Registry Mechanic 3 Review

Dennis Faas's picture

Does your computer seem slower than the first day you brought it home and plugged it in? Does it report strange error messages when launching program -- or worse yet, does it periodically display the infamous Blue Screen of Death?

Typically, these symptoms are a result of a poorly configured or un-optimized System Registry.

How the Windows Registry impacts system performance and stability

Over time, programs are installed and uninstalled to Windows, and the Registry becomes bloated with incorrect and outdated information.(1) Many of the attributes contained in the Registry database point to critical system files, called Dynamic Link Libraries (or .DLL files). DLL files are typically shared by multiple programs installed on a Windows PC (such as MS Office, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer, and the like).

All too often, poorly designed programs make erroneous changes to .DLL references in the system registry, which then causes Windows to behave abnormally.(2) This type of erratic system behavior is referred to as .DLL hell, which is difficult (if not impossible) to resolve manually.(3)

Side note: The Windows Registry is a core component of the Windows Operating System. The Registry database stores everything about a computer: everything from colors, installed applications, hardware drivers -- and even changes made in the Control Panel.(4)

Introducing Registry Mechanic v3.0

With only a few mouse clicks, Registry Mechanic can scan the registry and repair invalid entries, thereby improving overall PC performance and avoiding erratic system behavior. Basic features include:

  • A simple to use, newbie-friendly interface. A few clicks are all that is needed to go from start to finish.
     
  • Removes orphaned and invalid references, increasing system speed and stability.
     
  • Scans hard drive for invalid and incorrect program shortcuts.
     
  • Performs quick-and-easy maintenance at boot up to ensure continuing optimization.
     
  • Makes backups of all changes made to the Registry so that restoration is possible.

Side note: Orphaned references are key values in the Registry which no longer point to or contain a legitimate value. An invalid Registry entry such as this can generate error messages or cause a program to stop functioning properly.

Registry Mechanic: New Features in v3.02 (July 2004)

The latest version of Registry Mechanic includes a Deep Registry Scan that will navigate its way through the registry, which identifies, suggests and repairs errors that are nested deeply in the registry. The new Deep scan technology utilizes an advanced drill-down algorithm that provides a highly efficient, safe, and intelligent registry optimizer and cleaner.

Registry Mechanic: Testing it on my Machine

After launching the program, Registry Mechanic displayed a list of checkboxes on the left hand side which corresponded to various Registry entries present on my computer.

By default, all the checkboxes are pre-checked, so that Registry Mechanic will scan all areas of the computer for errors. Noting this, I proceeded to scan my system by clicking the "Scan Now" button.

Upon completion of the scanning process, Registry Mechanic launched a new window and subdivided all the errors it found on my system into a number of categories.

In all, Registry Mechanic took a grand total of 3.5 minutes to perform a scan. I was very surprised to learn that there were 575 invalid references in my registry!

Conclusion

With 100,000+ downloads per week, Registry Mechanic is the most popular registry cleaner on the 'net. Over 2.6 million users have downloaded Registry Mechanic from download.com alone, with an overwhelming 82% of users voting in favor of the program.

Overall, Registry Mechanic is an incredibly easy to use program, requiring very little interaction to get the job done. Its interface makes it easy for virtually any PC user (especially newbies) to eliminate potential pitfalls which can lead to system instability and performance degradation.

Registry Mechanic: Download

Registry Mechanic is free to try and repairs errors in the first 6 sections of the Main screen (registration is required to repair all errors). Click below to try Registry Mechanic today -- you'll be amazed to see just how many errors it will find!

http://www.infopackets.com/articles/registry+mechanic+3.htm

Side note: Infopackets Readers can save 10% off the full purchase price of Registry Mechanic v3.0 by using the discount code "INFOPACKETSRM" (@ $26.95). Simply visit the eSellerate web site and click the "checkout" button near the bottom of the screen to enter the code on the following page. And don't forget -- a portion of the proceeds from Registry Mechanic helps to fund our website!

Update 10 / 19 / 2004: The eSellerate web site uses components of the Java programming language which may not be enabled on your machine. If you have problems purchasing through the eSellerate web site due to a Java error (even if you don't use Windows XP), you can download a supplemental install of Java directly from Sun Labs. See this previous Gazette article for more detail.

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References: (1) Why you need a Registry Cleaner, rlrouse.com, 2004. (2) Windows Technology Update, Business Data Systems, May 2002 (PDF file). (3) DLL Hell, the Inside Story, Desaware, Inc., 2004. (4) Registry for Newbies, The Newbie Club, 2004.

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