14 DAY TRIAL // Registry Cleaners
AMUST Registry Cleaner has been one of the programs I've recently had the pleasure of testing. Not only because it was on my list of things to do, but because I had recently dealt with three bluescreens in a day, had to do some annoying system restores and I just needed a program that would clean my system. I thought that this was the best way to give the program a chance and an easy way to clean my dreary excuse for a computer.
The Goods
The cleaner itself feels like it's geared primarily at users who aren't hands on as some of the more experienced power users out there. The good thing is that it doesn't limit power users into using a simple product. AMUST Registry has two modes when you start using it. Easily interchangeable between the Basic and Advanced mode, it offers a wide array of options suitable for both rookies and veterans.
In the advanced modes you're able to key in on certain features that you want worked on, like: Component subsystems, IE, Shared Components, Control Panel, MS Office, System and User MRU Lists, and Associations. If you're not interested in these features, you can perform a regular 'Express Scan', that way it'll save you time and do a basic scan without you getting too much involved.
Using AMUST's 'SmartScan' approach (if a registry entry is suspect, AMUST looks further before declaring the uncertain entry a potential problem) will save you not only time, but it greatly reduces on false positives. Alternatively this makes you wonder how many other registry cleaners tell you to remove entries that you do in fact need.
If, by chance you use a generic registry cleaner that doesn't offer backups and you erase some files that are greatly needed, well my friend, you're SOL. Luckily AMUST offers a logical and useful backup of your registry before it makes any significant changes. The thing that throws some users off is that they are more inclined to use the "Scan & Fix" option before they perform a backup of their system.
Again, fortunately for the users, AMUST also has a "Reports & Undo" function that would essentially undo the problems you have. We all know a bad registry cleanup can completely corrupt your system so a backup and an undo function are greatly appreciated, no matter what the user's comfort level is. Noteworthy of mentioning is that if your system is so corrupted that you can't even get into AMUST, you're just another one legged man at an ass kicking contest, so do yourself a favor and make a rescue disk.
A feature most users would expect to find in Reg. cleaners is some sort of compacting capability. Yes, AMUST pulls through on this aspect as well. I have to say that AMUST is one of those programs which you should use fairly often. The advantages of using it often are pretty simple: it's got good speed and scans quickly, it's got an easy to use interface and aside from that, it keeps your system clean and running optimally if you continuously run the scans.
As I said before, the GUI is actually quite simplified and has a neat lime green feel to it. It's impossible to get lost in since you can clearly see what everything does and doesn't do. A dual window pane look that separates the left side with command and the center view with the actual processes or group options. Aside from scanning, backing up and compacting, you're able to manipulate some other options as well.
If you do in fact want to run the program more often than not, you luckily don't have to manually click through everything, instead you're given a straightforward scheduler. It lets you scan, backup, and compact your registry. For admins, a nice feature that's included is the ability to send a log file of everything that was done in your absence.
Under the settings menu, you can add or remove entries from your 'Ignore List' along with changing your backup and undo directories.
The Good
The program's usefulness and speed are what set it apart from the rest. Yes, it might not pick up all the potential registry errors, but that's only because of its SmartScan approach. It has backup functionality and undo capabilities. The GUI's definitely clean.
The Bad
You should always take everything anyone says with a grain of salt. Yes, it's fast and somewhat good, the SmartScan approach does leave some gaps. I thought that some of the best Registry cleaners were those the likes of 'RegOrganizer' and 'WinTools prof.' One would have to compare it with a lot of other registry cleaners before settling on AMUST. I also felt that 'Registry Mechanic' also did a better job than AMUST. I would like to just see a little more from the product.
The Truth
The truth is that it's not one of the best products on the market, but it will get the job done fairly well. It's very clean, GUI wise and that will attract a lot of people. Even though it's not the best out there, I still thought that most users could potentially benefit from using and having this program. The simplicity of it all makes it worthwhile. So it draws me into giving a 4/5 for that reason alone.
Check out the pics below.
