A clean registry compels your computer to a better performance. Combine this with a high class file defragmenter and a good protection software and you will have one fast running machine. Of course the optimizers and tweakers are also very important as they help you free the computer memory and optimize the CPU.

But let's take them one at a time. Clean Registry is a WinEnhance product that helps you keep your registry clean and healthy and comes for a price of $29.95. You can evaluate the application for free for a trial period of five days.

The space the installation file will take on your computer is of 1.22MB. Installing the software will provide you with a small surprise. The installation window is a combination of yellow and orange that inevitably draws your attention. I really liked this, because I usually do not pay too much attention when installing a new program, and sometimes I install some files that I do not really need.

The interface of the application is very simple and consists of permanent help notes designed to aid the less experienced user in using the software. Thus on the main application window you will find a short note describing the steps you have to take.

Clicking on the Read More link at the right lower side of the window, a new page with the entire Help of the program will open in your web browser.

In the main window, there are only two menus (Registry and Miscellany), each of them containing a drop down menu that gives you access to the options of the application. Registry is where you want to look first; the most used tools are in this menu.

The software allows the user to take every precaution by creating a backup of the registry before actually deleting all those invalid keys. Of course, this option can also be used after the cleaning of the registry has taken place.

The next option in the Registry menu is Cleanup. This is, in fact the "dirty laundry" room of the software. Press the Run button in the lower left side of the window and the application will start a scanning of the keys in your registry. As the scanning evolves, the user will be shown the entries that are invalid, where they are located in the registry (root key) and a brief description. Most of the registry entries will be leftovers of the software that did not perform a complete uninstall.

The good thing when scanning the registry is that you can stop the process at any time you wish and delete only the entries you want. Double-clicking on one entry will send you directly to the item in the registry where you can edit it or delete it manually.

The Defrag option will compress the registry and this operation is recommended after the cleaning of the registry as there will be some scattered empty spaces that need to be gathered together. The effect of these actions will be a significant speeding of your computer.

At the bottom of the Registry Defrag window, the current registry size will be displayed. Thus, you can compare it with the one after the defragmentation is complete.

The Undo option allows you to restore those entries in your registry that the software mis-scanned and you did not notice. You can also select the undo file and set an automatic deletion of undo files older than a couple of days.

Even if the software's simplicity is amazing, it is equipped with an Auto Run feature that allows setting the software to do a number of three tasks, without you attending to it (Backup-Cleanup-Defrag, Backup-Cleanup and Backup). The user is also provided with the option of choosing what action the software should take after completing the specified task: restart, shut down, power off the computer or notify the user either by displaying the message box or by playing a user defined sound.

In the Miscellany menu, there are only the Help and the Updates checking option.

The Good

This little utility is quite powerful and will make some order among your registry entries. The Auto Run feature completes the set of features and promises of the application.

For cleaning the registry, the user can choose between standard and manual and s/he can enter the programs that need to be excluded during the scan.

The Bad

After defragmenting your registry, your computer will require a reboot. The developer gives only a five days trial period.

The Truth

I must admit that the software made quite an impression on me. It is small and pretty accurate. Besides the reboot, I can't find anything wrong with it. The fact that it will backup your registry and allows a future restoration only increases its value.

Here are some snapshots of the application in action: