Is Registryoptimizer.exe a Virus?

Most optimizer tools have a bad reputation because malware and viruses just love to mimic them. When you download an optimizer for your computer, especially from a third party website, there is a huge chance that it could either be fake or malicious.

However, this is not to say that there are no genuine PC optimization tools out there. There are several optimizers that actually do their job, you just need to know where to find them. One of these utilities that are often mistaken for malware is registryoptimizer.exe. As the name suggests, this piece of software cleans up, repairs, and optimizes the Windows registry.

Unfortunately, a lot of Windows users have reported experiencing performance issues when the registryoptimizer.exe process is running, making them believe that this tool is malicious.

Is registryoptimizer.exe a virus? Or is registryoptimizer.exe a legit file? This article will discuss what this optimizer software does and how to determine whether it is malicious or not.

What is Registryoptimizer.exe?

We all know that the more applications are installed on your computer and the more changes you do in the system, the more entries will be created in the Windows registry and it will become congested, causing your PC to slow down. This is where registryoptimizer.exe is useful. This utility scans for damaged entries and tries to repair them as much as possible.

Registryoptimizer.exe or WinZip Registry Optimizer is categorized as a Windows registry repair software created by WinZip International LLC. It is designed to restore potentially damaged or broken registry entries by scanning for those that point to files that have been deleted from your computer.

When you install the file, the installation folder should be found here: C:\Program Files\WinZip Registry Optimizer\ and the path to the winzipro.exe executable should point here: C:\Program Files\winzip registry optimizer\winzipro.exe.

WinZip Registry Optimizer is a lightweight utility, with the installer only about 13MB in size.

Is Registryoptimizer.exe a Legit File?

Is registryoptimizer.exe a virus? A lot of Windows users are wondering whether the registryoptimizer.exe process running in the background is malicious or not. This doubt in the app’s authenticity should be attributed to some of the behaviours exhibited by WinZip Registry Optimizer.

You see, after installing the utility, you’ll notice three tasks that are automatically scheduled on your computer. These tasks are the following:

• RegistryOptimizer.exe has been scheduled as a task titled ‘Start WinZip Registry Optimizer 8b9a3b9d2ae2488d for DESKTOP-8D9O5SL@wyvie’.
• Winzipro.exe has been scheduled as a task with the class ‘{739B3300-2A48-4990-8E58-87B5A8425FE3}’.
• unins000.exe has been scheduled as a task with the class ‘{923961F0-A226-4999-A34B-9A9D4AA34F77}’.

You’ll also find two scheduled tasks during login, namely:

• RegistryOptimizer.exe is automatically loaded during startup as a scheduled task named Start WinZip Registry Optimizer for DESKTOP.
• Winzipro.exe is automatically loaded at startup via a scheduled task with the class {FEB2E22A-1E09-42E1-AFB1-AB05DF7EC87F}.

These behaviours lead some Windows users to suspect that this utility is actually malicious. However, these are normal actions for the registryoptimizer.exe software, and a lot of apps behave this way as well.

If you want to determine whether registryoptimizer.exe is malicious or not, you need to look at a few things and compare what you have on your computer with the known default information for this software. Here are some of the details you should consider.

Check the installation folder of the file. Go to Task Manager, right-click on registryoptimizer.exe, then choose Open file location. This should lead you to the installation folder, which is C:\Program Files\WinZip Registry Optimizer\. If you see a different folder, then there is a chance that what you have is fake or malicious.

In the installation folder, you should also see these additional files that were installed together with the app:

• RegistryOptimizerUpdater.exe – RegistryOptimizerUpdater Module
• RegistryOptimizer.exe – WinZip Registry Optimizer
• Uninstall.exe – WinZip Registry Optimizer installer
• Winzipro.dll
• WROUninstall.exe
• FileExtensionManager-vc100-mt.dll – File Extension Manager library
• tray.exe
• CleanSchedule.exe
• unins000.exe – Setup/Uninstall

Another way to check the authenticity of registryoptimizer.exe is by looking at the app signature. The genuine registryoptimizer.exe should be signed by WinZip Computing. You can check this by right-clicking on the registryoptimizer.exe entry, then choosing Properties > Digital Signatures.

Should Registryoptimizer.exe Be Removed?

If there is any inconsistency with the information above, then you need to uninstall WinZip Registry Optimizer from your computer to be safe.

To uninstall WinZip Registry Optimizer from your device, follow the steps below:

1. Click Start then look for Control Panel using the search dialog.
2. Under Programs, click Uninstall a Program.
3. Scroll down the list of installed apps, then click on WinZip Registry Optimizer.
4. Hit Uninstall and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.

If you’re having trouble uninstalling WinZip Registry Optimizer, you might need to boot into Safe Mode first to make sure that no third-party components are running.

You can also use your anti-malware program to scan your computer to delete other infected files.

How to Avoid Fake PC Optimizers

With so many viruses and malware disguising as registry or PC optimizers, it isn’t surprising if you find that the registryoptimizer.exe process running on your computer is malicious.

But how do you stay away from them? Here are some tips:

• Download your software from reputable sources only. In the case of registryoptimizer.exe, you can download it from the developer’s website or the Microsoft Store. Never download from third party websites because they’re probably fake.
• Trust your antivirus program. If you get a warning when you download the installer, then trust your security software. There must be something fishy with the file and it doesn’t hurt to double-check, just in case. It is better to be safe than sorry.
• When you install any software, read all the fine print and double-check every step of the installation process. This will prevent you from installing bundled PUP on your device.
• Don’t click on malicious links or download attachments from suspicious emails.