Why you need a registry cleaner

[bjoey]

Sometimes, a nosy Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at your
company likes to look into the registry hive on your machine
(remotely) to see what you had installed to report it to management.
Removing those registry entries with a registry cleaner will prevent
him from finding out too much about what is going on in your machine.
Installing a local firewall on your machine helps keep similar
intruders out too (e.g. the free COMODO Firewall)

Remove the registry entries for COMODO with a registry cleaner so that
he has no proof you had a firewall installed.

Do they train MCSAs to detect registry entry deletions?

 

[Peter Foldes]

Well, let me put it this way to you. Your company made a mistake on hiring someone like you. A good IT person will always find traces and proof no matter how hard you try to hide it. If you do not know the registry and even by using a automatic reg cleaner there will be traces left and shown. Also a Firewall will not prevent or hide your wrong doing.

 

[bjoey]

Well, let me put it this way to you. Your company made a mistake on hiring someone like you. A good IT person will always find traces and proof no matter how hard you try to hide it. If you do not know the registry and even by using a automatic reg cleaner there will be traces left and shown. Also a Firewall will not prevent or hide your wrong doing.

This country wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for people like me
It would degrade to an IT Police State.

 

[Unknown]

You are correct. This country would be much better if it wasn't for people
like you.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

This country wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for people like me
It would degrade to an IT Police State.

This has nothing to do with a Police State. It has to do with modifying your
employer's tools without their permission. If you took a job as a carpenter
and were expected to use your employer's tools and were informed that you
were not to modify the tools, but you chose to modify tools anyway, and were
caught, I suspect you'd be fired.

Your employer owns the hardware that you are using and pays the fees for
licenses. Therefore they have the right to ensure that employees are using
the equipment and resources appropriately. Many companies have policies
regarding the use of their equipment. Where I work my employer trusts me to
use their equipment properly. If I want to install a specific piece of
software I must first contact the IT department. The IT department records
what I am installing, not to be "Big Brother", but so they know what
software is on my computer in the event that they have to troubleshoot an
issue down the line.

Follow your companies policies, make friends with the IT department and your
computer use with be much more friendly.

 

[Winston]

This has nothing to do with a Police State. It has to do with modifying your
employer's tools without their permission. If you took a job as a carpenter
and were expected to use your employer's tools and were informed that you
were not to modify the tools, but you chose to modify tools anyway, and were
caught, I suspect you'd be fired.

Your employer owns the hardware that you are using and pays the fees for
licenses. Therefore they have the right to ensure that employees are using
the equipment and resources appropriately. Many companies have policies
regarding the use of their equipment. Where I work my employer trusts me to
use their equipment properly. If I want to install a specific piece of
software I must first contact the IT department. The IT department records
what I am installing, not to be "Big Brother", but so they know what
software is on my computer in the event that they have to troubleshoot an
issue down the line.

Follow your companies policies, make friends with the IT department and your
computer use with be much more friendly.

The original poster still has the mindset of a five year old. He has no conception
of responsibility. He sees his employer as a stumbling block to his "freedom"
(hence his employer is the "police state").
He should start his own company using his own money, of which, I'm sure he
has little (or he would have his own company now).

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

You could also title this thread "How to get fired".

"a nosy..."
You mean a person who among other things has the responsibility of
ensuring company property is used for company business.

If you know anyone that owns a business, ask them how they feel about
employees that not only use company property for unauthorized uses,
but also conceal that from their employer.
What is their solution.

"your machine"
Do you own it?
Or is the computer furnished by the company for you to use for company
business?
If the later, they are probably fully within their rights and anything
you do to hamper is reasonable grounds for firing in many companies.

 

[Curt Christianson]

Besides the fact that it is the *companies" machine and not "yours", you
have no business messing with it without explicit permission from IT.

Secondly "Registry Cleaners" are "snake oil", and can be down-right
dangerous leaving your machine un-bootable.

see this thread on an excellent of "Reg Cleaners".

Discussion of Registry "Cleaners"
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099



From: <[email protected]>
Subject: Why you need a registry cleaner
Date: Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:31 AM

Sometimes, a nosy Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at your
company likes to look into the registry hive on your machine
(remotely) to see what you had installed to report it to management.
Removing those registry entries with a registry cleaner will prevent
him from finding out too much about what is going on in your machine.
Installing a local firewall on your machine helps keep similar
intruders out too (e.g. the free COMODO Firewall)

Remove the registry entries for COMODO with a registry cleaner so that
he has no proof you had a firewall installed.

Do they train MCSAs to detect registry entry deletions?


--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

| Sometimes, a nosy Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at your
| company likes to look into the registry hive on your machine
| (remotely) to see what you had installed to report it to management.
| Removing those registry entries with a registry cleaner will prevent
| him from finding out too much about what is going on in your machine.
| Installing a local firewall on your machine helps keep similar
| intruders out too (e.g. the free COMODO Firewall)
|
| Remove the registry entries for COMODO with a registry cleaner so that
| he has no proof you had a firewall installed.
|
| Do they train MCSAs to detect registry entry deletions?
|

 

[gls858]

Sometimes, a nosy Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at your
company likes to look into the registry hive on your machine
(remotely) to see what you had installed to report it to management.
Removing those registry entries with a registry cleaner will prevent
him from finding out too much about what is going on in your machine.
Installing a local firewall on your machine helps keep similar
intruders out too (e.g. the free COMODO Firewall)

Remove the registry entries for COMODO with a registry cleaner so that
he has no proof you had a firewall installed.

