If you use Windows, then you know that there is some extra stuff that you probably don’t really need. Windows doesn’t make it easy to remove or edit any of it, but it is possible. You could of course look up registry hacks so that you could do it on your own, or you could use software like RegToy to easily make a few tweaks without knowing how the registry works.

RegToy gives a bunch of options for you to tweak and change the Windows registry. The three main categories are System, User, and Others with their many subcategories. RegToy also works on Vista, which is nice since Vista adds many things that a user might not want. You can, for example, disable User Account Control, Windows Defender, User Tracking, etc.

There are also some nice Desktop tweaks like removing the “Shortcut to…” prefix on shortcuts, showing the Windows version on the Desktop, and removing the shortcut arrow on shortcuts. Other features include automatic logon, start menu and taskbar tweaks, startup and shutdown tweaks, and more. Another thing I just noticed is that if you click on the Utility button, then you get another two tabs for “Some WindowsXP’s Utilities” and “RegToy’s Utilities.” Under RegToy’s Utilities you will see a registry cleaner, a feature to change the wallpaper automatically (I like that feature), clear memory, shutdown scheduler, and more.

Other Registry Freeware

• RegSeeker - This includes a registry cleaner and provides some tweaks that you can apply. Doesn’t seem to have as many features as RegToy, but it is still a nice looking program.
• EasyCleaner - Another registry cleaner, but also offers some extra features like an add/remove cleaner and searching for duplicate files.

Warning: Be careful when editing the registry as it can permanently harm your computer if you don’t know what you are doing.