Software that optimizes or cleans the Windows Registry is useless and only misleads users, according to antivirus company MalwareBytes. Users frequently complain about registry cleaners on the forum of the antivirus vendor. Often these applications are distributed with dubious methods and therefore MalwareBytes will mark registry cleaners that are aggressively distributed as malware again. The vendor takes these measures after an increase in complaints.
The Windows Registry is a database with Windows configuration data and settings. When installing and removing software some registry keys are not properly removed. Some users think that deleting these keys or optimizing the Windows Registry will increase their system's performance. However, according to MalwareBytes, this is a placebo effect. Users are tricked by good looking animations that give the user the impression something special happens on their computer.
MalwareBytes therefore argues registry cleaners are nothing more than the digital equivalent of snake oil.
"The potential performance enhancements resulting in the use of these programs are at best miniscule and unperceivable", the company writes. "At worst, they could damage your computer so badly as to require a re-installation of the operating system."
The company underlines that also Microsoft does not support the use of registry cleaners. Nevertheless, the antivirus vendor will not mark all registry cleaners as malware.
"We can tell you these programs are snake oil, but we're not going to try and force you not to use them. We don't condone forcing stuff onto people, but forcing programs onto users is exactly how a registry cleaner would wind up flagged as a Potential Unwanted Programs (PUP) by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware", MalwareBytes concludes.