Do they train MCSAs to detect registry entry deletions?

Well when "your" PC crashes after you used the reg cleaner
and you have to have the IT dept fix it, they're going to
find all that porn anyway and you'll be fired. Hope you have
your resume up to date.

gls858

 

[Harry Ohrn]

The original poster still has the mindset of a five year old. He has no
conception
of responsibility. He sees his employer as a stumbling block to his
"freedom"
(hence his employer is the "police state").
He should start his own company using his own money, of which, I'm sure he
has little (or he would have his own company now).

You are very likely right.

 

[Rich Barry]

Whether Registry Cleaners are a boon or bust, I agree that using them on
anybody's computer but your own is unethical.
Especially when it's your employer.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Sometimes, a nosy Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at your
company likes to look into the registry hive on your machine
(remotely) to see what you had installed to report it to management.
Removing those registry entries with a registry cleaner will prevent
him from finding out too much about what is going on in your machine.
Installing a local firewall on your machine helps keep similar
intruders out too (e.g. the free COMODO Firewall)

Do you really believe that? There are numerous ways for competent
systems administrators to detect unauthorized activity, the registry
being one of the least useful.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



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

 

[bjoey]

This has nothing to do with a Police State. It has to do with modifying your
employer's tools without their permission. If you took a job as a carpenter
and were expected to use your employer's tools and were informed that you
were not to modify the tools, but you chose to modify tools anyway, and were
caught, I suspect you'd be fired.

Not directed at you personally, but this thread confirms what I
believed:

IT Department grunts often make wrong assumptions (e.g. everyone is an
EMPLOYEE).
Their grunt brethren follow those assumptions blindly.
That is why some departments in the company turn to contractors and
consultants to get the job done right.

If the grunts could get the work done, contractors wouldn't be needed.
But that is not going to happen any time soon.

I am a contractor, and the laptop in question (and software) is mine.
The Sys Admin had no right to query/audit my registry and turn the
info over to his management, any more
than a police officer has a right to illegally search/seize items in
your home without a warrant.
Your employer can't install a security camera in the washroom for
similar reasons too.

These companies prevent their employees from using wireless,
firewalls, or their own anti-virus software.
What laptop these days belonging to a contractor doesn't have those?

Unix shops hate the Microsoft SQL Server on my machine, and Microsoft
shops hate the java/tomcat on my machine.

The info that was turned over involved a version of a software product
that the EMPLOYEES are specifically not allowed to install.
I was hired because I had significant knowledge about that product,
and had worked with it in the past.
How the admin got a hold of my registry (including very specific
details of un-installed software versions that left traces in the
Windows registry) is interesting.
I turned off my wireless, and I use a hardware router/firewall at
home, and without the firewall at the client's location, he somehow
got in to my machine to steal that info.
And they pushed a version of the corporate virus scanner onto my
machine, which conflicts with mine.
Free software for me?

For anyone reading this, if you find a contractor in your company
using company equipment, following employee regulations, reporting to
a supervisor who is an employee, participates in company events, etc.
Please call the Internal Revenue Service and turn them in.
The IRS will re-classify the contractor as an employee and nail your
company for not withholding taxes for the contractor.

And to all corporate-law obeying employees who think the company owns
you, please make sure your corporate id card is securely fastened
around your neck at all times
Even when you leave the building.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

It seems you left out some pertinent information in your first post.
What other pertinent details have you left out?

However your computer is still on the companies network with a
potential of damaging the companies network probably from the inside.
The fact it is your computer has little relevance while you are
connecting to their network.

If you do not like working with a company which works to protect the
network from threats inside and out, next time you should determine
company policies in advance and if necessary have clear exceptions
based on what you feel you want.
That way you will not be surprised when the company does what it
normally does in
protecting their network.
On the other hand if you truly feel you have been treated
inappropriately by the company IT department, take your contract to
management for proper resolution.

"is an EMPLOYEE"
No malware, at least none that I know, can tell the difference between
employee and contractor.
To treat the two differently at the technology level is asking for
trouble.
contractors bringing in unknown systems is a major source of malware
for networks otherwise free of malware.
Any outside computer, employee or company owned, shares that risk.

"The Sys Admin had no right..."
That depends on the company policy, another detail which you have
omitted from your post.
If you really believe that, quit and file legal charges.

"And they pushed a version of the corporate virus scanner..."
That and much more is normal for computers connected to a company
network.
Many companies will not simply take the word of an employee or
contractor the computer is clean, that assumption has brought down
many networks when it turned out to be false.
They can not afford the cost.

In any case, your resolution is not here in the newsgroups, it lies
with the company management or the legal system.
You may own the computer but the company owns the network.

