If you've been a computer user for any length of time, you'll know that there are so many things just waiting to happen to your computer. And I'm not just talking about all those nasty things you can get from accessing the web. There's plenty that can go wrong simply because of regular use -- your computer slows down, freezes, crashes, locks up for no reason, restarts itself. The great thing about all these regular wear-and-tear difficulties is that they can be swiftly sorted out by doing some registry cleanup. The challenge though is: which registry cleaner do I download to do my cleanup? A quick web search will throw up more suggestions than you can swing a cat at, each brand promising they are the 'best' in the area of registry cleanup. So which do you pick?

In my experience, here are 3 key things to look for:

1) It offers you a free scan before purchasing

2) It allows you to backup the registry and set a restore point before doing any registry cleanup

3) It has a Windows startup manager

Here's why:

The first benefit of a free scan is pretty obvious -- it'll show you what's wrong with your computer, free of charge. The second benefit though is that it'll give you a feel for that particular registry cleanup product. Having downloaded and used their demo version for free, you'll know pretty quickly whether that registry cleanup software is something you'd be happy to keep using. And here's another tip: feel free to download and do a free scan with several! Even if you're completely new to registry cleanup, you'll be able to see which product does a more thorough job & which you simply feel most comfortable with.

As for the ability to do a backup and set a restore point before doing registry cleanup, this is probably the most crucial feature. If a registry cleanup product doesn't offer this, don't even waste your time with it. By backing up your registry, you can proceed with registry cleanup secure in the knowledge that you can always completely undo the whole operation later if you want.

Finally, the registry cleanup software you decide on should have a Windows startup manager. This permits you to decide which programs should or shouldn't run when Windows starts up. This is a real must-have for dramatically increasing your computer's speed. Often a really slow-running or problematic program is the cause of those hopelessly s-l-o-w startups that seem to take half a day. Cut them right out with this registry cleanup feature.

With so many similar features for all the registry cleanup products out there, this quick list of 3 things to look out for should cut your search down significantly. Here's one I'd recommend giving a go. It's completely compatible with all versions of Windows, from the older ones to XP and Vista. It's also thorough, easy to use and you can test it out for free.

Jeff Blake is a technical support advisor, whose PC mission in life is to save others the pain, frustration & money that being a computer owner can sometimes cause.

Source: www.articletrader.com