Windows XP has quickly proven itself to be one of the most versatile, popular and well known operating systems that are available and this is surprising given that there is a raft of other operating systems on offer, and which offer new and more modern features.

Another issue that makes this widespread popularity rather impressive is that for all its benefits and positive aspects, the Windows XP operating system features a rather glaring flaw in its composition, and that is the registry of the operating system. Whenever we install or delete software, change our settings on the desktop, alter the keyboard setting, add new hardware or update existing hardware a record of all of this is kept in the registry database.

Unfortunately, if the registry was a little more than a checking account in which details were stored then this would not be such a big issue because that way, if the values in it were corrupted then the end result would not be quite so dire because they simply could not be read. However, the registry and the “keys” stored within it are typically relied upon in order to access a number of different programs as well as to ensure that the different programs actually work in the correct manner. This means that the user has a vested interest in ensuring that their registry is kept clean and secure.

The computer user should exercise a great deal of caution when it comes to downloading a registry cleaner program, especially one that is free. Many hackers and internet criminals have created registry cleaner programs that either actively infect and cause damage to the registry and its contents, or which have malicious programs (known as viruses, malware or Trojan horses) attached to them.

Either way the end result is the same: critical information is accessed by a dangerous program and this means that the safety of the entire machine is then placed under a considerable level of risk. That does not mean that ALL free registry cleaner programs are risky and will pose a threat to the user, nor does that mean that all registry cleaner programs that require payment for their use are 100% reliable.

The problem is that even with the most professionally tested and created registry cleaner program there is always the risk that essential files are corrupted, destroyed or permanently deleted. This is not always due to sloppily designed code, in many cases, problems arise whenever a computer owner uses a registry cleaner to fix their computer, because the registry cleaner program actually ends up being too successful!

As previously mentioned earlier within the article, viruses and malware (in whatever shape they should take)can and will corrupt registry keys. In attempt to remedy this flawed information, the legitimate and authentic registry cleaner program will then attempt to remove the corrupted entries which then means that the entire key is removed with no replacement inserted in its place.

To put an analogy on it: a person suffers from an abscess in their tooth, which causes them considerable pain. Conservative means of treating the pain have failed, and all other methods of minimizing the damage have been exhausted.

The dentist may remove the tooth to prevent further infection as well as to provide some much needed pain relief, but the grim reality is that the patient is then left with a major gap in their mouth. If left unchecked, this can mean that the mechanical process of eating is impaired.

This is why industry experts advise computer owners that prevention is better than the cure when it comes to registry cleaner programs.

I hope this article has been informative and has given you more of an insight into registry cleaner software.

If you would like to learn more about the top 5 registry cleaners available on the net go to: http://top5registrycleaners.net