Debate on Registry Cleaners

[Fruit2O]

I have received advice that I should - and should not - use registry
cleaners. I should: because a bloated registry slows down everything
and can cause confusion with apps. I shouldn't: because some
cleaners may remove important information.

I have several registry cleaners and they all remove different items.
This leads me to believe that none of them is safe AND effective. Even
though I back up the Registry before each 'clean,' I sometimes don't
realize that there's a problem with an app because I don't use it
right away - and I have a lot of apps. Therefore, for the time being,
I have stopped using registry cleaners (except for Regclean by
Microsoft).

I'm looking for arguments for both positions and, if there's a safe
AND effective registry cleaner out there, what is recommended?

Let's face it: most of the entries that are recommended to delete are
not readily recognizable by the typical user. So how is one to really
know what is safe to remove and what is not safe?

Responses please?

 

[Ken Blake]

I have received advice that I should - and should not - use registry
cleaners. I should: because a bloated registry slows down everything
and can cause confusion with apps. I shouldn't: because some
cleaners may remove important information.

I have several registry cleaners and they all remove different items.
This leads me to believe that none of them is safe AND effective. Even
though I back up the Registry before each 'clean,' I sometimes don't
realize that there's a problem with an app because I don't use it
right away - and I have a lot of apps. Therefore, for the time being,
I have stopped using registry cleaners (except for Regclean by
Microsoft).

Good. You should stop using Regclean too.

I always recommend against the routine use of registry cleaners. Routine
cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and don't
use a registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and what vendors of
registry cleaning software try to convince you of, having unused registry
entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit it may
have.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have received advice that I should - and should not - use registry
cleaners. I should: because a bloated registry slows down everything
and can cause confusion with apps.

Unfortunately, that claim is completely untrue.

I shouldn't: because some
cleaners may remove important information.

This is true.

I have several registry cleaners and they all remove different items.
This leads me to believe that none of them is safe AND effective. Even
though I back up the Registry before each 'clean,' I sometimes don't
realize that there's a problem with an app because I don't use it
right away - and I have a lot of apps. Therefore, for the time being,
I have stopped using registry cleaners

Very good.

(except for Regclean by
Microsoft).

Not so good. RegClean was designed for Win9x operating systems, and
didn't work real well on them. It's been discontinued and unsupported
for years, now. I certainly wouldn't advise trying to use it on a
modern OS.

I'm looking for arguments for both positions and, if there's a safe
AND effective registry cleaner out there, what is recommended?

None.


Let's face it: most of the entries that are recommended to delete are
not readily recognizable by the typical user. So how is one to really
know what is safe to remove and what is not safe?

One should not turn loose a poorly understood automated "cleaner,"
unless he is fully confident that he knows *exactly* what is going to
happen as a result of each and every change. Having seen the results of
inexperienced people using automated registry "cleaners," I can only
advise all but the most experienced computer technicians (and/or
hobbyists) to avoid them all. Experience has shown me that such tools
simply are not safe in the hands of the inexperienced user.

If you lack the knowledge and experience to maintain your registry
by yourself, then you also lack the knowledge and experience to safely
configure and use any automated registry cleaner, no matter how safe
they claim to be.


--

Bruce Chambers

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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

 

[DatabaseBen]

no argument from me.

it seems you have the necessary
tools and have the required experience
to reach your own conclusions....

 

[Charlie Tame]

I'll just second (Third?) what you and Ken wrote. Registry entries that need
fixed need to be fixed on an individual basis.

Charlie

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Few people report any significant or even noticeable improvement with
registry cleaners.
I suggest people not use them.

If you do use a registry cleaner, I suggest you fully understand exactly
what every key modified/deleted by the cleaner does before allowing the
action to take place.
Significant research with questionable benefit is necessary.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I'm looking for arguments for both positions and, if there's a safe
AND effective registry cleaner out there, what is recommended?

You'll NOT find anything conclusive on this topic.

THAT I will GUARANTEE!

I've used many - without a problem - and I've been putzing around with
PCs since DOS 3.1.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Few people report any significant or even noticeable improvement with
registry cleaners.

That says it all.

Forget all the rest of the replies that suggest that if you use a
cleaner, ARMAGEDDON will befall you.

 

[Pennywise]

I have received advice that I should - and should not - use registry
cleaners. I should: because a bloated registry slows down everything
and can cause confusion with apps. I shouldn't: because some
cleaners may remove important information.

Just use NTREGOPT it defrags the registry,
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
ERUNT is very handy as well.

 

[HeyBub]

I have received advice that I should - and should not - use registry
cleaners. I should: because a bloated registry slows down everything
and can cause confusion with apps. I shouldn't: because some
cleaners may remove important information.

Those who think a bloated registry slows things down do not know how a
registry works. The registry is not some (possibly) humongous list in RAM
that has to be searched, top-to-bottom, for every little event. (Even if it
were, the largest list could still be searched at RAM speed in nanoseconds.)

The registry is more like a file. When the OS wants something, it goes
directly to the something and gets what is needed. If the registry contains
unnecessary entries, they're simply never accessed.

 

[Jim Cladingboel]

Snip

Good. You should stop using Regclean too.

I always recommend against the routine use of registry cleaners. Routine
cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and don't
use a registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and what vendors
of registry cleaning software try to convince you of, having unused
registry entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit it
may have.

What do you feel about using Start/Run/Scanreg /opt /fix as an alternative
way to keep the Registry from bloating?

Jim

 

[Sharon Fink]

What do you feel about using Start/Run/Scanreg /opt /fix as an alternative
way to keep the Registry from bloating?

That's a Win9x command. Not useful in XP.

 

[Fruit2O]

Just use NTREGOPT it defrags the registry,
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
ERUNT is very handy as well.

Thanks - I already use both.

 

[Fruit2O]

Thank you all for your advice. It seems to be unanimous and I won't
be using ANY registry cleaners from now on.

 

[Alias]

Thank you all for your advice. It seems to be unanimous and I won't
be using ANY registry cleaners from now on.

They can be handy if you're looking for a specific thing to remove, like
remnants from an unintalled program or video card.

I use SystemSuite 7, www.v-com.com and it's never caused me any problems
but you *do* have to know how to use it properly. I have also used Crap
Cleaner's with no problems.

Alias