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20 May 2011 By ABradney-George

The Risks Of Downloading A Registry Cleaner Free

20 May

Thinking of downloading a registry cleaner free instead of paying for one? Here we look at some risks involved to give you an idea of whether it's worth it.

Slow, virus-damaged or old computers may all benefit from registry cleaner software, but at what cost? The debate about whether registry cleaners are useful or not means many people may not want to pay for software, yet downloading a registry cleaner free has another set of risks.

While there are legitimate free registry cleaners, like CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare, this software category changes rapidly and there are many downloads which may not help optimize PC performance. To shed some light on the situation, below are some of the most common problems registry cleaner freeware can cause.

Virus Dangers From Downloading A Registry Cleaner For Free

Everyone wants to have the fastest and smoothest running PC available, which is why scammers often base malicious software downloads around performance software like registry cleaners. Often the software will make itself known through pop ups suggesting the registry needs to be cleaned up, but downloading it can cause more problems than it solves. Performing a quick search for reviews on the software, or downloading from a trusted website are ways around this problem.

A Hidden Price Tag For The Registry Cleaner Freeware

Once a free, legitimate registry cleaner has been downloaded, it may prompt users to register the software for a fee. It could be that a trial version was downloaded instead of a free version, or simply bad advertising, but it does mean users will be prompted to pay up every now and then.

The System Slows Down After Software Is Installed

The Windows Registry is not something that should be tampered with by everyday users, however, that does not mean that software will always do what it promises. If a registry cleaner is not compatible with the computer, it could end up slowing things down even more, or deleting important information by mistake. To reduce the risks of this, make sure everything is backed up before downloading any new software.

There is a fine line between performance optimization software that works and software that does not work. It can often be safer not to toe this line with a free software download, but otherwise the best thing to do is make sure the software is legitimate, compatible and that everything else is backed up before performing a registry clean.