Antivirus Programs vs. Registry Cleaners

If your computer has been behaving erratically, takes forever to boot up or shut down, or redirects your browser to undesirable sites, you may be questioning whether you should get an antivirus program vs. registry cleaners.

What are viruses?

A computer virus is a program that has the ability to copy itself and infect a computer without your permission, or you knowledge of it happening. Viruses are programs that are developed to deliberately interfere with your computer’s operation, delete, corrupt or record data, and are usually designed to spread to other computers and throughout the Internet. Basically, computer viruses interferes with your computer’s ability to operate. They are most commonly spread via e-mail attachments and Internet downloads. They can also be imbedded in pirated software or other programs and files you may download off of the Web.

Antivirus programs

Antivirus programs prevent, detect and take action against malicious software, such as worms and viruses, by disarming and removing them. Antivirus programs counteract phishing attacks, malware, Trojans and rootkits. They are the best way to keep your computer safe from harmful programs.

Registry cleaners

Registry cleaners do a job that is different from, but related to, antivirus programs. These software utility programs remove entries from your registry that are unnecessary or no longer in use. This includes entries left over from software that has not been uninstalled properly and settings that are required for viruses and spyware to operate on your system. Registry cleaners perform a deep scan to your registry, designates problem areas and repairs or deletes them.

Antivirus program vs. registry cleaners: a comparison

If you are trying to keep your computer free of horses, rootkits, malware, phishing attacks, Trojans or worms, your best bet is to get a good antivirus program. In fact, you should have one regardless of your Internet surfing habits – this malicious software can create terrible problems for your system and can even be the root of identity theft or the theft of vital information.

On the other hand, whether or not your computer is virus free, you need a good registry cleaner. The reason is, even if you haven’t a single virus on your computer, just due to regular daily use, your registry will eventually become cluttered and bloated. That is simply the nature of a Windows registry. A registry cleaner will find corrupt files and vacant spaces, and clean them up – making you system operate much more quickly and with fewer glitches.

Simply put, when comparing antivirus programs vs. registry cleaners, it is best said that the two work optimally hand in hand. A registry cleaner is highly beneficial to your software and registry’s health, while an antivirus program will protect your system from damaging viruses.