Spybot reports RegistryFix - why?

[Terry Pinnell]

Why is Spybot reporting RegistryFix.exe as a threat? I removed it, but
I would now like to learn more about it please. I gather it arises
from a free registry repairing utility I installed (on recommendation)
last week, called RegCure, but can't be sure.

BTW, am I mistaken, or does Spybot not offer the option of studying
*details* of its results? A single word 'RegistryFix.exe' doesn't tell
you much. In some other programs I recall being able to read details
of the entries.

 

[Dave Budd]

Why is Spybot reporting RegistryFix.exe as a threat? I removed it, but
I would now like to learn more about it please. I gather it arises
from a free registry repairing utility I installed (on recommendation)
last week, called RegCure, but can't be sure.

BTW, am I mistaken, or does Spybot not offer the option of studying
*details* of its results? A single word 'RegistryFix.exe' doesn't tell
you much. In some other programs I recall being able to read details
of the entries.

Unless it's changed in recent versons, you can click on any item it
reports to see exactly what file/registryentry/etc it thinks is bad.
I can't offhand recall if it tells you /why/ it thinks it's bad.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Unless it's changed in recent versons, you can click on any item it
reports to see exactly what file/registryentry/etc it thinks is bad.
I can't offhand recall if it tells you /why/ it thinks it's bad.

Thanks, I'll look harder at end of next run.

 

[Charlie42]

Because Safer Networking (Spybot S&D) classifies it as malware. RegistryFix
has been reported by some to come up with false positives and pop-ups in
order to persuade those who download it to buy cleanup software. That would
be typical adware and rogue software behaviour.

Spybot S&D signature updates Dec 19. 2007:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/updatehistory/2007-12-19.html

Let me just add a tip: Search Vista and XP General discussions for "registry
cleaner", and you will find many posts on the benefits and dangers of using
them. Be careful, this is pro's tools that can cause your computer a lot of
harm.

Search Microsoft Discussion Groups:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx

Charlie42

 

[Ernie B.]

Thanks, I'll look harder at end of next run.

Run a scan. When it completes, expand (click on the "+" sign) an item and
highlight the expansion. Click on the bar with the two arrowheads at the
right side of the window. A panel with a message will be revealed, for
instance:

"Company:
Product: Windows.RedirectedHosts
Threat: Hijack

Description
Hijackers often use the hosts file to redirect websites to other ipadresses,
commonly antivirus vendors get blocked by hijackers".

In my case this occurs because I have msn.com redirected to 127.0.0.1 in my
hosts file, to block advertisements.

 

[- Bobb -]

Because Safer Networking (Spybot S&D) classifies it as malware.
RegistryFix
has been reported by some to come up with false positives and pop-ups in
order to persuade those who download it to buy cleanup software. That
would
be typical adware and rogue software behaviour.

Spybot S&D signature updates Dec 19. 2007:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/updatehistory/2007-12-19.html

Let me just add a tip: Search Vista and XP General discussions for
"registry
cleaner", and you will find many posts on the benefits and dangers of
using
them. Be careful, this is pro's tools that can cause your computer a lot
of
harm.

Search Microsoft Discussion Groups:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx

Charlie42

I like Crap Cleaner (free from www.download.com) for registry
modify/cleanup. You can choose how detailed a search ( all temp files/
unused links etc) AND it shows what it will "clean up " letting you
check/uncheck the box.( Choose OPEN CCLEANER vs Run CCleaner. Run - just
"does your defaults" - OPEN puts it all on the screen and YOU choose
what/if to "clean up".

 

[Terry Pinnell]

I like Crap Cleaner (free from www.download.com) for registry
modify/cleanup. You can choose how detailed a search ( all temp files/
unused links etc) AND it shows what it will "clean up " letting you
check/uncheck the box.( Choose OPEN CCLEANER vs Run CCleaner. Run - just
"does your defaults" - OPEN puts it all on the screen and YOU choose
what/if to "clean up".

Thanks for those helpful replies.

