Are You Sure that it’s Time to Clean Your Registry?

According to some computer experts if you want to improve your PC performance you should clean your Registry regularly. But others advise that you should only clean your registry if Windows has a serious problem and nothing else works.

If you have to clean your Registry, back it up first. Though, the majority of Registry cleaners will do this for you, to be 100% secure, do it yourself as well. One way is to create a Restore Point. If using XP, select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Then, select Create a restore point, click Next and follow the wizard. If you have Vista, click Start, type sysdm.cpl and press ENTER. After that, click the System Protection tab, and finally the Create button.

Those users that don't trust System Restore can use the free Emergency Recovery Utility NT (ERUNT). A user can do this only if he /she does not use Vista. However, the ERUNT home page highlights that it is compatible with "Windows NT/2000/2003/XP and Vista. In actual fact, ERUNT has serious problems with Vista issues.

Be sure to use your Registry cleaner's backup feature too. If you have backed up your Registry, then open your cleaner, close all of your other programs, and finally, start the process. The cleaner will display a list of entries that you can and should remove after scanning your Registry.
Unfortunately, there is no definite, trusty recommendation, referring to the software product list that is given below. Simply fix all the problems the cleaner detects. If it makes anything worse then there's always your backups.

Take a look at these three advisable Registry cleaners:

EasyCleaner: ToniArts' free cleaner is available in two versions: installable and portable. Unfortunately, this Registry cleaner lacks a real backup. However, it can undo your changes and save a list of what has to be removed. Also, if it finds an invalid entry that might cause danger once it is deleted, it warns you with a yellow or red light icon (green, of course, means safe).

CCCleaner: It is free and not only cleans the Registry, but includes more functions as well. Being more conservative than EasyCleaner, CC finds less and risks less, and backs up its changes into an easy-to-restore .reg file.

Reg Organizer: ChemTable's extremely powerful Registry tool costs $US40, but it does the job quicker and better than other similar programs. Reg Organizer includes automated and manual cleaners, automatic backups, a Registry editor and also a Registry search tool that helps you remove or change every entry containing a particular word.

Resources:
The safest option to clean Registry
A mighty set of registry tools
Registry Backup and Restore for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista