Registry "Cleaners"

Thanks, gents, for the feedback. I read several of the posts about cleaners and found them informative.

The bottom line though, is that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

By the way, the defragger I was talking about is supposed to be a Registry defragger.

Thanks again,

Vince

And it is all free stuff, although contributions are surely welcome. I happen to run a combination of CCleaner and Privacy Mantra mostly, and that is on everyday basis. Apart from these two, I occasionally make use of Registry Distiller and EasyCleaner, the latter being a sort of sentimental legacy for me. They all work very well, although with the latter two I need to be careful on deletions. I have not had to defragment for years, which says it all. Perhaps I'd be fine without any of those little helpers, but am I gonna test that proposition? No. Proof of the pudding is in the eating, Vince, so why not keep an open mind on this. I notice a rather negative slant here.

Just an example.. Read the posts in the thread below then see what the "proof of the pudding" is all about. It's only one example but we see a number of users on these forums who have problems after using such cleaners... Apparently, you've been lucky using the tools you prefer.. Not all have been so..

Just an example:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6121_102-0.html?messageID=2387276#2387276

Most importantly, we've yet to see a third party/impartial testing process which shows increased performance with the use of ANY registry cleaner.. By the way, the use of a registry cleaner has NOTHING to do with defragmenting.. Although there ARE studies that show occasional defragmenting of fragmented drives will increase performance, we've yet to see such for reg cleaners.. And remember, for every registry entry that is removed from the registry (they are basic text files), it actually fragments the registry slightly making it slightly slower for use by the system..

To each his own...

Hope this helps.

Grif

Not to split words: Only one of the four facilities I mention is registry cleaner pure & simple; the others do much more, and they do it well. Obviously that is why defragmenting is not needed. Since they throw in cleaning the registry, I let them do that, too. Never any lasting harm done. As with anything, it helps a lot to read the manual, attend to the settings and do a backup, especially if that option is expressly offered. Click No? Consequences are yours entirely. It is good to know HOW the thing works, right? If someone wants to have a miracle performed by pressing one button only, sit back & enjoy, there may well be due rewards in the offing. Sorry, no tea & sympathy.

It also helps to look up here on CNET Downloads what one is getting instead of trusting blindly. It is dead easy, and if people would bother, they might get wise. Of the pack I run, all but the Registry Distiller are rated generally 4 out of 5, and in my experience this evaluation is pretty valid. I am not talking luck; just due diligence and safe practice.

In my book, it is not so much a question of speeding up the system as keeping it orderly. Registry cleaners have been tested as far as I recall, and the good ones do increase speed. Fractionally, which is why humans hardly notice. So there we go.

Thats very true! People are lazy enough not to analyze which software is suitable for them and their system. If they just sit and relax without knowing what the software is doing, they have to pay for the consequences.

I use a few softwares like CCleaner, Defraggler and a few registry cleaners. To be fair, these software are like regular maintenance - they help to keep the memory and file system in order, rather than increase speed. Not using these software is like running a car for years without a service. You know its consequences!

As you stated: "Since they throw in cleaning the registry, I let them do that, too. Never any lasting harm done." Unfortunately, as shown in my previous post, there is frequently "harm done"..

Your statement: "Registry cleaners have been tested as far as I recall, and the good ones do increase speed." seems to be a myth that many still believe in... In all my personal tests and research, as I stated earlier, I'm still waiting for a good test review, made by a third party, which show they do anything of the sort.. So I'll ask you as I've asked others... "Show me..".

Hope this helps.

Grif

Howgh!

We have discussions about that one too. It seems these things do not work well for everyone.

Although a few on these forums like the product, I find way too many who have issues.. Not my idea of a glowing recommendation.. Just a few such examples:

You were involved in this discussion and there were a few users that had poor results with the program..
System Mechanic 7 locked up my computer

How do I Get rid of Iolo Fraud in a phantom subscription?

There bad reviews go back quite a ways. Just start clicking on the numbers in the review list.. Not many are happy with the program.:
System Mechanic 6 Professional

iolo does not stand by their product with support

iolo system mechanic 8 antivirus disc will not run

can't uninstall System Mechanic 6 Pro! help!

Still, if you like the product, each to their own...

Hope this helps.

Grif

I read many of the discussions in the link that Grif gave a few days ago. In one of them, RegSeeker was mentioned as being a cleaner that lets you exercize a lot of control. I downloaded it.

So far, it seems to do the job with my INFORMED participation, something I had not seen before. For example, after a few iterations, I may finally be rid of all traces of Symantec! I have been trying to do that for about a year.

On the other hand, after that initial success, I let Regseeker do its thing automatically. It threw out some needed stuff, so I had to go back to do a System Restore to regain control of my Desktop, among others.

So I think I have learned a valuable lesson; Truly, IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.

Thanks for all the participation, and regards to all.

Vince

completely replace or renew your machine up?

Did you know that Windows is made to fail in just a matter of months?

And, that you have to upgrade/update your programs on a weekly basis?

Before it stops running properly? Hmm?

I did not think so.

My motto: Do not sit still and laze around, break ups will happen. Prevent and Stop it dead in its tracks and, do not attempt at healing the deep wound of a completetly broken and dean mechanism. Computers do not just break and fix it later, they completely and utterly drop dead without any warnings what-so-ever. Buying a totally new machine altogether is costly to the worst tense of the word: cost/price. Rather pay 40$ for one hell of a system optimizer program, than buying a machine at a price of 600/750$. Where in which I might need 4 months of hard work to save that much.

Get the point. Sillies.

My opinion on the registry cleaners, defrag programs or any of that is just throwing your money away.
There is not one thing they do that a person can't do themselves with a little research.
A neighbor saw a commercial on TV about making your "computer run like new" and fell for it and downloaded the scan that said he had 351 problems that this program could fix.
He called and ask my advise. I told him DON'T DO IT.
Went to his house and did just the normal maintenance and cleanup which took 45 minutes and the computers runs great again. He is now doing that weekly. I am by no means a computer tech, but have used them enough to know when I see smoke and mirrors.
Stay away from those gimmicks and just do it yourself, it's pretty easy.

the easiest way possible.

Never had major or even minor problems/errors, ever since.

A double click of the mouse on that Icon, click on quick analysis button then, fix all button. Once a week. Only once or twice a month for the Deep Analysis(Scan) of it all.

Only .25% of wackos will, ever, have a problem with Iolo's products.

Over 90 million people are using it and, totally loving it. Do it your way, man. It is, after all your freedom of choice.

".25%, (that's 1/4 of one percent) of "wackos"??? I'm making a fair guess that iolo isn't posting those figures on their website, (specifically the comment about wackos), so where are you getting such? Sounds like out of thin air..

And over 90 million people are using what? System Mechanic? And how do you know they're "totally loving it"? Sounds like another "thin air" comment..

As the others have asked, a few non-biased sources for such figures would sure go a long way to support your point.

Hope this helps.

Grif

That's an interesting statement. Can you give an authorative source for it?

How come that both my home and my work PC's are running smoothly for years and years without ever needing a reload of the OS? And, by the way, without using Iolo or comparable tools. In fact, they hardly ever fail or crash.
Same for the work PC's of most of my colleagues here.

Kees

Windows XP on a 2004 Dell 8300 Dimension and I have never had to reinstall XP after 7 years.

And that, "Get the point. Sillies" that was posted? Someone needs to work on their social skills.

Mark