In my last 15 years I've used registry cleaners and removed lots of errors with no other problems.
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General discussion
Poll: Do you think a registry cleaner is worth using?
- Yes (Why?)
- No (Why not?
- Sometimes (When?)
- It really depends (On what?)
- What the heck is it?
Discussion is locked
61 - 90 of 99 Posts
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I advice to all of my friends and persons who read this massage that use registry cleaner system twice a week to keep your computor safe and smart purformance. I have my home computore with windowxp. Before using this system it work slow though using anti virouse program. After download cccleaner with regisry system purfomance is good and working smoothly all unwanted files automatic clean and give best result my computor. I advice use twice a week this system and keep safe your computor. Vasudev Rawal
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I think we all accept without any question the fact that adware and spyware Very Very Definately slow down computers by in some cases 90% or more. I had one call (I thought that he was running a 14.4 K or a 28K dial up modem)in which the machine was infected by over 800 spy programs. SpyBot was able to remove all but the 230 which were activly sending out data (or at least trying to get through the portal to send out data) I had to start in safe mode to remove the busy programs. After I got it cleaned out, pages which had taken 2 to 3 minutes to load, were now loading in a few seconds and his Cable connection was actually faster than a dial up connection
I just cleaned my registry for the first time after about 6 years and I have not seen any difference at all in my computer's performance.
I run AdAware and SpyBot once a week I keep my definitions and my immunizeation database up to date. Each usaed to detect and remove a few dozen malware each week. I now have spyweare blaster protecting me at all times and SpyBot generally finds nothing at all. Oh I also run my AV scan once a week, and I defrag about 4 times a year
I cannot help but wonder if some of the registry cleaners are actually removing adware and or spyware or if the Adware and Spyware programs might be cleaning out the registry.
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Yes, they are worth using.
Because many programs we install, run, and delete are so poorly constructed that they "leave behind" clutter in the registry. Over several months the registry is left with "broken" references and entire "paragraphs" of no longer relevant material.
This overhead creates an unnecessary delay when the registry is loaded and referenced.
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Lets get to basics, a well maintained car is a lot morte reliable than one that isnt.
The same goes for a computer, get rid of unwanted redundant files etc. Do a disk cleanup, run something like Adaware, and other anti Spyware programs, run a registry cleaner... or 2 and get rid of those "hidden" unwanted files. This helps to keep the system running in tip top order. The system reads all those files in the registry including the redundant ones so use registry cleaners to get rid of them. The system quite likely run faster to
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I still have not seen one single piece of evidence that a registry slows down or in any way effects performance. I had installed and uninstalled several thousand programs over the course of 6 years. There were traces of Win 98 and Win ME installations still in my registry.I did spend the money to purchase Registry Mechanic 7.0 and ran it. It reported that it cleaned 1653 errors in my registry and I saw no change in performance.
Now about the car; yes a well maintained car will run better and last longer, but I refuse to replace my cv joints every 6 months. I believe that annual paint jobs are a waste of money. I don't think that replacing the springs every 6 months really gains you much, and as for re-upholstering the seats every 6 months to make the ride more comfortable, I just cannot see with the risk, cost, and effort, how it can be really worth doing.
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I frequently uninstall and install programs. I don't use Registry Cleaner. Disk Defragmentation does help to boast the performance. I did not notice any noticeable difference in performance by not cleaning up the registries.
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Through the years that I've served in a governmental institution I've come to rely on a registry cleaner as the users sometimes copies so many pics, docs, etc. on to their pc and then delete these files again at some stage or they move it between folders, but the deadlink to the file is still lying in the registry and therefore slows the pc down. I've been using "Regcleaner" set to automatic and creating a backup and that seems to sort out these type of problems. I've utilised this program on Win98, 2000 & XP Pro with no problems so far.
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My answer is that novices should not fool around with registry cleaners. One may have forgotten to take backup and if something goes wrong, you just had it. Registries can be a big pain as they keep adding points rather than removing older points that are no longer required. I wonder why Microsoft does not have a system to remove older points. As a result of which, over the years, the registries can accumulate a lot of junk going in many GBs. Similar is the case with log files. Whenever, you update online say Microsoft Windows, all the updates, hot fixes, etc. generate that many log files that are not required. These files do not delete on their own. Registry cleaners like Crap Cleaner (ccleaner) does not remove these log files either.
Okay, you want to remove the old useless registries, and a lot of programs that you have downloaded over the years and forgotten about them, which are all causing a lot of usage of precious disk and RAM space. Much has already been discussed on these topics. I am no hardware or software expert. But over the years I have learnt and follow the undermentioned steps for Windows XP-2 provided you are not having any problem starting up your computer other than it is slow:
Close all Programs.
1. Right click on My Computer, click at Properties, click at System Restore, highlight drive C (where your programs are loaded) under Drive Settings, then click on Settings, move the cursor to Min (i.e. 1%) under Disk Space Usage, then click OK Do that for all the partitions.
2. Next right click the Internet Explorer icon, click on Properties, click on Settings under Temporary Internet Files, move the cursor to extreme limit to minimize the Amount of Disk Space to Use by the
Temporary Internet Files Folder, click OK.
3. Now click on Advanced on Internet Properties page, go down to Security and click on Empty Temporary Internet Files Folder When Browser is Closed. Click OK.
4. Click Start, then click Programs, click Accessories, then click Disk Cleanup, select Drive C, then go to More Options, click at Clean Up under System Restore, click OK, do Disk Cleanup. Do this procedure for all the other partion drives. You may have also loaded a lot of programs that are not being used. You may also click at Clean Up under Installed Programs.
If you do a lot of transcription work listening to audio files, then do the following too. Here I take the example that you are using Express Scribe.
5. Open Windows Explorer, click on Folder Options under Tools, click on View, click on Show Hidden Files and Folders, click Apply and then OK.
6. Click on Documents and Settings under Drive C, then click on All Users, then click on Application Data, Click on NCH Swift Sound, then click on Scribe, finally click Done folder. Delete everything that is
in the Done Folder.
7. After exiting, go back to View (see step 5 above) under Tools of Folder Options of Windows Explorer, and click on Do Not Show Hidden Files and Folders, click on Apply and then OK.
8. Now Empty Recycle Bin.
Now boot the computer.
9. Now click Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Fragmenter. Now first click at Analyze and
then Defragment for each of the Drives. Then check report of each of the drives after defragmentation and note down location and details of fragmented files. In all probablity there will be none and you will be able to see increase in free disk space.
Now your computer will start faster. However, if your computer yet takes long time to shut down, then you need to tweak your Regedit. As this has already been explained by another, I cannot duplicate it here without permission. So please read all about it at http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/display.jsp?page=forum/viewtopic.jsp&cat_id=73&topic_id=5043&forum_id=86&pg=1&st=1&en=10#462930
Chao
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The first reason I use a registry cleaner is to clean up after Windows. When a program is uninstalled it seems that uninstall leaves something behind. I use Optimize, however, I don't think it is the best. It does clean out the internet cache and temp files and other trash.
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Linux doesn't have a registry of the same form or purpose as windoze. Since the only reaon I use the m$ product is to run non-cedega games and to get a clean interface with my wife's Outlook calendar I don't need a reg cleaner.
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These eliminates rough and erratic operations within the operating system. If your OS is having problems and has glitches in it then this is the software for you.
Warning! All registry repair software should have a restore features within it so you can roll back any changes these programs make.
Use at your own risk.
This thread is untracked
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Why doesn't Mac or Linux need a registry cleaner? Also why do these operating systems not have an explicit defragment hard disk feature?
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The design of these OSs is different. There not all made the same.
See link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry
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on this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry
The Windows Registry is an all-in-one application. The other OSs have a number of files located throughout the OS. This difference is fundamental. Because of this difference the other OSs do not provide a registry.
Basically the registry is a store/library of settings for the PC. All OSs provide this store in some way, how it is provided differs from OS to OS.
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hmm... sounds like it could be easily broken...
The more parts in the engine, the more problems to fix...
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under this heading:
Advantages and disadvantages of centralized registry compared to separate configuration files
Either way there are pluses and minuses. You know how that goes boils down to opinions
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I use the following consecutively:
RegCleaner
Registry Mechanic
RegScrubXP
RegSeeker
Registry First Aid
CCleaner
Yeah, all of them one after the other. But, the funny thing is that each one find items missed by the previous one!!! What's with that?