I've duly removed Regcure, which I'd added to supplement my usual
cleaners, CCleaner and Glary Utilities Pro.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Registry Cleaner Tools are all snake oil remedies. No harm will come to the registry if not used

 

[Charlie42]

Thanks for those helpful replies.

I've duly removed Regcure, which I'd added to supplement my usual
cleaners, CCleaner and Glary Utilities Pro.

You are welcome, Terry. I hope you take the time to read through the threads
on registry cleaners. Uncritical use of such utilities may damage your OS
badly, and there is little if any performance to gain from it.

Charlie42

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I like Crap Cleaner (free from www.download.com) for registry
modify/cleanup. You can choose how detailed a search ( all temp files/
unused links etc) AND it shows what it will "clean up " letting you
check/uncheck the box.( Choose OPEN CCLEANER vs Run CCleaner. Run -
just "does your defaults" - OPEN puts it all on the screen and YOU
choose what/if to "clean up".

CCleaner's registry scanner seems relatively benign, as long as you
step through each detected "issue" one at a time, to determine if it
really is an "issue" or not, and then decide whether or not to let the
application "fix" it. In my testing, though, most of the reported
"issues" won't be issues, at all. I tried the latest version on a
brand-new OS installation with no additional applications installed, and
certainly none installed and then uninstalled, and CCleaner still
managed to "find" over a hundred allegedly orphaned registry entries and
dozens of purportedly "suspicious" files, making it clearly a
*worthless* product, in this regard. (Not that any registry cleaner can
ever be anything but worthless, as they don't serve any useful purpose,
to start with.)

CCleaner's only real strength, and the only reason I use it, lies
in its usefulness for cleaning up unused temporary files from the hard
drive; as a registry "cleaner," it's not significantly better or worse
than any other snake oil product of the same type.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[pcbutts1]

Ccleaner is cleaning up the junk left over by the clean install of windows,
things that should have been done by Windows.


--

Newsgroup Trolls. Read about mine here http://www.pcbutts1.com/downloads
The list grows. Leythos the stalker http://www.leythosthestalker.com, David
H. Lipman, Max M Wachtell III aka What's in a Name?, Fitz, Beauregard T.
Shagnasty,Rhonda Lea Kirk, Meat Plow, F Kwatu F, George Orwell

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Ccleaner is cleaning up the junk left over by the clean install of
windows, things that should have been done by Windows.

If you'd ever tested it, you'd know that that is pure and utter nonsense.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[- Bobb -]

CCleaner's registry scanner seems relatively benign, as long as you
step through each detected "issue" one at a time, to determine if it
really is an "issue" or not, and then decide whether or not to let the
application "fix" it. In my testing, though, most of the reported
"issues" won't be issues, at all. I tried the latest version on a
brand-new OS installation with no additional applications installed, and
certainly none installed and then uninstalled, and CCleaner still
managed to "find" over a hundred allegedly orphaned registry entries and
dozens of purportedly "suspicious" files, making it clearly a
*worthless* product, in this regard. (Not that any registry cleaner can
ever be anything but worthless, as they don't serve any useful purpose,
to start with.)

CCleaner's only real strength, and the only reason I use it, lies in
its usefulness for cleaning up unused temporary files from the hard
drive; as a registry "cleaner," it's not significantly better or worse
than any other snake oil product of the same type.

You can choose the "categories" to scan. Normally I do not have every
option checked. So I don't have it .. " purge all the uninstall info" for
example, which - if you check that box - would be considered " an issue".
It can also "purge all recently typed searches" ... - maybe you don't want
to "fix those items" ... Tweak it to what you want to check for and it
does " just that". IMHO, I think it's great and well worth the price -
FREE .

 

[Bruce Chambers]

You can choose the "categories" to scan. Normally I do not have every
option checked. So I don't have it .. " purge all the uninstall info"
for example, which - if you check that box - would be considered " an
issue". It can also "purge all recently typed searches" ... - maybe you
don't want to "fix those items" ... Tweak it to what you want to check
for and it does " just that". IMHO, I think it's great and well worth
the price - FREE .

