What is the BEST Registry Cleaner for Win 7 Ultimate or Pro 64 Bit version OS ?

"I base my opinion on the fact that when my computer starts running sluggish I can clean the registry and it fixes it"

This has been my experience too.  I started using Norton 360 6 years ago and have used the built-in registry cleaner ever since and never had a problem.  But if I do have a problem with the way the computer is running (or not running!) I run that and it fixes it.  I am not an expert, but if something works and is a good tool and has never caused me any problems, I like it.

I found this thread because Norton 360 has been 'upgraded' to Norton Security and no longer has the registry cleaner in it.  I have been reassured many times over that it is not necessary, especially now I use Windows 7 rather than XP.  I went with this advice - a week later I am experiencing the same annoying glitches I have previously found are fixed by running the registry cleaner.  It just isn't running smoothly, things not loading sometimes, things loading slowly, freezes etc.

Being a non geek, what I liked about the reg cleaner in Norton 360 was it seemed to be intelligent and conservative.  It removed things that fixed the issue, but never caused me a problem with the system.  In fact the only thing that has ever caused me to have to reinstall was a Windows update for IE 11.

So I want to know what to replace it with.  Norton Utilities has a registry cleaner but I am told it is not the same as the one in Norton 360.  I personally don't like CCleaner - I used the registry cleaner once and messed up my installation because I am not expert enough to know which entries to delete and which ones to keep (Norton 360 did that for me).

I have had 6 years of problem-free computing on both XP and Windows 7 with Norton 360 installed and using the registry scanner regularly.  I have never once had a virus or malware.  I would like to continue in this way and not go back to glitches and freezes and things not loading or whatever.  The biggest problems with that used to be after installing or uninstalling a program (particularly Adobe programs) - running the registry cleaner fixed it.

So I am also looking for a good, conservative registry cleaner.  And shame on Norton for removing it from their Internet Security product (especially when I paid for it up-front!).

Has anyone tried the registry cleaner in Norton Utilities 16?  I would happily pay a one-off licence fee for it if it is as good as the one that was in 360.

The reason you would want to use a registry cleaner is for invalid shortcuts and dead or corrupted scripts left inside your registry.

Most programs made for use in Window is suppose to get all of this out when deleted, sadly this isn't always the case.

There are 1 or 2 out there that can help the casual PC enthusiast with a one button feature, but most of these programs are for use with advanced users.

Before using any registry cleaner you should back-up your current registry by typing into the command prompt regedit.  For full instructions look into Windows Help under "backing up the registry.".

I require my PC to run at it's most optimum so I do employ a registry cleaner, but be warned! I am a very advanced user and I can dig myself out of any OS problem, the same may not be said for most users and you are looking for trouble if you attempt to deal with your own registry!

Avoid questionable software, software that offers deals and toolbars is in my book loaded with spyware and junk that will only clog up your registry and cause you PC to run slow at startup or just plain run like your old PC running Windows 98. 

There's a paradox at work here--registry cleaners should be used only by advanced users, but advanced users are the ones who should know that registry cleaners are unnecessary.  You say that you use a registry cleaner because you ".,,require [your] PC to run at it's most optimum..." but there is simply no objective evidence that registry cleaners will help in that regard.  An "advanced" user will know how to use regedit to find and remove keys that are causing issues, and the main issues caused have nothing to do with PC performance in general.  Some programs, once installed and uninstalled, will leave information behind in the registry that makes a re-installation difficult or impossible.   Norton and McAfee antivirus products are notorious for this, but they provide removal tools so that even using regedit isn't necessary in most cases.

Microsoft does make one it is called Regedit and it comes with the copy of Windows you have right now.

The reason you would want to use a registry cleaner is for invalid shortcuts and dead or corrupted scripts left inside your registry.

Most programs made for use in Window is suppose to get all of this out when deleted, sadly this isn't always the case.

There are 1 or 2 out there that can help the casual PC enthusiast with a one button feature, but most of these programs are for use with advanced users.

Before using any registry cleaner you should back-up your current registry by typing into the command prompt regedit.  For full instructions look into Windows Help under "backing up the registry.".

I require my PC to run at it's most optimum so I do employ a registry cleaner, but be warned! I am a very advanced user and I can dig myself out of any OS problem, the same may not be said for most users and you are looking for trouble if you attempt to deal with your own registry!

Avoid questionable software, software that offers deals and toolbars is in my book loaded with spyware and junk that will only clog up your registry and cause you PC to run slow at startup or just plain run like your old PC running Windows 98.

VMS dates from 1977, Windows-NT from 1993. Dave Cutler was one of the designers of VMS, and he later went to Microsoft to develop Windows-NT.

Bill Gates is an excellent businessman, not an excellent programmer. He even bought PC-Dos!