Your computer, just like any other machine, requires maintenance every once in a while to keep working in optimum condition. And, one of the most important maintenance tasks you need to undertake regularly is to clean your registry. The Windows registry is your computer’s filing cabinet, storing all the information the system needs to operate. But like any filing system, when the files build up and are not archived or removed every once in a while, it becomes increasingly difficult to find the information needed for the computer to do its job efficiently. The registry cleaner is the computer’s filing clerk, identifying files (which are called keys) that are no longer needed and removing them.

Windows already has its own built-in way to clean the registry, called Registry Editor or regedit. The application allows you to enter the registry and remove invalid files. Unfortunately, unlike office files which are clearly labeled, registry keys have long, odd-looking names like HKEY_CURRENT_USERApplicationsMicrosoftWord which do not indicate what their functions are, so you don’t know whether or not it is safe to delete them. In fact, even more experienced computer users would not use regedit to clean their registry. They rely instead on the best registry repair software from third-party developers.

The best registry repair software should not only remove unnecessary files from the registry, it should also correct errors that inevitably crop up. Such errors occur when, for example, a program is uninstalled but the file pointing to it is still there, resulting in an invalid key. After it finishes scanning, it should present unnecessary keys and errors that it has detected clearly, so that you can make an informed decision as to whether these keys should be deleted or left alone.

When deciding which is the best registry repair software for you, you should use criteria such as user-friendliness, easy and short installation time, feature set and documentation and help that is offered in everyday language that ordinary computer users can understand. And most importantly, the cleaning utility should have safety features such as a backup function that allows you to restore the registry to its original state in case a vital file is accidentally erased.

Some of the best registry repair software is available as a free download online so you won’t have to invest any money to perform this vital maintenance task. But if you’re willing to invest in a commercial registry cleaner software that will also perform other vital system tweaking tasks, there are free trial versions that you can download to try out. If you find registry cleaners that allow you to run a scan from their site without a program download, you might want to check them out as well.

Once you’ve finally chosen the best registry repair software that’s right for your level of computer expertise, always make sure that you have created a backup copy of your registry and any important data in your hard drive. And make registry cleaning a regularly-scheduled part of your computer maintenance tasks.