It shouldn't be necessary to filter out the categories of the false
alarms; that rather completely defeats the entire purpose of using such
a product. I will concede that, as a registry "cleaner," CCleaner is
worth exactly what you pay for it.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[- Bobb -]

- Bobb - wrote:

It shouldn't be necessary to filter out the categories of the false
alarms; that rather completely defeats the entire purpose of using such
a product. I will concede that, as a registry "cleaner," CCleaner is
worth exactly what you pay for it.

Bruce Chambers

Bruce ,

( I think you know,) I don't HAVE to filter anything - they aren't "false
alarms".
If you're giving away a PC, maybe you WOULD want to check all the boxes so
.... no history listed in Internet Explorer/search box, but if just
cleaning for you, you might want to leave them there so you can choose
from dropdown. I was explaining to the user that he could actually INCLUDE
more than the defaults. So if he REALLY wanted to clean an install he
COULD elect to delete all temp files, cookies, remove all " MSFT Update"
uninstallation options ( so they disappear from add/remove) etc. Or that
SOMETIMES he might NOT want to be as thorough and might want to leave the
option to uninstall KB12345 there. If he DID (un)check those boxes, that's
the new "defualt" when he " Run CCleaner". To change that, he neesd to
Open CCleaner again to "turn them off" or 'back to default' or check some
items listed there (for whatever reason).
Anyway, I find it useful and - especially when friends/family have a PC
that's "a dog", I'll load that and after running Ad-aware/Spybots - run
CCleaner manually and look at "what's out there" and ask them about "all
this stuff" before purging all the excess ( from spyware sights/temp
files/old apps etc.)
< Stepping down from podium now >

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Bruce ,

( I think you know,) I don't HAVE to filter anything - they aren't
"false alarms".
If you're giving away a PC, maybe you WOULD want to check all the boxes
so ...

No, I'd wipe the hard drive with a DoD certified utility, and then
reinstall any software being donated or sold with the computer. To do
anything less would just be a waste of time.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Bruce ,

( I think you know,) I don't HAVE to filter anything - they aren't
"false alarms".
If you're giving away a PC, maybe you WOULD want to check all the boxes
so ... no history listed in Internet Explorer/search box, but if just
cleaning for you, you might want to leave them there so you can choose
from dropdown. I was explaining to the user that he could actually
INCLUDE more than the defaults. So if he REALLY wanted to clean an
install he COULD elect to delete all temp files, cookies, remove all "
MSFT Update" uninstallation options ( so they disappear from add/remove)
etc. Or that SOMETIMES he might NOT want to be as thorough and might
want to leave the option to uninstall KB12345 there. If he DID (un)check
those boxes, that's the new "defualt" when he " Run CCleaner". To change
that, he neesd to Open CCleaner again to "turn them off" or 'back to
default' or check some items listed there (for whatever reason).
Anyway, I find it useful and - especially when friends/family have a PC
that's "a dog", I'll load that and after running Ad-aware/Spybots - run
CCleaner manually and look at "what's out there" and ask them about "all
this stuff" before purging all the excess ( from spyware sights/temp
files/old apps etc.)
< Stepping down from podium now >

As I said, CCleaner's only real strength, and the only reason I use it,
lies in its usefulness for cleaning up unused temporary files from the
hard drive; in this regard, it works well with Vista and is completely
harmless.

As a registry "cleaner," it's not significantly better or worse
than any other snake oil product of the same type, and just as useless.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[PD43]

As I said, CCleaner's only real strength, and the only reason I use it,
lies in its usefulness for cleaning up unused temporary files from the
hard drive

On mine it missed a lot... so I custom configured it to check certain
directories/files it wasn't previously looking for.

It is also very useful in getting rid of unwanted cookies.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

On mine it missed a lot... so I custom configured it to check certain
directories/files it wasn't previously looking for.

It is also very useful in getting rid of unwanted cookies.

True, the default settings are rather conservative, but this can
sometimes be a good thing. And it does give one the option of choosing
and configuring a more "aggressive" cleaning.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot