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General discussion

Do Registry / Disk Optimizers Work...Really?

Apr 18, 2009 2:24PM PDT

I've read a number of articles that claim registry and disk optimizers just don't do anything. I've never seen anyone who's solved a major problem with a registry cleaner.

For example, my garbage bin disappeared from my desktop one day and hasn't been seen since. Don't know what happened to it? Don't really care anymore, as I can still delete things (and I'm careful about what I delete). I've tried a few registry checkers and none of them has ever picked up on any serious problems, and one notorious company that installs on your system and has to be manually uninstalled actually made some things worse.

Right now I'm using something called WinVac. Has anyone had any positive experiences with optizers, disk or registry?

Discussion is locked

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No!!
Apr 18, 2009 9:06PM PDT

You will see far too many posts in these forums telling where using such Registry Cleaners and Optimizers have trashed the system in some way.

That's enough for me to say No.

If the missing Recycle Bin is your only problem on this system then I would start Googling for a specific answer, eg, XP How to restore the Recycle Bin.

That's how I prefer to work it. Look for specific answers to specific questions, not any "All-In-One" answer. They rarely work.

You don't say which OS you are using, so substitute XP for the one you have.

For example, for XP I see this possible fix;
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/rec_bin.htm

I hope that helps.

Mark

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Thanks!
Apr 19, 2009 2:19PM PDT

This is what I've heard for some time. It's a shame that they can damage your system. One registry cleaner in particular advertises a "free scan" and when it runs, it shows sometimes hundred of registry errors and offers to fix them for $$$. Then each time you boot, it runs the program and reminds you of these errors.

Despite uninstalling it, there it is.

When I uninstall programs, I always try removing the leftovers manually. Like I said, I've never known anyone that had one of these programs solve a problem.

The registry is far too complicated to be repaired by these things. People can try them out, but in the end, their systems aren't usually any more stable. When you open a file or create one (like a document), I see no need for it to even be in the registry; I don't know why they get recorded.

What's worse, I've uninstalled programs, run these cleaners and then do a search in a registry editor and guess what I find? All sorts of leftover garbage. So what, exactly, did it clean?

Some do very little harm. I've tried the RegVac program even in "Expert Mode" and was unable to destroy my test system. It may or may not do anything constructive, but at least it appears safe.

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About that "Start-up" scan
Apr 19, 2009 7:40PM PDT

Are you saying that, despite uninstalling that software, it still reports errors when you boot up the computer?

If so, look at MSCONFIG, (Start > Run, type in msconfig and click OK). In the System Configuration window that displays, goto the Startup tab and look down the list for any entry that looks like this registry cleaner software. If you find it, remove the tick.

If you are running XP or higher, (Vista or Windows 7 beta), the registry is a much more robust affair than it was in previous Windows' versions, and does not need defragmenting, or cleaning, etc. It is just a database and any unwanted entries are simply ignored.

Mark

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Yes!!
Apr 18, 2009 11:36PM PDT

But in a negative way. They create work and income for my dear friends in the IT world. We can only hope that more people blow up and damage Windows with these softwares.

Another yes answer is they succeed in getting people to part with the money!
Bob

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Yep both help but
May 1, 2009 3:18PM PDT

registry repair software can cause problems. "Mild", not to overly aggressive programs can improve PC performance by removing unneeded items from the registry like invalid ....... uninstallers, help files, DLLs, fonts, sounds, auto run programs, drivers, services, software keys, folder and file name references often left after uninstalling programs and other events. This garbage can slow down functioning of the registry and at time create problems in its operation. Aggressive registry repair programs can remove operating system components leading to complete reinstallation of the OS in the worst cases. Choose these programs carefully. Have a major problem with an OS component requiring a reboot of the OS? Then it's time to try registry repair software. In some instances these programs can repair a nearly inoperable OS, certainly worth a try when all else fails.

Many have restore abilities that will revert the system to a state before the registry repair was made. Choose those programs that have this restore/revert feature. Many also include manual selection features to allow you to "pick and choose" those items you might wish to delete. You can always create a restore point before using any registry repair software.

I use registry repair software.

Most certainly disk optimizers should be used. Many partial clear away fragmentation as they go. Defrag faster then the standard Windows defragmentation utility and place frequently used programs and files where they can be quickly reached by the hard drive swing arm boosting PC performance and saving you time.

