Both a registry and general system cleaner, I would recommend the free CCleaner. It allows you to scan for registry issues and clean them up, providing an option to back up the registry in the process. Ncleaner also allows you to clean and repair the registry. Using both in combination should ensure a complete clean. 

Thank you.  I use CCleaner.  I have used another product when I had XP.  I do agree it can corrupt and put you down in the bat of an eye.............. okay well after getting the reminder I will forget about it...... I have heard though that the cleaning with Ccleaner has been pretty safe though.  I don't think it gets the really deep down stuff anyways, just the miner things.......and I will have seconds thoughts about that now as well.

Thank you again.. 

while there is much heated debate on the subject of registry cleaners --- some swear by them, others swear at them --- i personally do not recommend the general public make "routine" use of registry cleaners.   you can find hundreds of "free" registry scanners (some of which purport to find "tons" of problems, only to then require you pay for the cleaning)... each one asserting it's "better" than competitors, because it can find more "problems".    the bottom line to me is this:

1) with the multi-gigahertz speed of modern processors, even if a registry cleaner were to find and "fix" hundreds (or even thousands) of so-called "obsolete" entries, you wouldn't even notice a nano-second's difference in your boot-up time [unless the entry is trying to access an empty floppy drive or something like that].  moreover,

2) a registry cleaner must be absolutely perfect in its algorithm/decisions:   removing even one "critical" registry key can render your pc totally unbootable.  

so is it really worth the risk (of killing your PC) when the reward (if successful) is essentially negligible??

again, that's my opinion, for what it's worth.

[Note:  emphasize here that i'm talking about "routine" registry cleaning, whose sole claim is to remove tons of entries in the hope of allegedly speeding up your system.   this must be contrasted from the rare, but occasional need, for "strategic" registry editing, when done under expert guidance [and when no automated alternative is readily available].

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the virus/spyware forum people, while advocating the use of CCleaner for its superb ability to remove unneeded (temporary) files, nevertheless do NOT recommend using its registry cleaning module.

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if my/their comments are not deemed reliable enough, here's what the real experts have to say (link courtesy of Joe53):

http://www.whatthetech.com/2007/11/25/do-i-need-a-registry-cleaner/

No matter what type you use remember to use caution.

If you accidentally delete important entries you could muck up the system.

Some state that you never need to clean the registry, others disagree.

But use caution and know what you are deleting otherwise you will have a nice corrupted operating system.

Sarahsmom,

If you are using CCLEANER for cleaning up files, then that is fine.  I use it for cleaining up cookies, temp files, etc..but I do not (or rarely) use the Registry cleaner portion.  

But I have never had an issue with using CCLEANER to clean up all the temp files, etc.  So you should feel safe in using that.

Someone on Wilders Forums in a discussion about reg cleaners summed it up nicely about registry entries - "its better to have 10 too many, than 1 too less".

Ah a very good thought and saying, thank you......... makes a lot of sense to me........:smileyhappy: