Cleaniing Windows XP Registry?

[Alex Nichol]

Can you name one app. - MS or otherwise that you know **completely*
uninstalls all the files and Registry entries that it installs?

This is one big reason why System Restore is so useful, after doing a
trial on a program and deciding that you do not want it. That then not
only removes all the entries it made but also restores ones it modified,
especially to File Associations. But with something that gets its
tentacles in as deep as Symantec or McAfee, unless it has been a short
enough time to use S Restore, no Registry Cleaner is going to do it
either. Only way of getting those off is not to install them in the
first place

 

[R. McCarty]

I would add that Microsoft should enhance the "Certified for XP use"
criteria to include 100% removal capabilities for an application to get
the MS nod of approval.

 

[Dave]

Alex,
Many new Computers come with a trial version either McAfee or Norton already
installed.
Dave

: Will Denny wrote:
:
: >Can you name one app. - MS or otherwise that you know **completely*
: >uninstalls all the files and Registry entries that it installs?
:
: This is one big reason why System Restore is so useful, after doing a
: trial on a program and deciding that you do not want it. That then not
: only removes all the entries it made but also restores ones it modified,
: especially to File Associations. But with something that gets its
: tentacles in as deep as Symantec or McAfee, unless it has been a short
: enough time to use S Restore, no Registry Cleaner is going to do it
: either. Only way of getting those off is not to install them in the
: first place
:
: --
: Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
: Bournemouth, U.K. (e-mail address removed)8E8L.org (remove the D8 bit)

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

If you are referring to 3rd party programs, that is down to those programs
and not MS. 3rd party uninstallers do not uninstall all the dross that they
should!!

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

I would add that Microsoft should enhance the "Certified for XP use"
criteria to include 100% removal capabilities for an application to get
the MS nod of approval.

 

[Bob I]

That's not going to happen. WHY? Because programs "install or reuse
existing resources as necessary". What does that mean? It means that the
removal of a prior program could pull the rug out from under the
second progam that still needs to work.

 

[Guest]

Hi

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents
Windows XP from starting"


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx

the reason i quoted this article is that despite its title
it is not only for restoring incase of non boot up it gives the location of
a copy of the original resistry when x.p.was
first installed before some badly written software or fiddler messed it up
it gives you steps on how restore your registry to its original state beofe
you went and actually installed stuff

 

[Will Denny]

the reason i quoted this article is that despite its title
it is not only for restoring incase of non boot up it gives the location
of
a copy of the original resistry when x.p.was
first installed before some badly written software or fiddler messed it up
it gives you steps on how restore your registry to its original state
beofe
you went and actually installed stuff

Hi

Try ing to restore the Registry when it "was first installed" is a no-no.
That reference to the Registry could go back days, weeks, months etc. It
'aint the bother after kind of time.

 

[DILIP]

MS's own programs don't uninstall without leaving their left overs in the
Registry, so why do you expect others to conform to this? Haven't you
noticed when you uninstall Messenger, Office or Media Player that when you
upgrade or re-install them, they remember your previous settings?

Furthermore, trial ware depends on the registry entries to keep track of the
number of times they run and when they shall expire. Wiping these out will
defeat the very purpose of shareware, won't it?

--
Replace the obvious with "hotmail"

I would add that Microsoft should enhance the "Certified for XP use"
criteria to include 100% removal capabilities for an application to get
the MS nod of approval.

 

[Will Denny]

No!!

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

MS's own programs don't uninstall without leaving their left overs in the
Registry, so why do you expect others to conform to this? Haven't you
noticed when you uninstall Messenger, Office or Media Player that when you
upgrade or re-install them, they remember your previous settings?

Furthermore, trial ware depends on the registry entries to keep track of
the number of times they run and when they shall expire. Wiping these out
will defeat the very purpose of shareware, won't it?

 

[Dsatellite test]

What's the problem, Will? Care to explain yourself? I don't know which
part of my post you're refuting!

I barely resisted myself when you asked for a program that removes itself
from the registry completely - So that we don't go through more
unpleasantness. If you want to be hostile for the sake of it, I can play.
Remember, you're the one who has to live up to that MVP tag.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

This has gone a bit OT. Back to the OP - there is no good Registry
'cleaner'. If anyone wants to use one of them then woe betide!!!! Look
through some other postings as to the pitfalls of using a Registry
'cleaner'.

 

[Trent©]

Hi

This has gone a bit OT. Back to the OP - there is no good Registry
'cleaner'. If anyone wants to use one of them then woe betide!!!! Look
through some other postings as to the pitfalls of using a Registry
'cleaner'.

Registry CheckUp by ParticleG...

www.particleg.com

Use it all the time...and never a problem.

I always follow-up with...

NTREGOPT
========

Registry Optimization for Windows NT/2000/XP

v1.0, 11/24/2001, Freeware
Written by Lars Hederer
(e-mail address removed)

Look for the latest version here:
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt

2 great programs...working hand in hand.


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

 

[Raymond J. Johnson Jr.]

<snip

| Registry CheckUp by ParticleG...
|
| www.particleg.com
|
| Use it all the time...and never a problem.
|
<snip>
And probably never had a problem *before* using it that was remedied by
using it.

 

[Trent©]

<snip

| Registry CheckUp by ParticleG...
|
| www.particleg.com
|
| Use it all the time...and never a problem.
|
<snip>
And probably never had a problem *before* using it that was remedied by
using it.

Actually, I did...on a couple of machines. File associations.
Cleaned them up. Compacting the registry is important too, though.

I've been lookin' for a good registry cleaner for a long time...so
I've been really cautious when tryin' any out.

Registry CheckUp really works...plus gives you the option of reviewing
each suggested correction before you do the actual change. And it
also gives you the option to save things that you do.

Nice program...but not one to be used every day. I use it when doing
repairs for clients...and about twice a year on my own machines.


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

 

[Raymond J. Johnson Jr.]

| On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 08:32:40 -0600, "Raymond J. Johnson Jr."
|
| ><snip
| >
| >| Registry CheckUp by ParticleG...
| >|
| >| www.particleg.com
| >|
| >| Use it all the time...and never a problem.
| >|
| ><snip>
| >And probably never had a problem *before* using it that was remedied by
| >using it.
| >
|
| Actually, I did...on a couple of machines. File associations.
| Cleaned them up. Compacting the registry is important too, though.
|
| I've been lookin' for a good registry cleaner for a long time...so
| I've been really cautious when tryin' any out.
|
| Registry CheckUp really works...plus gives you the option of reviewing
| each suggested correction before you do the actual change. And it
| also gives you the option to save things that you do.
|
| Nice program...but not one to be used every day. I use it when doing
| repairs for clients...and about twice a year on my own machines.
|
|
| Have a nice one...
|
| Trent
|
| Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

You can use regedit to fix file associations, if in fact editing the
registry is even necessary for that purpose. There is no reliable evidence
that "compacting" the registry does anything other than augment the bank
accounts of the people who sell the software that does it.

 

[Plato]

registry is even necessary for that purpose. There is no reliable evidence
that "compacting" the registry does anything other than augment the bank
accounts of the people who sell the software that does it.

Makes you wonder why MS included regedit /opt with w/98 to compact the
registry eh?

 

[Raymond J. Johnson Jr.]

| Raymond J. Johnson Jr. wrote:
| >
| > registry is even necessary for that purpose. There is no reliable
evidence
| > that "compacting" the registry does anything other than augment the bank
| > accounts of the people who sell the software that does it.
|
| Makes you wonder why MS included regedit /opt with w/98 to compact the
| registry eh?

Also might make you wonder why there is no such compacting facility
available with XP. This is an XP NG, isn't it?

 

[Trent©]

You can use regedit to fix file associations, if in fact editing the
registry is even necessary for that purpose.

Sure you can...yer right. Its not necessary to use ANYBODY'S registry
utility...no matter what type.

But its not uncommon to find hundreds of registry errors when using
Registry Checkup. How would you even go about FINDING those errors?
How would you know what to look for? How would you find ActiveX
errors in the registry, for instance?...or font errors?...or...

And, if you DID find them (how long would it take you?), how long
would it take you to manually correct them?

An analogy...

You can use Explorer to hunt for all .exe files on your computer. Or
you can use the DIR command. Which do you think will be faster?

There is no reliable evidence
that "compacting" the registry does anything other than augment the bank
accounts of the people who sell the software that does it.

You must be new at computers.

Nonetheless...YOU should be the reliable judge. Have you even TRIED
some of the ideas brought forward here? Have you ever compacted your
registry? Do you ever defrag your hard drive?...or run scandisk or
chkdsk?


Have a nice one...

Trent

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

 

[Raymond J. Johnson Jr.]

Sure you can...yer right. Its not necessary to use ANYBODY'S registry
utility...no matter what type.

But its not uncommon to find hundreds of registry errors when using
Registry Checkup. How would you even go about FINDING those errors?
How would you know what to look for? How would you find ActiveX
errors in the registry, for instance?...or font errors?...or...

And, if you DID find them (how long would it take you?), how long
would it take you to manually correct them?

An analogy...

You can use Explorer to hunt for all .exe files on your computer. Or
you can use the DIR command. Which do you think will be faster?

I wouldn't search for any kind of files unless there was something I
needed to find. The analogy has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
If you feel an unnatural compulsion to mess with your registry, go right
ahead. But it's irresponsible to suggest that your own unfounded beliefs
about registry cleaning or compacting are a good idea for everyone,
especially novices.

You must be new at computers.

Not hardly.

Nonetheless...YOU should be the reliable judge. Have you even TRIED
some of the ideas brought forward here? Have you ever compacted your
registry? Do you ever defrag your hard drive?...or run scandisk or
chkdsk?

Of course I've tried it. I wouldn't suggest that it's a waste of time if
I hadn't. I rarely defrag, because that's another timewaster, if done
as part of compulsive "maintenance." I'm not saying that there aren't
times when a registry utility is useful, but most of those times Regedit
will do just fine.