Registry Cleaner Top - Windows Registry Repair Programs Demystified!

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Registry Cleaner Top - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Registry?
registry - first glance

The Windows Registry is the bundle of files where the operating system is keeping the configuration for all the hardware and software installed. It is specific to the Microsoft Windows operating system and it is organized differently on specific versions of this operating system.

The configuration is very important for the proper functioning of not just the operating system but also the installed applications, most of which keep their settings in the Windows Registry.

Why would I care about the Registry?
a bit more complicated than that

In a normal world, everything should work perfectly, all the applications should just install and work, and all hardware should be plug'n'play. And this sure is the case if you're not looking to install any new applications and use just the ones that come with the operating system, and if your computer comes with the operating system pre-installed from a well known distributor.

The problems though start to appear when you're beginning to customize your system. This may mean just playing with the configuration, but most often it means installing new applications (office productivity software, games, etc). These new applications will register their settings in the registry and interfere with each other (as providers or consumers of different services provided by other applications or by the operating system itself). The complexity starts to increase and it is difficult to keep track of these links between applications and services, and misconfigurations emerge. This is accentuated by backwards incompatible upgrades, by programs that do not uninstall themselves correctly and appear as still providing services on the computer, or simple by cases where the user deletes files manually from the computer by mistake.

Will I still have problems if I am careful?
how much care can you give your system?

We are very careful. Actually, it is our business to do exactly this: solve problems our clients encounter. Even then, it saves us, and them, time and money to deal with the most important problems that are not automatically handled by good enough registry cleaners.

From this perspective, it's just a matter of how much your time is worth. If you are very good at solving problems, or you have too much time on your hands, then by all means, you should try to solve the problems all on your own (and may we warmly suggest installing Linux instead of Windows). But if you care a lot about what you have on your computer, and your time indeed means money, then this is an investment you should be thinking about.

Why is your opinion any better than the next one's?
careful screening and testing

Making sure our clients' computers are working properly is our business. We do extensive tests (on controlled environments but also in the wild) to make sure the scores we give the programs we evaluate are accurate and reflect their performance.

We have tried to make our evaluations as transparent as possible and we hope that our detailed reviews are more objective than those you may encounter in other places.

We're always looking for input on how to improve, so if you think you have an idea on how to help us help you, please inform us.

How do you make the tests?
we search, we test, we show you, you choose

We test all the programs using the same multiple system configurations to ensure a fair and impartial but also precise evaluation. After testing one program, the system configuration is rolled back, and the next program tested will see exactly the same configuration for a fair and precise side by side comparison.

The configurations are design to test the programs on a clean system (just after being installed and updated, in order test for false positives), on a system with most of the popular desktop productivity software used by our clients, and on a system after most of the programs have been uninstalled (and some deleted, in order to test for the programs' behavior under complicated circumstances).

The final score (which is used to assert the order of the top programs) is computed with a formula which takes into consideration all the different aspects we evaluate for our programs and their importance in our assesment.

Why 'program x' is not on your list?
where is my program!?

Although we are always looking to add new programs to our evaluation, we can not possibly be aware of any program that might show up online.

But if you find a program that you think it is useful, or a program that you might consider using, please contact us and we will make sure to add it to its rightful place in our top.

You should also be aware that this is not an exhaustive list of all the programs that we have tested. We have encountered many other programs, but they were not good enough to be presented here in our top.

How up to date is the information you are presenting?
be smart, keep informed

We are always covering the latest available versions of the programs from our top. We keep tabs on when they are upgraded, and make sure to include the latest updates in our evaluations. In any case, you can see the exact version of the program that is evaluated when in doubt. If you want to be informed of updates to this website, or to the programs we evaluate, we provide a feed with news for your convenience.

Moreover, as of late, we have decided to open to the public our mailing list subscription program. You will be notified about one time offers and special discounts as soon as they are made available.