Registry Cleaner or Optimizer

[Rosebud]

Does anyone know about a good free registry cleaner or optimizer? My computer is running very slow and I was wondering if that would help. Thanks

[rammajamma]

Be very careful about every messing with your registry. You more than likely have a spyware or virus issue.

[krazyhorse]

I am using Regcure, but it came with XOFTSPYXE removal tool. They are both 'pay for' deals. XoftspyXe is an excellent spyware,worm,trogan, homepage hyjacker,removal tool. Its not expensive and they may even still have regcure in the deal also.

One thing about d/l the 'free' stuff like that is it comes with a lot of 'baggage' you dont know about.

My daughter had a problem when she d/l loaded something and it threw her computer in a tailspin doing all kind of crazy stuff until finally it wouldn't even boot up.

Reg cure found over 500 errors on hers and repaired them. You can go to their site and d/l it and run it and it will tell what you have wrong,but it wont repair anything untill you buy a key.

But I will look and see if I can find anything out there.

What operating system do you have?

[Rosebud]

I am running XP. The registry program does not have to be a free one. I am just looking for a good one that is reliable.

[rammajamma]

Rammajamma gives RegCure and XOFTSPYXE two thumbs up. My computer has been acting kind of funy and I think it was really in need of a tune up. Pluse the spyware program found spyware that adaware and Spy Bot Search and destroy seem to miss.

[dave]

Unless you're getting errors, the registry probably isn't the culprit in making your system run slow. My experience with reg cleaners and optimizers is the short term seems to maybe improve slightly, but the dreaded re-install of Windows comes much quicker than expected.

Check your startup items (START-->RUN-->MSCONFIG). Too many programs running in the background can bog down a system. Run a defrag of the hard drive (I recommend DiskKeeper Pro). Uncheck any programs on startup that aren't needed (those icons on the bottom right shouldn't stretch across to the start menu). Do a complete virus scan in safe mode, along with Spybot and AdAware.

[Pharmt]

Dave is correct, disable all except your antivirus programs etc.

[krazyhorse]

You are running xp,you can go to start/control panel/add-remove programs and find out if you have d/l something you are not aware of and it may be causing strange actions. The hotbar tool bar gets snuck in on some d/l's and it will make you cry untill you get rid of it.I had a (something) I cant remember exactly what it was that was tearing me up and I deleted it from the registry and it kept coming back.It had divided itself up to where it would regroup when a portion was deleted and then it would regenerate and show back up. Xoftspy,the origional version I had found it,deleted it and it was gone forever.

Thats why I'm leary to d/l anything free.

[ridgerage]

Go to filehippo.com download cccleaner for free.
I also use Registry Mechanic I download it from download.com
it cost around 30.00, It does a good job.
ad-aware is an excellant one for free at pctools.com