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Browse CNET Downloads and look for some of the sponsored links where they show different registry programs check different things.....as a result they come up with different answers due to checking different items.
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Microsoft is set to release 7 updates to the Windows registry soon... so will all these registry fixit programs still work? or will they be the next thing trashed by microsoft?...
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"7 updates to Windows registry". What do you mean? Where did you read it?
Kees
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a/some links about this would help. The registry is a very fundamental part of the OS and changes here would be important.
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"The seven security updates will be posted Tuesday, June 10, around 1 p.m. EDT."
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in the true since they simply attempt to remove a security vulnerability. The do not change the way the registry functions/works. No news here. Yes, I have Google skills, just checking your source. Thank you for providing it.
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my web cam no longer will shut off it is equipped with audio. 
Grrr!
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Those are security updates. The last time I checked my updates history, about 90% of the 850 most recent updates were security updates.
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Here is the link...
http://www.itworldcanada.com/Pages/Docbase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=idgml-cd55bdcc-235c-4d98&sub=1526806
Here is the article...
Microsoft to release seven registry updates
The kill bit updates, which disable ActiveX controls, are designed to tighten up security of Internet Explorer, DirectX and Bluetooth. An nCircle executive describes this as one of the most diverse he?s seen in a long time
By: Gregg Keizer
Computerworld U.S. (06 Jun 200
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Microsoft Corp. said this week it would issue seven security updates, three of which are "critical," to patch Windows components including versions 6 and 7 of Internet Explorer.
It also looks like Microsoft will disable a vulnerable third-party program, said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle.
"Maybe this is a new trend by Microsoft, issuing kill bit updates to mitigate risks," said Storms, referring to one of the seven updates. "Kill bit" is the term Microsoft coins to describe setting a flag in the Windows registry that disables a specific ActiveX control; the company regularly advises users to set the kill bit in lieu of a formal patch for a control that contains a bug.
In April, Microsoft issued a kill bit update for an ActiveX control distributed by Yahoo Inc. for its Yahoo Music Jukebox. At the time, Microsoft said it would lock down other vendors' software at their request by releasing fixes through Windows Update.
"If Microsoft was patching one of its own ActiveX controls, I would think it would say it's fixing something in 'ActiveX,' but because it's labeled this as 'kill bit,' it leads me to think that it involves a third-party," said Storms.
More security news from ComputerWorld Canada
Patch Tuesday focuses on Microsoft Office fixes
Overall, he continued, the seven-update list is "one of the most diverse and interesting in a long time. It runs the gamut as far as the distribution of where they are in the operating system and software. The only thing we're missing is [a vulnerability for] Excel or Outlook and we'd have one for everything that Microsoft makes."
Microsoft rated three of the seven updates "critical," its highest threat ranking, while three are tagged "important," one step lower, and the seventh -- the kill bit update -- was marked as "moderate." The critical updates will patch Bluetooth, DirectX and IE in Windows, according to the pre-patch notification Microsoft issued Thursday,
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It's unlikely, however, that the IE update will address the vulnerability that Microsoft warned users about last week, said Storms. "It could," he offered, "but I don't think it would have something this quick." That bug, when combined with a flaw in Apple Inc.'s Safari Web browser, leaves users open to attack, Microsoft said in a security advisory issued last Friday.
The patch will fix IE6 and IE7 running in all supported editions of Windows, including Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and Server 2008. Microsoft has pegged the IE fixes in the client operating systems as critical, but only as moderate on the server side.
Storms also called out the Bluetooth update as noteworthy. "A lot of people will be looking at this one," he said. "Does the vulnerability carry over into the mobile side, or is it only around the desktop?" Bluetooth vulnerabilities, Storms added, are rare and often resemble the "man-in-the-middle" bugs that are sometimes exploited in 802.11-based wireless scenarios.
Two updates -- one for Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) and the other for Active Directory -- affect only server software. While Microsoft rated both as important, Storms said enterprises may think differently. "Active Directory is such a critical core component. Large enterprises will certainly need to roll out these two, and it will take them some time, because of the testing they'll need to do."
The seven security updates will be posted Tuesday, June 10, around 1 p.m. EDT.
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