We use our personal computers day in and day out in almost every aspect of our lives. Indeed, working, playing, getting in touch with friends and even shopping can be done right in the comforts of our homes thanks to our PCs and (hopefully fast) Internet connections.

However, for something we rely on heavily each day, the PC is one of the things we take so easily for granted. Think about it - how many of you spend even just a couple of minutes dusting off your PC? Is it any wonder then that your PC starts to show wear-and-tear symptoms such as the following?

Applications - that used to work just fine - are launching extremely slow.
Windows error messages (e.g., DLL errors, uninstaller errors, ActiveX errors, JavaScript errors, etc.) are appearing more often that they used to .
The PC 'freezes' for no apparent reason so that you have to reboot several times each day.
You start experiencing (yikes!) PC system crashes.
You get the dreaded 'blue screen' on your monitor.

No doubt about it. There are plenty of ways you can optimize your PC to prevent the above PC problems from occurring and one of them is an often neglected tool - the registry cleaner.

What is a Registry Cleaner?

Your Windows registry is the proverbial 'logbook' of your PC. It notes down (registers) anything and everything happening on your the PC (e.g., list of users, user settings, applications installed on the PC, programs being used, etc., etc.). Since you do so many things on your PC each day, the Windows registry easily gets bogged down. If you are online most of the time (as most of us are), your PC is probably infected with adware and spyware without you even realizing it!

A registry cleaner is a utility that scans your Windows registry and logs which entries are either obsolete, damaged or, to put it simply... anything that shouldn't be there! If you do not remove these unnecessary entries, your PC will slow down because the Windows registry is carrying too much data it does not even need. Furthermore, if your PC does have malware, then you are more prone to hacker attacks, id theft, and all the other tech diseases that plague our world today.

Moral lesson of the story? Running a registry cleaner = a clean Windows registry = a better performing PC!

What You Should Look for in a Registry Cleaner

Ok, I admit, not all registry cleaners are created equal. So when you start your search for one, check if the product has the following features:

Automatic scan. This facilitates the Windows registry scan. This is the easiest way to clean the Windows registry and is well suited for beginners or non-technical users.

Custom scans. This feature enables you to customize the search that is performed on the registry, allowing you to search for certain types of errors. For example, if you are specifically bothered lately by DLL-related errors, then customize the scan to look for just that.

Manual cleanup. Many are scared that registry cleaners will simply wipe out entries in the Windows registry, causing applications to not function properly after the scan. If you feel the same way, ensure that the Windows registry cleaner you are thinking of buying has a Manual Cleanup feature. This way, it's up to YOU to select the entries to fix after the cleaner provides all the necessary information.

Backup and undo. Still worried about incorrect or accidental deletions or fixes in the registry? Remove this fear by purchasing a cleaner that has Backup and Undo features. This way, you can simply cancel a previous fix or completely go back to the Windows registry as it was before the scan!

Scheduler. The best way to ensure the good health of your PC is to ensure that maintenance habits such as running a registry cleaner are performed regularly. But why bother with Notes, To Do lists, and Reminders? If the registry cleaner has a Scheduler feature, then all you have to do is set it once and your PC will get its regular checkups without fail.

Easy-to-use interface. There is nothing better than a piece of software designed for YOU. No matter how effective a registry cleaner is, if you can't figure out how to use it, it won't do you any good. Period.

I hope that my tips above point you in the right direction when purchasing registry cleaner software, which in my opinion is one of the most under-utilized method of ensuring that your PC works at optimum levels. Remember, you bought that PC and now it holds a lot of personal and valuable information... TAKE CARE OF IT!

BlueWaterArticles.com: - How Registry Cleaners Help Protect Your PC and Everything Stored In It

About the Author

Amit Mehta is an IT Manager, tech blogger, and self-confessed PC fiddler... so... he knows what he's talking about.
For FREE ACCESS to more tips on how you can make the most out of your PC investment, simply visit Optimize-Your-PC.com