Program: Registry Mechanic
Author: PCTools
Platform: Windows 9x/ME, NT, 2K, XP
License: $29.95
Link: http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/purchase/?ref=afl_spywareinfo

If it has been some time since you last installed Windows, then your computer's registry is probably a horrible mess. Everything you do on your computer leaves traces in the registry, from picking through the start menu, opening program, installing programs and surfing the web. These traces build up over time and fill your registry with unneeded junk.

Even after uninstalling them, many programs leave invalid entries throughout the registry and it is nearly impossible to remove them all. If you ever have had a problem with Windows telling you a file is missing after you restart it, this probably is because of an invalid registry entry.

Registry Mechanic scans your entire registry to find these junk entries. It also checks your shortcuts to find those pointing to non-existent programs. Once it has scanned, it lists every invalid registry entry and every shortcut pointing to a missing file and lets you delete them with the click of a button.

Every entry that is removed is backed up, in case you need to restore something. Depending on how long it has been since you installed Windows, you might see a small difference to a dramatic increase in performance and stability.