Registry cleaner software is a controversial type of software program that is designed to remove redundant items from the Windows registry in your Microsoft Windows operating system. They are a third party utility, meaning Microsoft does not make or support the software.
While vendors of registry cleaning software make claims that their type of programs are useful in repairing the problems that arise from manual changes to applications, many experts are in disagreement over the uses and beneficial qualities of the programs. Many claims that virtual applications are faster and more reliable to return an operating system to a good state, and that malware and scare-ware are often linked to these types of utilities.
Yet registry cleaners remain a hot item to help people who think they have problems with their systems. Cleaners look for and remove redundant or useless entries that can occur by the thousands in a registry database. But it is not always easy for a registry cleaner, being a third party type of software, to pick out what keys are invalid or unnecessary. When the quality of the software is low, using it can have adverse effects on your system, causing erratic performance or even loss of functions.
Because of the quality issues, some Microsoft users may be more comfortable in designing an incremental backup solution, whereby your operating system can be restored to a prior version which worked, should any new additions or changes to your system prove harmful. Another argument in favor of not using these types of cleaners is that sometimes the registry is massive enough that the cleaners only fix about three tenths of a percent of the registry. This type of fix is not likely to enhance performance to any great degree.
Even with all the potential problems and performance questions, registry cleaning software remains a popular item among the non professional users of Microsoft systems.
