14 DAY TRIAL // Registry entries are one of the biggest problems on the Windows platform when it comes to system performance because the more you use the system the more junk will be added to the registry. You cannot ignore the fact that, upon uninstalling different apps, some traces will still remain in the registry, clotting, expanding and fragmenting it up to the point where the system slugs and fails to provide the snappiness you got used to.
The performance depreciation process is not sudden and in most cases you notice the drag only when compared to a brisker machine. Fortunately registry entries can be dealt with, especially the invalid ones that do absolutely nothing but prevent the system from giving its best.
Wise Registry Cleaner is designed to scan the heart of Windows and detect incorrect or obsolete information in the registry in order to make the system livelier. The application is absolutely free of charge but during installation it asks you to add a third-party toolbar. However, you can de-select the feature for a clean install of Wise Registry Cleaner.
The interface is not impressive, but it is cozy and user-friendly, allowing quick access to the various functions available. The left hand side is occupied with a tree view of all the registry areas you want the app to scan and rid of obsoletes and invalids while in the right the results of the scan will be displayed.
A very important feature, very rarely seen in software of the same feather, is the labeling of the entries as safe or unsafe to fix. This means that Wise Registry Cleaner can discern between potential troublemakers that may negatively affect the system and good to delete elements the system can do better without.
But for all risks to be eliminated the application provides the necessary means to back up the current state of the registry and revert to it in case something goes wrong after the cleaning session. More than this, Wise Registry Cleaner creates a restore point in Windows upon the first launch. It is a wise way to save all configurations before using it but, as we all know, restore points come and go with time and the more you use the computer the greater the number of restore points created and the one created by Wise Registry Cleaner will be sent straight to oblivion and then eliminated from the system.
The list of registry categories Wise Registry Cleaner can sweep of invalid entries includes sub-system components, software section, application paths, file associations, shared DLLs, uninstall section, Start menu, startup, IE URL history, and empty keys. So it covers a wide range of areas and, most importantly, you can select on your own which of them should be scanned.
With its installation the application will place another icon on the desktop, besides the one starting the program, which is designed to start the software and automatically begin the scan process based on the registry selections made at the last turn-off.
Tests showed that Wise Registry Cleaner's work is more thorough than other registry cleaners out there when it comes to pinpointing the useless stuff, but in eliminating the clutter it is not as efficient. Comparison tests with other apps showed that some elements Wise Registry Cleaner could not erase on the first were discarded quite easily by its competitors. However, competition failed to detect as many obsolete and invalid entries as the software on the testbed and at a second run it successfully eliminated all useless registry data.
The list of options the app brings is not at all vast and everything is kept as simple and to the point as possible. On the other hand, a pinch of flexibility is injected and you have the possibility to create an exclusion list for Wise Registry Cleaner to leave out during registry scanning. Also, all results are displayed and checking which ones to be fixed is left in your hands (although the process can be automatic as well) and each entry can be opened in the Registry Editor straight from the software, at a right click.
Information is covered pretty well in the application and at the bottom of the main application window you will find details on the selected list entry as well as the total number of problems found, number of entries that can be safely fixed and number of entries that the software can try to fix although the procedure is not completely safe.
The Options menu is brief in settings offering auto-run, general configuration choices and editing of the exclusion list. General setup options provide an extremely useful pick, the automatic creation of registry backups before deleting anything so you can always regress to the previous state.
In the Auto Run tab you can practically configure the application to do all the fixing automatically and turn itself off. Sure, this should be enabled only if taking a closer look at what it finds is not necessary and you do not have the slightest suspicion of running the risk of detecting false positives or creating any problems.
Wise Registry Cleaner proves to be a good utility to freshen up the registry entries and get rid of obsolete or invalid data. However, it comes with its flaws when it comes to detecting all of them and it did take us more than one run to come up with a clean scan result list. Backing it up with another two or three registry cleaners will make the registry sparkling like never before.
The Good
It shows both the safe to fix entries as well as the more problematic ones leaving the more sensitive decisions in your hands. The scan process can be paused and resumed or stopped altogether at any time.
The Bad
We experienced some very hard to remove, safe to fix entries that could not be eliminated from the list no matter what. Also, cleaning of obsolete files was not completed in a single run and a second one was needed.
The Truth
Wise Registry Cleaner does pretty well on its own at scanning and detecting invalid registry entries but for a more thoroughgoing session it needs enforcement. It gives you an extremely easy to use interface and provides only the essential tools for the scanning and cleaning process as well as the necessary safety measures to revert the registry to a previous state if any problem appears.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
