reg

The Windows Registry contains lots of useful information used by COM stored in a variety of keys. NirSoft's RegDllView is portable freeware that extracts and displays a list of all registered DLL, OCX, and EXE files. It shows lots of data about each file, such as the last time it was registered and all registration entries (CLSID/ProgID). RegDllView not only displays entries but also disables, unregisters, and reregisters them; deletes selected entries; and creates .Reg files for deleted entries. It can also open entries in RegEdit. RegDllView has a customizable view, and it can create and save HTML-based … Read more

NirSoft's RegScanner is an enhanced Registry scan and search tool. When it finds the specified values, you can open them in RegEdit for modifying. RegScanner can also save and export .reg files that RegEdit can open. This simple but effective tool is portable freeware.

RegScanner opens with its Registry Scan Options dialog displayed, and we had to enter at least one character in the Find String field to proceed. We could select a Matching method from a drop-down list as well as choose to have the program look at Values, Data, Keys, and Unicode strings. We could also choose … Read more

If you're fed up with the load time of your Windows programs, then StartUp may have the answer. This small application allows you to pick and choose which programs Windows launches at start-up.

StartUp has a very basic interface with only five command buttons to choose from. The uncluttered layout makes it easy to add or edit the application you wish to control. One downside is that you'll need to know the command line for the program you want to launch. If you decide to get rid of your start-up entries, a CleanUp button makes it a one-step … Read more

Quicksys RegDefrag might be the prettiest back-end utility we have ever come across. The Web 2.0-esque design almost makes us want to take back stars from other Registry defraggers.

An Options menu lets you manage several settings, including checking for updates automatically, adding RegDefrag actions to context menus, and managing system and Registry backups. You can also choose from one of 17 languages, including Magyar, Arabic, and two that wouldn't even show up on our screen. This program does two things: displays your Registry information and defrags. The program performed without a hitch for us, although it did … Read more

Although you can only remove the first five errors this quick Registry cleaner finds, you can still get a good sense of how it works.

RegBoost has a well-designed, modern interface organized in tabs. The Overview tab gives users a quick summary of the system and the option to complete a full scan. It takes a visit to the Registry Scan tab for a more detailed idea of what areas of the computer should be scanned. Here, users can pick and choose which sections to focus on. In our tests, we picked a full-system scan, which took around 5 minutes. … Read more

RegSweep launches a nicely designed, user-friendly interface that melds colors, text, and buttons in a nice package. Determining how to direct this free app to analyze your system is very simple. However, our satisfaction level with this download is low.

RegSweep completed a system scan for ActiveX, invalid shortcuts, orphaned start-up items, and similar stray bits within 60 seconds and identified 343 problems. Great! We were all ready to clean up these loose ends to make our system zoom like the precision instrument we dream it could be. Unfortunately, RegSweep's demo download is just a tease; all its repair … Read more

It requires care when using, but this portable executable eliminates unwanted Registry keys. RegAssassin's business-like interface sports only a text entry box, a pair of check boxes, and a function button. Using it requires experience editing the Registry, but for some pernicious malicious software, deleting their registry entries is part of the cleaning process. The program does display warning messages, but inexperienced users could easily crash their system by deleting an important Registry key.

Operating RegAssassin is simple and quick. Users merely enter a Registry key name and delete the key with a single button click. The application includes … Read more

Power-packed beyond Registry tweaks, RegToy focuses on Registry edits to optimize your computer performance--but novices shouldn't expect much hand-holding. Though the tweak options are carefully labeled, users must know the consequences of altering them, as the few onscreen notes don't provide adequate assistance. You can restore the Registry settings to the Windows default, but that's an emergency final resort, as it will undo many changes made by you and other programs. RegToy also includes a poorly explained feature for saving and loading settings.

Other features include a file renamer, a file shredder, a start-up manager, an uninstall … Read more

Just when we thought we were out of the woods, 123-Reg is at it again. This time its DNS servers don't seem to be screwing up its customers' web sites, but their email...well, that's another thing entirely.

Email is down for at least some of its customers (including me). This isn't the first time the Pipex-owned domain registrar has decimated its customers' email (the last prominent time being in 2002). But it will certainly be the last time it does this to me.

Update: I just heard from our IT person, and apparently the problem with … Read more