Registry Cleaners: Effective or Not?

For a while now, registry cleaning programs have been around to help users who are less familiar with system hardware troubleshoot basic PC problems.  Registry cleaning software has a good bit of controversy surrounding it; some people say it's worthless, and some people get a lot out of it.  For my part, because I've dealt with a myriad of computer problems, I've found them to be useful in some ways, but only under specific circumstances.

What registry cleaners are

Registry cleaning programs essentially go into your computer's registry, find all the weird stuff from malware and spyware programs and every other change that's been made to your system.  Some also have virus protection/elimination, or other little bonuses to help you keep your system's core running strong. 

Why they can help

Registry cleaning software can help your PC run faster by getting rid of small, invasive operations that interfere with its basic execution of tasks.  Over time, your system registry gradually becomes clogged with small files from software and hardware you've installed, as well as invasive malware that you can get just by browsing the internet if you aren't properly protected.  Even with a great malware program, there's no guarantee that you're protected from everything, because spyware and malware is constantly changing to get around anti-malware defenders.

Worth buying or not

If you're considering a registry cleaner, it basically comes down to one question: Why is your computer running slowly?  If it's malware, get a malware cleaner or do a system reformat.  If it is legitimately a registry problem and your computer has been giving you errors to indicate something's wrong with the registry, there are two solutions: try to clean it on your own or get a registry cleaning program.  Most of the software runs for around $30 and usually comes with a virus protection package; my personal favorite program which I've used on multiple computers to do registry backups and cleans includes several bonuses to help you speed up your PC.  So it's a question of time and money; either invest time learning how to fix it yourself, or just get a program that'll do the work for you.

Have a look at my personal favorite registry cleaner here.