Email article
Software reviewed in this article:
Version reviewed:
Supported OS:
Windows 98 and higher
Price:
$19.95 (USD) but you can get it for free for a limited time at Giveawayoftheday.com!
Software description as per the developer:
Registry Repair Pro scans the Windows Registry for invalid or obsolete information. When you fix this information it will make your PC run faster and will eliminate many of the errors Windows may have. By using Registry Repair Pro regularly and fixing your registry, your computer will become more stable and help Windows and your software run faster.
Full Review:
For today’s review I decided to make it short and sweet simply because this software has turned me off, to a high degree – stay away from Registry Repair Pro. Registry Repair Pro is yet another “I-will-work-magic-on-your-computer-by-cleaning-your-registry” software. It is not that the program itself is that bad; I installed it and ran it just to see how things are. It found ~350 errors which is not unreasonable (and inline with other registry cleaners that I trust fully), it has scheduling features, registry backups are made in .REG format, there is the ability to include/exclude keys, users can view the errors found and decide which errors they want to fix, etc. Of course I didn’t fix any errors simply because the trial version limits you to fixing 15 errors only and thus I wouldn’t be able to evaluate if Registry Repair Pro fixes errors properly or not, but I found the program itself to be fairly professional; in terms of features I don’t have many, if any, complaints about the software. The problem is how the developer markets the software.
As is the norm, I went to the program’s homepage to download Registry Repair Pro so I could evaluate it. The first thing I saw was a scareware ad:
Whoever said first impressions are not everything was dead wrong, because seeing the scareware ad first thing on a registry cleaner’s website really hurt its credibility, and image, regardless of the fact if the program itself is quality or not. To add icing onto the cake, exiting the website is a nuisance with the user being prompted to chat with a sales person and having to confirm if they want to leave the website or not, and the installer comes bundled with a toolbar (freebie or freeware software I would understand, but commercial software comes with a toolbar… seriously?). Maybe I am being a bit cranky today (okay I am definitely being cranky), but a software like this doesn’t deserve a full review and should be shunned at first sight. Why risk using Registry Repair Pro when there are quality, time tested alternatives such as the freebies of jv16 PowerTools 2009, WinUtilities Professional Edition, Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2010 Advanced, and TuneUp Utilities 2008, and freeware software CCleaner and Glary Utilities.
/rant over
I like this short review.
Thanks Ashraf.
Thanks Ashraf for your review, and wellcome back, seriously i missed your presence.
Assalamualaikum, Ashraf!
It is nice to see you back doing GOTD review. I thought you went to South Africa for watching World Cup but returning home after your favorite country got kicked away. :-9
Thanks a bunch.
Hum…How does it feel to be back…?
c’mon Ashraf – tell us how you really feel about this one!
8-))
Good on you Ashraf – you tell it like it is! Welcome back, too!
To compound things, the Registry Repair Pro website gets a red rating from WOT. Also, Emisoft (the maker of A2 AV) have this to say about it (http://www.emsisoft.de/en/malware/Adware.Win32.Registry_Repair_Pro-remove.aspx):
“Name: Adware.Win32.Registry Repair Pro
Risklevel: Elevated Risk
Company: 3BSoftware – http://www.3bsoftware.com/
Description:
Registry Repair Pro is a rogue security program that shows false errors in the system registry. It also shows false warnings.”
Install at your own risk.
Thanks for the review of this product Ashraf. You are sorely missed from the GOTD. In fact I am scared to install almost anything that is given away free unless you have given it the thumbs up! I am sure that you have already saved me a lot of heartache. Welcome back.
AHRAF so good to have you back, hope you enjoyed your vacation. As usual you have given your readers a valuable insight into a GOTD software offering – I never download any GOTD program until I have read your review, so I have really missed you for the last few weeks. Thanks for all your hard work.
Great to have you back Ashraf!
Your review was good. No need to go into any other detail about a company that uses the tactics that this one does to get sales.
I also think that GOTD should have checked things out before allowing this to be offered. Just my opinion…..and as they’re well known for….they’ve deleted my comment for pointing that out.
