Is RegCure a Wonder Cure?

I recently downloaded RegCure software, but I have to buy the full version of the app for a complete system repair. Is RegCure.com a reputable company?

That’s a good question, Ted, as a few things about RegCure.com certainly seem suspicious, including a slick-looking website with no phone number in sight and a product that’s being pimped all over the Internet by websites that some would regard as shady. Despite that, RegCure and the maker of the software, ParetoLogic, are real. The company employs 110 people and is a member of the Software Information Industry Association.

RegCure was reviewed and recommended by Financial Times tech writer Paul Taylor, who said he preferred the software over Registry Mechanic 5.2 because “…it has additional features, including the ability to manage the programs that launch when Windows fires up.”

The Vancouver Island branch of the Better Business Bureau also gives ParetoLogic a thumbs up and notes that the company has been in business since 2004 and is an accredited BBB member. The BBB says that although the company has logged 47 complaints within the last three years (with 26 of those coming in the last 12 months), the company has satisfactorily addressed all of the issues. If it didn’t, the company wouldn’t be accredited by the BBB.

So everything’s fine, right? The Dog isn’t sure. A search for user experiences on the Internet reveals some pretty pissed-off customers. At Complaintsboard.com, the overwhelming opinion is that RegCure has a tendency to break things rather than fix them, with many people reporting that they had to perform a system restore to get their machines working after using the software. RegCure itself claims to fix corruption problems with registry keys and classes, remove invalid DLL entries, and clear empty registry keys. It also says that it fixes program shortcuts, lets you manage Windows startup items, and backs up the registry for you.

The Dog decided to give RegCure a spin, so he installed it on a clean copy of Windows XP Professional with the newly released Service Pack 3 integrated. The version was newly created in Virtual PC 2007. Could there possibly be problems with a clean install of XP? According to RegCure, yes. The software found 335 problems related to COM/ActiveX entries, application paths, and file/path references, and 199 empty registry keys. Curious to see if another registry repair utility would find as many problems, the Dog reverted to the original install and gave the freeware Crap Cleaner a spin. Although more of a decrufter, Crap Cleaner also features a registry scanner. On the clean install, Crap Cleaner found 12 problems and, of course, offered to fix them for free.

RegCure reported problems with a completely new install of Windows XP.

Thinking the issue might possibly be with Service Pack 3, the Dog created a new virtual machine using a Windows XP CD provided by Microsoft. The disc holds the original 2001 version of XP Pro and does not feature any patches or service packs and is limited to the native driver support that XP uses. Crap Cleaner again found 12 issues with the original XP. RegCure found 318. So you do have to wonder what exactly the program is finding.

The Dog asked ParetoLogic about the complaints and problems that RegCure found. “RegCure is a logic-based program that looks for specific registry inconsistencies. Each check box applies a different type of logic to identify issues. Without seeing the results of your scan, our best guess is that the majority of the results are related to empty registry keys. Since the registry is just a database and a program can use it in any fashion it chooses, occasionally our logic detects false positives. We do have a whitelist to mitigate and avoid such issues, and we regularly update it to include any false positives that we have found,” said Amanda Cooper, a spokeswoman for ParetoLogic. She said the company is waiting for SP3 to be released before doing a full round of tests with it. Cooper said she understands the Dog’s concerns regarding the large number of negative comments and said the company has been going to forums to answer questions and offer support if required.

“I regret the frustration and difficulties that consumers experience with their registries, and while I respect the feedback in online posts about registry cleaners in general and RegCure in particular, I am fortunate to see all the testimonials that come in daily from our customers, so I do know that it is a product that computer users are finding effective and useful,” Cooper said

What’s the Dog’s take? At this point, the Dog isn’t convinced that any registry cleaners actually work, as he has never known them to actually improve performance. This isn’t just RegCure, but registry scanners going back through the years. Though some of the marketing for RegCure may be questionable, ParetoLogic is certainly real. What’s your take? The Dog would like to hear. Woof.

EMAIL THE WATCHDOG If you feel you’ve gotten a raw deal and need assistance setting a vendor straight, email the Dog at watchdog@maximumpc.com. Please include a detailed explanation of your problem as well as any correspondence you have sent concerning the issue.

COMMENTS:

2

TAGS: 

Watchdog, windows xp, registry, regcure

Comments Print Email