry Cleaner program will automatically scan your computer for any problems and fix them on the spot.

Will a Registry Cleaner fix my computer problems? - A good registry cleaner will automatically scan and fix almost any problems that result from an error or corruption in the registry. This could include all or some of the following:

  • Speed Lost Over Time
  • Computer Freezing
  • System Crashes
  • Windows Errors
  • Blue Screen of Death
  • Slow Internet Speeds
  • DLL/Shell Errors
  • Hardware Malfunctions
  • System32 Errors
  • Windows Explorer Errors
  • Slow Performance
  • Runtime Errors

So which Registry Cleaner is the best? - Our tests confirmed what everyone has been saying all along. RegCure is by far the best Registry Cleaner out there right now. It is super easy to use, fixed all known errors on our test computers, and helped them run extremely fast.

  Screenshot Free Scan Results Ease-Of-Use Overall Rating Summary Website
1 RegCure [Free Download] Excellent
Computer restored to like-new		 Excellent
No experience needed		 9.8
Excellent
 Top Choice
Performed better than all other software we tested. Very easy to automatically restore our computers to like-new condition.
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2 Registry Fix [Free Download] Very Good
Only a few minor errors not fixed		 Good
Confusing options could have been better labeled		 8.6
Very Good
 Fixed almost all of the registry problems, but was more confusing than RegCure.
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3 Registry Easy [Free Download] Good
Fixed most registry errors		 Very Good
Designed for beginners and very easy to use		 8.1
Very Good
 Very easy to use, but didn't fix as many errors as RegCure or RegistryFix. Still a good option for complete beginners.
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4 RegSweep [Free Download] Good
Fixed most major registry errors		 OK
Harder to fully clean the computer		 7.7
Good
 A popular tool that can get the job done if you know what you are doing, but couldn't really compete with our top choices.
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5 Error Doctor [Free Download] OK
Didn't fix as many errors as we hoped		 OK
You will probably need to consult the user guide		 7.6
Good
 Cleaned many minor errors in our registry but didn't fix some of our target errors.
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Download Your Free Registry Scanner - I hope this review will help you to make the best choice when looking for software that will automatically clean your registry. And don't forget to download your free registry scanner before you leave.

Enjoy!

RegCure Review
With all of the registry cleaner choices available, it can be difficult knowing which one to pick. After all, there are so many that have identical or near identical features, and all of them have faults of some kind. RegCure, however, is one of the registry cleaners that has virtually no faults to it, while still having tons of features. It is, in my opinion, the best product on the market.

The Good:
  • Registry Back-up/Restore. If you've ever edited or attempted to edit your computer's registry before, you may have encountered problems with it. As you may know, the registry is a very fragile part of the computer—if you delete one essential file, it corrupts the whole thing. Fortunately, RegCure has a neat registry back-up/restore feature that allows users to back-up their registry before making any changes to it. This is an invaluable tool that prevents problems from happening.
  • Deep Scanning. Issues in the registry can be hidden deep, so having a deep scanning registry cleaner is essential. RegCure deeply scans every aspect of the registry and catches any problems that may be there. This is one of the things that separates RegCure from other registry cleaners, as most others don't scan so deeply.
  • Custom Scanning Options. If you're an advanced computer user, you may want to tweak settings for registry scans, and RegCure lets you do this. You can customize every aspect of the scan to ensure it meets your needs for fixing issues in your registry.
  • Ignore Lists. Don't want certain files in the registry to be scanned? No problem, as RegCure lets you add any registry files you want to the ignore list so that they are ignored in future scans.
  • Program Manager. You don't need every program to start up when your computer boots, and RegCure allows you to choose what can and cannot load at start-up. We've found this feature to be very handy, as we previously had iTunes starting right when we booted the computer, which caused a considerable slowdown, and after using RegCure, we were able to make sure iTunes didn't load up right away.
  • Excellent Online Support. Customer support seems to be a lost art in the world, but the guys at RegCure still know how to give great customer support. Should you ever encounter a problem with the software, they'll help you to get back up and running.
The Bad:
  • Honestly, there isn't anything worth mentioning that is wrong with this program. Maybe the fact that it can do so much might offer a slightly higher learning curve, but I think anyone can learn to use it in no time.
Overall: This is absolutely the top registry cleaning product available. If you want a great registry cleaner that will fix any registry issues your computer has, and one that has so many excellent features, RegCure is the program of choice.
ErrorNuker Review
ErrorNuker is a registry cleaner that has gained in popularity since its release a little while back. This particular registry fixer has some advantages to it that other like programs do not, while also not being a perfect program. For advanced users who don't mind a little bit of toying around, ErrorNuker is a fine program, but for beginners, it's not the best choice.