 

[Winston]

Not directed at you personally, but this thread confirms what I
believed:

IT Department grunts often make wrong assumptions (e.g. everyone is an
EMPLOYEE).
Their grunt brethren follow those assumptions blindly.
That is why some departments in the company turn to contractors and
consultants to get the job done right.

If the grunts could get the work done, contractors wouldn't be needed.
But that is not going to happen any time soon.

I am a contractor, and the laptop in question (and software) is mine.
The Sys Admin had no right to query/audit my registry and turn the
info over to his management, any more
than a police officer has a right to illegally search/seize items in
your home without a warrant.
Your employer can't install a security camera in the washroom for
similar reasons too.

These companies prevent their employees from using wireless,
firewalls, or their own anti-virus software.
What laptop these days belonging to a contractor doesn't have those?

Unix shops hate the Microsoft SQL Server on my machine, and Microsoft
shops hate the java/tomcat on my machine.

The info that was turned over involved a version of a software product
that the EMPLOYEES are specifically not allowed to install.
I was hired because I had significant knowledge about that product,
and had worked with it in the past.
How the admin got a hold of my registry (including very specific
details of un-installed software versions that left traces in the
Windows registry) is interesting.
I turned off my wireless, and I use a hardware router/firewall at
home, and without the firewall at the client's location, he somehow
got in to my machine to steal that info.
And they pushed a version of the corporate virus scanner onto my
machine, which conflicts with mine.
Free software for me?

For anyone reading this, if you find a contractor in your company
using company equipment, following employee regulations, reporting to
a supervisor who is an employee, participates in company events, etc.
Please call the Internal Revenue Service and turn them in.
The IRS will re-classify the contractor as an employee and nail your
company for not withholding taxes for the contractor.

And to all corporate-law obeying employees who think the company owns
you, please make sure your corporate id card is securely fastened
around your neck at all times
Even when you leave the building.

I'm totally amazed that anyone would bother to answer your rantings.
To put your mind at ease----Yes, it's a massive conspiracy and you are 100%
correct.

 

[bjoey]

Whether Registry Cleaners are a boon or bust, I agree that using them on
anybody's computer but your own is unethical.
Especially when it's your employer.

Unix shops feel the same way about using Microsoft software on their
networks

And even Microsoft had a utility available for download (called
RegClean.exe) to clean the Windows registry sometime ago.
The better registry cleaners back up the registry entries they will be
deleting and let you know exactly what they will be doing.

The Windows registry was probably not architected by Object Oriented
designers.
Information appears to be scattered all over the place.
Bad uninstall programs leave traces of uninstalled software in the
registry all the time.
Maybe they think they must leave their permanent mark in the Windows
registry to stake their claim or something

Even Internet Explorer has a cache, cookie and history cleaner built
in.
Is the Windows registry the new place to hide stuff for an
unauthorized audit?

 

[John John]

And even Microsoft had a utility available for download (called
RegClean.exe) to clean the Windows registry sometime ago.

Yes, you mean that thing that was made to clean Office entries on
Windows 95 comptuters... Was then pulled by Microsoft when it was found
to be unfit for use on any thing other than Windows 95.

John

 

[bjoey]

Yes, you mean that thing that was made to clean Office entries on
Windows 95 comptuters... Was then pulled by Microsoft when it was found
to be unfit for use on any thing other than Windows 95.

Using Google, we see:

"Microsoft article Q147769
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q147/7/69.asp)
indicates
that RegClean 4.1a runs on Win2K, NT, Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows
Me), and Windows 9x. Microsoft originally introduced the tool for
Office 97. "


But the article is no longer available!

 

[John John]

Using Google, we see:

"Microsoft article Q147769
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q147/7/69.asp)
indicates
that RegClean 4.1a runs on Win2K, NT, Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows
Me), and Windows 9x. Microsoft originally introduced the tool for
Office 97. "


But the article is no longer available!

Yes, because the utility was later found to cause problems with other
software and Microsoft pulled the utility from its site.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299958

Regclean never was much of any good for anything except cleaning earlier
Office entries on Windows 9x, even on Windows ME, I think before before
Microsoft pulled the application, users started noticing bugs with the
utility.
http://groups.google.com/groups?as_...81&as_maxd=30&as_maxm=7&as_maxy=2007&safe=off

John

 

[bjoey]

Yes, because the utility was later found to cause problems with other
software and Microsoft pulled the utility from its site.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299958

Regclean never was much of any good for anything except cleaning earlier
Office entries on Windows 9x, even on Windows ME, I think before before
Microsoft pulled the application, users started noticing bugs with the
utility.http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=regclean&num=10&scoring=r&as_epq...

Thanks for the info.

And let's not forget Microsoft's other attempts at cleaning the
registry:
scanreg, scanregw and RegMaid.

The need for a registry cleaner is there, and even Microsoft engineers
have attempted it a couple of times.
But they all seem to get pulled if it interferes with any of
Microsoft's revenue producing products

Has the Windows registry become too big of a beast for even Microsoft
to manage?
It's basically the "If it works at all, don't mess with it"
philosophy!