deleting stuff in registry

[Guest]

My registry checker (Norton Windoctor) tells me that I have all sorts of
missing and invalid items in the registry. ActiveX/COM subkeys,
"AtWorkRendering\Shell\PrintTo\Command with invalid command entry'0'",
missing mapi.dll, missing "CLSID\{...}\InProcServer", missing
InProcHandler32, missing DefalutIcons, missing shared .dll files, invalid
file extensions .wll, and a few shortcuts to missing items, such as
scanpst.hltp, etc., etc. And for some of the items, Norton warns me about
all the terrible things that might happen if I don't do something.

I have realised that if I delete or move a file, the registry's shortcuts
get out of whack. That seems straightforward to sort out. But, in general,
what ought one to do about these things? (I've done sfc /scannow, and
re-installed Office recently.) I presume that if there are invalid entries
in the registry, it might be best to delete them. Is it?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment I may receive.

 

[Gary]

Like going to the Doctor, it is wise to get a 2nd opinion.
Try another registry utility, and if the results are the same, then by all
means turf out the rubbish.

Programs leave behind a myriad of rubbish in the registry, and to get it to
a pristine condition, well, ain't gonna happen. Just think of the dirt you
have under the bed, it's harmless (unless you have an allergy of course), so
leave it there for now. If all programs are working, it's best to leave the
dirt under the bed for now, and spring clean....in a year's time?
you've completed sfc and it looks OK does it? Well, nothing to really worry
about, despite protestations from Norton WinDoctor......does that tell you
something in itself?

 

[Guest]

Norton's is just reporting that you have a whole lot of 'baggeage' in the
registry that really isn't helping you get anything done, better, faster or
at all.

By deleting these entries, it will simply speed up the bootup process for
XP: howver if you Hibernate instead of shutting down every time, it won't
save a nanosecond!

Like going to the Doctor, it is wise to get a 2nd opinion.
Try another registry utility, and if the results are the same, then by all
means turf out the rubbish.

Programs leave behind a myriad of rubbish in the registry, and to get it to
a pristine condition, well, ain't gonna happen. Just think of the dirt you
have under the bed, it's harmless (unless you have an allergy of course), so
leave it there for now. If all programs are working, it's best to leave the
dirt under the bed for now, and spring clean....in a year's time?
you've completed sfc and it looks OK does it? Well, nothing to really worry
about, despite protestations from Norton WinDoctor......does that tell you
something in itself?

My registry checker (Norton Windoctor) tells me that I have all sorts of
missing and invalid items in the registry. ActiveX/COM subkeys,
"AtWorkRendering\Shell\PrintTo\Command with invalid command entry'0'",
missing mapi.dll, missing "CLSID\{...}\InProcServer", missing
InProcHandler32, missing DefalutIcons, missing shared .dll files, invalid
file extensions .wll, and a few shortcuts to missing items, such as
scanpst.hltp, etc., etc. And for some of the items, Norton warns me about
all the terrible things that might happen if I don't do something.

I have realised that if I delete or move a file, the registry's shortcuts
get out of whack. That seems straightforward to sort out. But, in
general,
what ought one to do about these things? (I've done sfc /scannow, and
re-installed Office recently.) I presume that if there are invalid
entries
in the registry, it might be best to delete them. Is it?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment I may receive.

--
Jess
(XP Home SP/2 OEM. HDD1:Windows NTFS 60GB; Linux 20GB. HDD2: NTFS 40GB. P4
HT. 512MB)
[Please note: Display name changed from Jess. I want to be unique!]

 

[Guest]

Seems like sound advice, thanks. I can relate to the dust under the bed
analogy. Yes, as far as I know sfc went ok - although the log isn't too
informative ('it's started', then a bit later 'it's finished'). And I'm
getting quite annoyed with Symantec/Norton, generally - so yes it does tell
me plenty!

