We’ve been busy over here in the Safety Center adding some features you’ve requested. An update of our scanner went live Wednesday, so check out what’s new:

First up: Registry cleaner.

Do you plan your coffee breaks around certain PC functions because it takes so long to do some things? Could be that your Windows Registry database is cluttered with invalid or old information about system settings or applications. Cleaning your registry is easy – either run a full Windows Live Safety Center scan, or for a targeted approach, click Clean Up Scan in the Clean Up Center. For more information on the Windows Registry and why you should clean it up, read this.

Next: Spyware detection.

Another reason your PC might be a little on the slow side is spyware, unwanted software files that can do things like collect personal information or change the configuration of your computer without your consent. This can happen when you’re trying to download something you want, like music, so the key is to read license agreements and make sure you’re not agreeing to something you don’t want.

Sounds like a lot of you are frustrated by this, so voilà: the Windows Live Safety Center protection scan can now detect and remove spyware you may have already picked up. Do a little spring cleaning on your PC!

And finally: Malware submission.

With the latest update of our scanner, we give you the chance to send us those suspicious files so we can check them out and decide how we need to make the scanner better for you. Don’t worry, we keep personal information private, so help us help everyone stay safer online.

Let us know what you think about our latest release of the Windows Live Safety scanner. We’re already working on the next one, and we’ll let you know when it’s ready.