The Good:
  • Scheduled Tasks. While being considered a standard feature, scheduled tasks are not found in all registry cleaners. ErrorNuker is one of the programs that does include this feature, and it is quite useful. You can use the scheduler in ErrorNuker to set up registry cleaning-related tasks to run even when you're not at home. You can even set up a weekly scan, in case you forget when to scan the registry for problems.
  • Start-Up Program Manager. Ever gotten annoyed with AIM booting right at startup, or perhaps that pesky RealPlayer? Well, the start-up program manager provides a solution to your annoyance by allowing you to edit the registry so that only certain programs start when the computer boots up. This allows you to remove any unnecessary startup programs.
  • Roll-Back. The registry is a very complex part of the computer, and if you mess it up, you can potentially screw up the whole computer. What's nice about ErrorNuker is that it has a very nice roll-back feature that allows you to “undo” registry fixes the program has performed. So if the program—or you—accidentally removes a key part of the registry, you can use this feature to reinstate it.
The Bad:
  • Not Very Beginner Friendly. The registry is already a very complicated, often confusing part of the computer, so most registry cleaners aim to make things a bit easier. Unfortunately, ErrorNuker is not one of them, as the user interface for the program is very confusing. Sure, an advanced user might be able to easily navigate it, but to the absolute beginner, it's going to be a lot tougher to learn how to make the program do what you need it to do.
  • Not As Thorough. It's important to very thoroughly scan the registry when looking for problems, and ErrorNuker doesn't really do this. For instance, when I tested it, I found that it only discovered half the problems that RegCure did, and for me, this isn't good enough. Basically, it'll find some of the most glaring problems, but as for those that harder to find, it probably will not find and fix them.
Overall: For users that don't mind having a cleaner that isn't the most thorough and are able to navigate around the sometimes complicated interface, ErrorNuker is a decent program. It has some features that people will love—such as the ability to roll-back changes, as well as the automated schedule—and other features that some will find less than satisfying. Overall, it is worth the money.
Registry Fix Review
The market for registry fixers is huge, so it's no surprise that many different ones exist. RegistryFix is just one of these many programs, and, as it turns out, is a pretty decent one. Sure, it doesn't have the features of better registry fixers - such as RegCure - but it's not a terrible choice. There are some features that make this program a good one, and some features that it lacks that make this program not quite as good as it could be.

The Good:
  • Three Scan Options. Some registry fixer programs only have one or two scan options, but RegistryFix features three: standard, deep and, custom. Standard is a pretty quick running option, but not as thorough as deep, which will literally scan every single section of your computer for registry errors. Custom is a good choice for advanced users who aren't happy with the scanning power of either standard or deep.
  • Ignore List. If you want the scan to ignore specific areas of your registry, RegistryFix allows you to do this with the ignore list. Simply add your areas to the list and they'll be ignored.
  • Full Registry Back-Up. The registry is the heart of the computer—if you lose it, your computer will not operate the same. RegistryFix allows you to perform a full back-up of the registry so that, if you lose it, you'll have something to fall back on.
  • Start-Up Manager. If you want to speed up the boot time of your computer and don't need all the programs that start up, you can use RegistryFix's neat Start-Up Manager feature to add/remove the programs that start when the computer boots up.
The Bad:
  • No Scheduled Tasks. With many computer tools like anti-virus programs, as well as other registry cleaners, there is an option to schedule scans. Unfortunately, RegistryFix does not allow you to do this. For people that lack the time to manually set up scans, this is definitely bad news.
  • No Automatic Updates. Considered a standard feature by most computer users, automatic updates in programs are quite essential and RegistryFix lacks this feature. Anyone who purchases RegistryFix and wishes to keep it up to date must manually update via the web site. This can be a bit of a pain for many, including those who don't check often for program updates.
Overall: RegistryFix is a decent program that many will find useful. It does a good job of cleaning the registry, and its ignore list, full registry and start-up manager features are terrific. What stops it from being the best cleaner is the lack of scheduled tasks and automatic updates.
RegSweep Review
Geared at absolute beginners to the computer, RegSweep is a very well-known and well-used registry cleaner. Most people like RegSweep for its very user-friendly interface, while others like it for its breadth of features. However, like most other registry cleaners, RegSweep is not perfect, and is not the right solution for every PC user.

The Good:
  • User-Friendly. Some registry cleaners feature interfaces that are not very inviting to computer users, which keeps the cleaner from having the best effect on the registry. RegSweep, on the other hand, has a user-friendly interface. Even if you only know how to turn the computer on and check email, you'll still find RegSweep VERY easy to use.
  • Scan at System Start-Up or Schedule It. Registry errors can occur at any point in time when using a computer, much like viruses and spyware. Some programs for the latter scan at start-up to prevent issues from getting worse, and RegSweep does this with registry errors. If you want to, you can have RegSweep run right when the system starts up, or you can set it to a schedule date and time. When taking advantage of the scan at system start-up feature, I found I had a lot less crashes because RegSweep caught problems quicker.
  • Left Over Windows Installer Errors. The more errors you have in your registry, the more issues you will have with your computer operating correctly. RegSweep gets rid of errors that are left over from incomplete installs of programs by Windows.
  • Increased PC Speed. Since RegSweep eliminates so many errors, the registry is able to run a lot more efficiently and thus the computer runs a lot faster. This is a definite good part of RegSweep.
The Bad:
  • Not Always Thorough Enough. Registry problems can creep around in harder to find spots, so it's important for any registry cleaner to detect harder to find issues. RegSweep doesn't always catch the more difficult registry errors, which is definitely one of its weak points.
  • Sometimes Removes Things That Shouldn't Be Removed. If you delete one file that is essential to the registry, you've set your PC up for failure. RegSweep has, on very rare occasions, removed files that are integral to the safe running of windows registry. These occasions are very rare, of course, but it's still cause for concern.
Overall: RegSweep is a fine choice for PC beginners and advanced users alike. While it has a couple of cons to it, it does get the job done for the most part, making it worth buying.