Like going to the Doctor, it is wise to get a 2nd opinion.
Try another registry utility, and if the results are the same, then by all
means turf out the rubbish.

Programs leave behind a myriad of rubbish in the registry, and to get it to
a pristine condition, well, ain't gonna happen. Just think of the dirt you
have under the bed, it's harmless (unless you have an allergy of course), so
leave it there for now. If all programs are working, it's best to leave the
dirt under the bed for now, and spring clean....in a year's time?
you've completed sfc and it looks OK does it? Well, nothing to really worry
about, despite protestations from Norton WinDoctor......does that tell you
something in itself?

My registry checker (Norton Windoctor) tells me that I have all sorts of
missing and invalid items in the registry. ActiveX/COM subkeys,
"AtWorkRendering\Shell\PrintTo\Command with invalid command entry'0'",
missing mapi.dll, missing "CLSID\{...}\InProcServer", missing
InProcHandler32, missing DefalutIcons, missing shared .dll files, invalid
file extensions .wll, and a few shortcuts to missing items, such as
scanpst.hltp, etc., etc. And for some of the items, Norton warns me about
all the terrible things that might happen if I don't do something.

I have realised that if I delete or move a file, the registry's shortcuts
get out of whack. That seems straightforward to sort out. But, in
general,
what ought one to do about these things? (I've done sfc /scannow, and
re-installed Office recently.) I presume that if there are invalid
entries
in the registry, it might be best to delete them. Is it?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment I may receive.

--
Jess
(XP Home SP/2 OEM. HDD1:Windows NTFS 60GB; Linux 20GB. HDD2: NTFS 40GB. P4
HT. 512MB)
[Please note: Display name changed from Jess. I want to be unique!]

 

[Guest]

Interesting. Thanks for the info. But surely some of the rubbish can cause
other problems, can't it? And anyway, I don't believe it's a good idea to
leave the computer on all the time in a residential place. But, I thank you
for my new knowledge.

Norton's is just reporting that you have a whole lot of 'baggeage' in the
registry that really isn't helping you get anything done, better, faster or
at all.

By deleting these entries, it will simply speed up the bootup process for
XP: howver if you Hibernate instead of shutting down every time, it won't
save a nanosecond!

Like going to the Doctor, it is wise to get a 2nd opinion.
Try another registry utility, and if the results are the same, then by all
means turf out the rubbish.

Programs leave behind a myriad of rubbish in the registry, and to get it to
a pristine condition, well, ain't gonna happen. Just think of the dirt you
have under the bed, it's harmless (unless you have an allergy of course), so
leave it there for now. If all programs are working, it's best to leave the
dirt under the bed for now, and spring clean....in a year's time?
you've completed sfc and it looks OK does it? Well, nothing to really worry
about, despite protestations from Norton WinDoctor......does that tell you
something in itself?

My registry checker (Norton Windoctor) tells me that I have all sorts of
missing and invalid items in the registry. ActiveX/COM subkeys,
"AtWorkRendering\Shell\PrintTo\Command with invalid command entry'0'",
missing mapi.dll, missing "CLSID\{...}\InProcServer", missing
InProcHandler32, missing DefalutIcons, missing shared .dll files, invalid
file extensions .wll, and a few shortcuts to missing items, such as
scanpst.hltp, etc., etc. And for some of the items, Norton warns me about
all the terrible things that might happen if I don't do something.

I have realised that if I delete or move a file, the registry's shortcuts
get out of whack. That seems straightforward to sort out. But, in
general,
what ought one to do about these things? (I've done sfc /scannow, and
re-installed Office recently.) I presume that if there are invalid
entries
in the registry, it might be best to delete them. Is it?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment I may receive.

--
Jess
(XP Home SP/2 OEM. HDD1:Windows NTFS 60GB; Linux 20GB. HDD2: NTFS 40GB. P4
HT. 512MB)
[Please note: Display name changed from Jess. I want to be unique!]