Question What Do You Think About Bitdefender's Registry Optimizer?

[accesscpu_]

About a month ago, I got some very useful advice in this thread about dumping CCleaner, and all registry cleaners moving forward. It was enough to convince me that this is both no longer needed and also not worth the risk it could FUBAR something on my system.

On my new Windows 11 install, I stick to a strict policy of only allowing Revo Uninstaller to clean the registry (with its built in clean-up tool for just those uninstalled programs and their left-over registry entries).

However, I recently found that BitDefender's Total Security has a registry cleaner built into it's Optimizer Tool (that will also clean up misc system files). I've been keeping it unchecked thus far, just to be safe.

I'm curious what people's opinion on that is, and if it's safe enough to allow it to run in the future?

 

[COLGeek]

Not necessary. It really does little, if anything, useful. I recommend no.

 

[Silas Sanchez]

I have literally used CCleaner on half a dozen machines literally running the reg cleaner once a week or even more on all my active machines, been doing this on one machine almost 15years old. 1000s of 1000s of cleans. Despite all that, all machines run like a well oiled machine and have never given me any problems, all the problems are due to Microsoft and their sheer incompetence. I guess I'm just a very lucky person. Although I have no evidence I suspect a clean after the initial setup does help with windows. If you let it all build up to much when you actually need to use it you can get into trouble. Reg Cleaners dont damage your machine.

 

[COLGeek]

I have literally used CCleaner on half a dozen machines literally running the reg cleaner once a week or even more on all my active machines, been doing this on one machine almost 15years old. 1000s of 1000s of cleans. Despite all that, all machines run like a well oiled machine and have never given me any problems, all the problems are due to Microsoft and their sheer incompetence. I guess I'm just a very lucky person. Although I have no evidence I suspect a clean after the initial setup does help with windows. If you let it all build up to much when you actually need to use it you can get into trouble. Reg Cleaners dont damage your machine.

Sorry, but many users have "well oiled" systems (so to speak) without using such apps. These apps are largely not necessary and certainly can cause issues.

That is not to say that they always cause harm, as you noted, they can be benign, but NOT necessary.