In the good (bad) old days, we used to use a Microsoft tool, RegClean which would scrub the Windows registry for dead information (which tended to accumulate if you removed previously installed software, and for other reasons.) This accumulation would cause your system to slow down, use more memory, and be less stable.

Microsoft stopped supporting RegClean for anything newer than Windows 98; so, if you have Win2k, XP, or Server 2003, what can you do to maintain system performance?

We used to use ToniArts EasyCleaner (older site here) which worked pretty well. I've not felt the need to use this since I don't add/remove software or components very frequently.read more »