Registry Mechanic vs. WinOptimizer Platinum: which is better?

Infopackets Reader B.R. Hudgens writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I just read your article regarding the Registry Mechanic v4 release, as well as the article on WinOptimizer Platinum Suite. I have not yet tried either of these utilities on my system, but plan to do so very shortly because my PC has become very sluggish.

I was wondering if you would give your opinion on the comparison of Registry Mechanic to WinOptimizer Platinum? I'm a bit confused because your article on WinOptimizer states that it cleans the System Registry (as does Registry Mechanic). And, both programs, as far as I understand, can speed up my PC as a result of the cleaning. Thanks for your time and your newsletter. I really enjoy the information! "

My response:

This is another question that I get asked frequently ;-) Before I answer your question, however, it's important to understand how the System Registry -- if left unmanaged -- can lead to performance degradation of your PC. So let's go over that, first:

1. The System Registry is a core component of Windows that stores information about your computer, including a list of all the programs installed on your system, attributes of those programs, and plenty of other details.
    
2. Over time, the Registry begins to deteriorate as programs are added and removed from the system. More often than not, a program doesn't completely remove itself once it's uninstalled, and what you end up with is a bloated Registry.
    
3. The more information [bloat] in the Registry, the longer it takes for your computer to process data. Since the System Registry is stored in your computer's memory (RAM), a bloated registry can affect nearly every aspect of your computer in terms of processing (which means longer delays when waiting for something to get done).
    
4. The Registry can also deteriorate due to Spyware infections, virus attacks, and even from installing a software program that wasn't designed properly (also known as "malware").

Now that we understand what happens to the System Registry over time, let's compare the 'healing effects' of Registry Mechanic to WinOptimizer Suite.

Compared to WinOptimizer Platinum Suite, Registry Mechanic will clean the System Registry much more thoroughly because the soul purpose of Registry Mechanic is to repair and optimize the Registry. Registry Mechanic also goes a step further than WinOptimizer by repairing deeply-rooted Registry problems that cause strange error messages, system freezes, .DLL file conflicts, and more. After running Registry Mechanic on your computer, your Registry will be leaner, nearly error-free, and more stable. In short: your computer should run smoother.

In the case of WinOptimizer Suite: WinOptimizer will clean the registry of bogus entries (for example: programs that did not uninstall properly and are now bloating the Registry). WinOptimizer does not correct deep-rooted problems in the Registry; instead, WinOptimizer is a general-purpose system cleaning utility that has the ability (more or less) to clean your entire computer and rid it of junk files, temporary Internet files, duplicate files, and more. After running WinOptimizer on your computer, your Registry will contain less bloat, but may still contain errors. On the other hand, your system should also run a lot smoother because there will be less clutter on the hard drive, which also makes a big difference in terms of processing speed. In theory: less clutter = less files to read = less time to wait.

So which program is right for you?

Both programs (in my opinion) are top notch. But, deciding which one is right for you all depends on what kind of cleaning you want to do.

If you've owned your computer for a long time and haven't reinstalled Windows in a year (or longer) and suspect that you have hundreds of junk files on your system, then go for the all-purpose cleaner (WinOptimizer).

If you've got problems with strange error messages or feel that your computer's processing time is taking too long, then I think Registry Mechanic is a better choice.

Either way, I've had tons of folks email me and thanked me for recommending both programs. If you still can't decide: use them both ;-)

And for those who missed out on the reviews for Registry Mechanic and WinOptimizer:

Registry Mechanic 4 Review

WinOptimizer Platinum Suite Review

Note: links to download either program are contained in the article links (above).