Anyhow….Hope you enjoyed your vacation! :D
HI
thank you ashraf and wellcome back..
i like to test and try softwares that i dont know but when i visited this software website to download it , i found that scareware and the annoying popup window when you leave the websit ,
So i canceled the download .
Thanks Ashraf for the review of this product.
When I try to visit their homepage WOT reputation is very poor.
As you said before I always prefer those software you mention instate of this.
Great rant-loved it! ’bout time someone told it like it is.Most of these are snake oil and/or a disaster waiting to happen anyway.I would add ASC to that list for those so inclined to use this type of utility,but when it comes to registries and cleaners designed to maintain them,it’s like sweeping out one parking space in a lot the size of Montana-think about it!
good review, short and honest :D
welcome back :)
Welcome back Ashraf, we missed you! Thanks for the review. It is so very reassuring to have a computer savvy person help all of us with these programs. Thanks again.
Since then, the developer has posted an apology at GOTD, saying that someone had linked to a “very old landing page”; a new, professional landing page (“the most current”) now appears. (However, the intrusive exit strategy remains.)
Welcome back, Ashraf–hope the vacation was a good one! And thanks for providing info. on the GOTD offering itself–helpful, despite the developer’s shenanigans.
This is a (slightly corrected) copy of my comment (#22) posted on todays GAOTS’s page.
>
Hi,
@Ashraf: Nice to have you back!! Hope you enjoyed your vacation!
@ all:
- registry cleaners are no game for newbies. Do some extensive background studying first
- each cleaner is slightly different but always decide very carefully what you really NEED to get rid of before deleting anything
- Ashraf’s suggestions for free alternatives are OK, I’ve tested those myself and use them on a regular basis because of many (trial) installs/uninstalls, removal of document collections for study purposes that become obsolete, etc. (my preference: CCleaner: fast, easy and complete enough for my purposes – use in conjunction with Defragller).
So, I will pass on this one.
Greetz!
Patrick.
PS:
about scareware and adds, see http://dottech.org/ask-dottechies/16627#comments : Ask dotTechies: What are your thoughts on third party offers/advertisements bundled with program installers? - where I intend to post some ideas/opinion(s) shortly.
THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF.
…so it is said.
Good to see you back Ashraf, and i thought you were on holiday ;) what’s with the 4 articles in one day, it’s not like you :O
Unless you were so well rested that you worked at super speed to do the articles. ;)
Personally when i see a program i look at it’s name first, if the name has had some thought put into it then it is probably ok, this one “Registry repair Pro”……. a dog could have thought of that……….Next it’s the website, if they throw messages up, then im gone and i ain’t coming back. Then i look at an image of the program, and on first site this one can be seen as well………there’s no polite word for it. Last thing, if they passed the first two, i will download it and test it, if it’s junk i junk it if not, then……………i will probably still junk it, who needs this when we have great prgrams like Glary Utilities and JV 16 Powertools, or even CCleaner.
Oh and Ashraf……………..Welcome back *cool* << (my fail at HTML trying to put the smiley face with shades on)
Nice to have you back Ashraf and for the nice short review. Many thanks to Locutus for keeping us busy this summer!
I knew that this software would be useless for us (lol !).
Welcome back on your site Ashraf !
Welcome back Ashraf!
I have long given up on searching or trying out new registry cleaners. I’ll always stick with CCleaner and WinUtilities, until something goes wrong…which I doubt.
All these sleezeballs need is for only 2% of the newbies to try it and buy it.
I hate, hate, hate this type of marketing.
Oh, and welcome back. I missed you.
Ashraf, glad you’re back (tho’ Locutus did a fine job while you were out!).
I like the honesty in this review, I wouldn’t have tried the program at all given all the red flags it raises. It also reminds me of why I quit going to GAOTD several months ago. Their idea of “safe” software doesn’t match mine, too many programs were getting caught by Avira and confirmed bad on VirusTotal.com. I’m checking back now only to get newer versions of any of the good programs I got there, but I don’t trust anything new.
Glad to see you’re back. I missed your reviews.