Atanium PC Registry Cleaner Review

Review summary

Good points

Bad points

Our verdict

PC Registry Cleaner 2011 is one of the most popular registry-repair utilities for one reason: it works. Those who need a simple, easy-to-use piece of registry-repair software will find a lot to like with PC Registry Cleaner 2011. In fact, we were so impressed with this product that we now rank it among the best registry-repair utilities in the industry.

Full review

With dedicated customers in more than 100 nations, Atanium Software is easily one of the leading developers of system-utility software. From applications that update drivers to applications that protect systems from malware, Atanium Software offers quality products designed to meet the needs of average PC users. One of their latest releases, PC Registry Cleaner 2011, is claimed to improve the speed and stability of Windows-based systems by cleaning and repairing the registry. To test these claims, we installed PC Registry Cleaner 2011.

Setup

The installation of PC Registry Cleaner 2011 could not be simpler. After clicking through the EULA, we opted for the default installation settings and were presented with the software's main interface in less than a minute. We were also presented with a brief tutorial; it explained some of PC Registry Cleaner 2011's primary functions. After browsing through the tutorial, we started our first registry scan.

Scanning

While scanning, PC Registry Cleaner 2011 uses minimal resources, so users are free to run other applications. For those interested in observing the scan, there is a progress bar and a list of the registry errors detected. There are many types of registry errors that this scan checks for, including shortcuts, history lists, startup applications, and more. While users can determine which types of registry errors the scan will attempt to find, a complete scan takes no more than a few minutes to complete. Following the scan, users are also able to determine which errors PC Registry Cleaner 2011 will fix.

Effectiveness

When running a complete scan, PC Registry Cleaner 2011 is extremely thorough. During our initial scan, it detected hundreds of registry errors in just a few minutes. With the deep-scan feature enabled, many users will be surprised to find that the registry errors present in their systems number well over 1,000. Of course, without the ability to effectively repair these errors, PC Registry Cleaner 2011 would not be of much use to anyone. Fortunately, it is able to repair registry errors remarkably well. On our second scan, which followed its first attempt at resolving our system's registry errors, we were quite pleased to see that these errors were, for the most part, eliminated.

Safety

Without the ability to backup and restore previous versions of the Windows registry, we would have a hard time recommending a registry-repair tool. Even the best registry-repair software has the potential to cause serious problems, which necessitates the inclusion of a backup-and-restore feature. PC Registry Cleaner 2011 has full backup-and-restore functionality, which ensures that users' systems are completely protected from the potential problems that changes to the registry can cause.

Features

Scheduling – PC Registry Cleaner 2011 features the ability to schedule automatic cleanings of the Windows registry. These convenient cleanings keep systems optimized with hardly any effort required from end users.

One-click optimization – This feature makes it easy for users to run quick registry scans without much effort. As with the scheduling feature, one-click optimization is an excellent inclusion that really boosts PC Registry Cleaner 2011's ease of use.

Ease of use

When it comes to ease of use, PC Registry Cleaner 2011 receives top marks. Not only are many of its features designed to automate a great deal of the registry-repair process, its exceptional interface provides plenty of easy-to-understand information so that users are comfortable with the various actions that it performs. The status screen provides information concerning the last scan, the last optimization, and the last backup; it also contains the one-click-optimization button. From this screen, users are able to quickly and easily decide what to do and how to do it so that they can move on with other things.

Help & support

Atanium Software provides customers with support via telephone and e-mail. Their website also features a support section, but it does not really contain much useful information for PC Registry Cleaner 2011 users.

Overall

PC Registry Cleaner 2011 is an exceptionally thorough, easy-to-use system utility. While it may lack some of the extra features that competing products offer, it makes up for this with excellent performance and reliable results. It optimizes the Windows registry safely and effectively, and most users will have absolutely no trouble learning how to use this software.

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Overall
Setup
Scanning
Effectiveness
Safety
Features
Ease of use
Help & support