The Windows registry is a database which stores files related to your computers settings for all the hardware, software, applications, preferences, control panel and profiles that the operating system needs for functioning properly. It is an extremely crucial part of any Windows operating system and the OS keeps accessing the registry and registry files all the time for performing different functions. However, with continued use over a period of time, the registry becomes more than full of information, a lot of which is redundant, corrupt or invalid. This trash in the registry bloats up your Windows XP registry and causes the system to slow down. A corrupt registry also hampers the performance of your operating system, making it difficult to open and close programs while slowing down the booting up process of your computer.

Cleaning up your Windows XP registry has become quite a simple job, thanks to the large amount of software that is available online for this purpose. However, the extremely large number of registry cleaners available for download has led to the decision of selecting a registry cleaner software becoming tougher for all of us. While Reg Cure, Reg Sweep, Error Nuker, Registry Easy, Registry Repair Pro and Reg Clean are some of the best XP registry cleaners available in the market, there are many others which also offer the same features. You can easily hone down on the best registry cleaners for your Windows XP operating system by judging it on the basis of the pointers given below:

Select a registry cleaning software that has been created especially for use with Windows XP or has been upgraded for XP. This would ensure that all the errors that can occur within an XP registry have been taken care of. Otherwise, if you want to try a software catering for other operating systems as well, then use a program that has been known for reliability and quality.

Secondly, it is important to select a registry cleaning program that comes with an automatic backup and restore feature. This ensures that if something goes wrong with the system after a cleaning operation, the system can be restored to its previous state using the software restore option.

Whichever registry cleaner you use, it should come with both custom and auto scanning features. This way, you can always instruct the software regarding what to scan and what not to scan, saving both time and effort.

Almost all the best registry cleaning programs give their users the option of deleting and correcting registry errors either manually or automatically. While it would be best if you buy a program that offers both options, you can also go in for one that has only automatic deletion or manual deletion based on your level of expertise and interest.

The best registry cleaner programs offer a lot more than just registry cleaning. Some of the best XP registry cleaners also have a number of optimizing features and tools like registry defragmenter, start up optimizer and junk file remover etcetera built into the program. Choose a registry cleaner that has the maximum number of optimizing features.