A registry cleaner removes redundant entries from the Windows registry. Every computer running windows has its own registry, which is made up of a collection of hierarchical databases. These hold settings for software programs, hardware devices, operating system configurations and more.

Whenever a new software program is installed or the user modifies a core system setting or hardware component, for example, a new subkey containing settings is created. These entries accumulate and accumulate, often harmlessly, but sometimes to the detriment of system performance. A registry cleaner removes the subkeys no longer in use to streamline the registry without taking away the important bits.

What does it do?

The accumulation of registry entries can decrease computer performance. The effect of which is a slower computer over time. The point of a registry cleaner is to remove registry keys that are no longer used. By removing this dead weight, we reduce the registry size and make it more orderly. Whether or not this increases computing performance is a matter for debate, but it certainly shifts the dead weight.  

Registry cleaners are popular tools for ‘cleaning up’ a computer where the computer has dipped in performance. It can be used in combination with defragging, malware removal, virus removal and bloatware removal to give the computer a perceptible performance boost. It may or may not speed up your own computer. Some say it works, others prefer to err on the side of caution when recommending it.

Whatever the performance boost connotation, it’s important to remember that invalid registry entries have been known to generate error messages and prevent software programs from running properly. Running a registry cleaner can help resolve these issues by removing the entries causing the errors.

Something else that’s important to note is the Windows registry is complex and should never be tampered with unless you know what you are doing. By using a high-quality registry cleaner like CCleaner, you hand over control to a tool that was developed by experts. You can think of the tool as a surgeon’s scalpel making precise incisions (changes) to the registry. Temporary files and unwanted registry keys will be safely removed to make the registry leaner – but the tool has to be a high-quality one to be safe.

Is it worth using one?

This really is a case of you don’t know until you try. There are computer engineers who swear blind they have brought back countless computers from the brink of death with a registry cleaner. Others are not convinced, with their personal experience being that the registry cleaner did not speed up their computer.

Who’s telling the truth? Both of them are. The results vary from case to use case. Old machines that have seen extensive service will have thousands of redundant registry entries. Windows mostly ignores these entries, but the keyword there is mostly. Some redundant registry items are read and can impact performance. Not all of them, but some of them. The key then is removing those few.

That’s where a high-quality tool like CCleaner Professional comes in. This is a quick, effective registry cleaner. It clears logs and temporary files non-intrusively. If you’re experiencing registry-specific problems, it could assist in fixing them. In addition to cleaning out the registry, it can scan for non-essential system files like thumbnails and clipboard contents. It can also clear saved passwords and web browsing sessions.

If your computer is running slowly and you have already checked for malware and a virus, cleaning the registry is the logical next step. Other next steps include removing bloatware, limiting start-up processes and adding more RAM.