There always debate about these with many split between the do and don't camps. I'd say you'll never truly know till you've tried them.

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My suggestions
May 1, 2009 3:57PM PDT

Vista has a perfectly adaquate defragmenter, it can be scheduled to run once a week, try that. If you really faster disk access buy a faster disk. 7,200 RPM for notebooks, 10,000 RPM for desktop SATA drives and 15,000 for SAS drives

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Some say no, I say yes ... with caution
May 1, 2009 8:42PM PDT

I'm still running Win XP with NTFS simply because I have no reason to update. Everything I have runs perfectly well as-is, so I have no knowledge about how Vista or Win 7 handles the registry or the on-disk file system. But here is my observation:

Running a registry optimizer MAY help, but it's hard for me to tell. Running a disk optimizer definitely DOES noticeably help, especially after the first two or three times it's run. I'm not talking about the wimpy excuse for one that comes with Win XP, but one of several available on CNet, among other places. For cleaning up unneeded disk junk and registry entries, I use CCleaner. I have never - NEVER - had a system crash after running it, and it backs up the registry entries it deletes, so recovery is available if there is a problem. For disk optimization, I run JKDefrag. I have also run Auslogics Defrag. I have never - again, NEVER - had a problem after using either of these utilities. CCleaner and JKDefrag are run weekly when I'm not home, so I have no down time to worry about. I have used both for several years with no problems.

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One More Computer Down the Tubes.
May 12, 2009 1:13PM PDT

I fell for ErrorFix to do a job of defragmenting and cleaning an XP Pro with the 3rd service pack. Plain box system with mirror drives for internal backup.

ErrorFix compromised the system and blocked IE and Firefox and many other programs. No connectivity. Now, even though I hired a tech to purge the system [it turned out to be a long and involved process], the machine is still unstable and refuses to boot firefox. No response from ErrorFix, other that a program that would not work, as the machine was cut off from the internet.

Take warning.

PBE

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Yes they can help
Nov 26, 2011 5:02PM PST

Disk Optimizer- Thing of your disk like an old vinyl record, each file is like a song in order. Now think if you went to play the first song and the needle has to jump from the begining of the record to the end, the middle, back to the end, well it would skip bad. An optimizer puts the files back in order for you so they are read faster. Some optimzers are smarter than others, some put your non-changed files in front, some maybe at the end, depending on use, but either way a fragmented file is going to be read slower. It's worth it to run a defragmenter overnight and let it go and straighten things out for you.

Registry-The registry is a list, think of it as a grocery list. When windows read the registry or list it goes shopping for you. Well if don't need potatoes this visit, why buy em? In fact everytime you go to the store your list shops for the same thing everytime and it grows and grows and before you know it your buying everything in the store everytime you go. A Registery cleaner is suppose to help you fix, or clean this list. Over time, installing and uninstalling programs your list gets filled with things you don't need. Even when you uninstall a program the unistall still leaves a little bit of stuff behind in the list and its good to clean it up once and a while.


This is how i always thought of these things and i hope it helps, and these explainations aren't very technical because if we went to deep into this both our heads would spin, this is just a brief explanation.

The best thing i have found so far is called Advanced System Care. It's made by iobit.com. What i like about is it takes care of all of those little things you don't want to be bothered with, and it works for me.

Now will these tools really really speed up your computer? Well yes, a bit, but to really speed it up and run it clean you have to go in and get rid of all the junk programs you don't use anymore. When using Advanced system care, go to tools and you will see a program called the uninstaller. Use this uninstaller to get rid of old programs, it gets rid of the entire program, not just a little bit of it.

I hope this helps.

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Well, not really
Nov 26, 2011 6:31PM PST

The disk.

It's not like a vinyl record at all. It is not a continuous track but a series of data points held in magnetic pulses. The disk is spinning continuously at high speed when data is being written to or being read from it. The reading head is continuously moving backwards and forwards at high speed across the face of the disk without touching it, picking up or laying down data. So for that reason alone your analogy fails, the head doesn't skip at all.

The registry.

Is just a database. Any entries that are not required are simply ignored. There is no need to touch the registry at all.

IOBIT ASC. One of the worst of the bunch, as we have found in these forums with constant cries for help after it has deleted some registry entry or other that it shouldn't, and so caused problems with the OS.

Mark