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

So although Windows is meant to be an operating system targeted at consumers, it lacks the necessary tools to check, maintain, and repair one of the most parts of the OS, the registry. If a consumer suspects he has a problem with the registry, he has to somehow find an expert who can check if that is the case. In short, he is screwed.

Are you able to fix anything that might go wrong with your car, or any of the appliances in your home?  All of those things are "targeted at consumers."

So although Windows is meant to be an operating system targeted at consumers, it lacks the necessary tools to check, maintain, and repair one of the most important parts of the OS, the registry. If a consumer suspects he has a problem with the registry, he has to somehow find an expert who can check if that is the case. In short, he is screwed.

It's not about the size of the registry.  It's not about the speed of the PC.  Performance can mean different things.

The issue is this:

Orphaned Registry Entries can cause issues when you reinstall or upgrade an application.

I don't think anyone will deny that there can be problems with the registry.  The problem is that people who have no business messing with the registry think that in general,  "errors" in the registry affect speed and performance.  In general, they do not, and the so-called "average user" who thinks he's doing routine maintenance by "cleaning" the registry is more likely to do harm by using a registry cleaner.   In many cases, an experienced user can use regedit to fix specific problems, so even then a registry cleaner is unnecessary.   Even in cases such as the one you describe, it's not possible to positively identify all of the registry entries that are related to a specific problem.  People who are completely ignorant of the workings of the registry should not, under any circumstances, attempt to "clean" it. 

Let me get this straight. If you are experiencing problems with Windows caused by the registry, and you're not an experienced user, do not use a registry cleaner, and do not use regedit.  Just accept you're screwed, because Microsoft has no utilities for you to help you to fix that stupid registry thing. Is that what you're trying to tell us? 

If you have a specific problem that you know is being caused by a registry anomaly and you have been given explicit instructions for fixing it by a reliable source and you feel comfortable editing the registry, go for it. The alternative is getting help from someone who knows what she's doing.

It's not about the size of the registry.  It's not about the speed of the PC.  Performance can mean different things.

The issue is this:

Orphaned Registry Entries can cause issues when you reinstall or upgrade an application.

I don't think anyone will deny that there can be problems with the registry.  The problem is that people who have no business messing with the registry think that in general,  "errors" in the registry affect speed and performance.  In general, they do not, and the so-called "average user" who thinks he's doing routine maintenance by "cleaning" the registry is more likely to do harm by using a registry cleaner.   In many cases, an experienced user can use regedit to fix specific problems, so even then a registry cleaner is unnecessary.   Even in cases such as the one you describe, it's not possible to positively identify all of the registry entries that are related to a specific problem.  People who are completely ignorant of the workings of the registry should not, under any circumstances, attempt to "clean" it. 

Let me get this straight. If you are experiencing problems with Windows caused by the registry, and you're not an experienced user, do not use a registry cleaner, and do not use regedit.  Just accept you're screwed, because Microsoft has no utilities for you to help you to fix that stupid registry thing. Is that what you're trying to tell us?

If you lack the ability to edit the registry, you should not be using an automated tool to do it for you.  If you keep doing it, sooner or later you will come to grief, especially using a Norton product.