Scott said:
This morning I downloaded a program called RegCure to clean up some issues
that I was having and in the process have done more harm than good.
No surprise there, I'm afraid.
Why do you even think you'd ever need to clean your registry? What
specific *problems* are you actually experiencing (not some program's
bogus listing of imaginary problems) that you think can be fixed by
using a registry "cleaner?"
If you do have a problem that is rooted in the registry, it would
be far better to simply edit (after backing up, of course) only the
specific key(s) and/or value(s) that are causing the problem. After
all, why use a chainsaw when a scalpel will do the job? Additionally,
the manually changing of one or two registry entries is far less likely
to have the dire consequences of allowing an automated product to make
multiple changes simultaneously. The only thing needed to safely clean
your registry is knowledge and Regedit.exe.
The registry contains all of the operating system's "knowledge" of
the computer's hardware devices, installed software, the location of the
device drivers, and the computer's configuration. A misstep in the
registry can have severe consequences. One should not even turning
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 repeatedly 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.
More importantly, no one has ever demonstrated that the use of an
automated registry "cleaner," particularly by an untrained,
inexperienced computer user, does any real good, whatsoever. There's
certainly been no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use
of such products to "clean" Vista's registry improves a computer's
performance or stability. Given the potential for harm, it's just not
worth the risk.
Granted, most registry "cleaners" won't cause problems each and
every time they're used, but the potential for harm is always there.
And, since no registry "cleaner" has ever been demonstrated to do any
good (think of them like treating the flu with chicken soup - there's no
real medicinal value, but it sometimes provides a warming placebo
effect), I always tell people that the risks far out-weigh the
non-existent benefits.
I will concede that a good registry *scanning* tool, in the hands
of an experienced and knowledgeable technician or hobbyist can be a
useful time-saving diagnostic tool, as long as it's not allowed to make
any changes automatically. But I really don't think that there are any
registry "cleaners" that are truly safe for the general public to use.
Experience has proven just the opposite: such tools simply are not safe
in the hands of the inexperienced user.
A little further reading on the subject:
Why I don't use registry cleaners
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643
AumHa Forums • View topic - AUMHA Discussion: Should I Use a Registry
Cleaner?
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099
I now
have "windows sockets" issues and can no longer connect to the internet. Is
there a way that I can restore my previous settings?
Most registry "reamers" claim to have the capability of preserving the
registry's original state, allowing the user to "undo" any undesirable
changes (provided the computer will still boot after the use of the
snake-oil product, that is). If RegCure has such a "backup" feature,
try using it to restore your system to its original condition. And
then uninstall RegCure.
If there is no such feature, or if you neglected to use it, try using
Vista's System Restore to return the computer to it's pre-RegCure state.
If there's no viable Restore Point to use, you can try using Vista's
built-in System File Checker (Start > Run > sfc /scannow) to reverse the
damage caused by RegCure. And then uninstall RegCure.
If that fails, you might try performing an in-place upgrade,
reinstalling Vista over the now damaged installation, and hope that does
the trick. Unfortunately, Vista lacks the capability of performing a
true repair installation, in the manner of Win2K and WinXP, so this may
not work.
If none of the above suggestions work, you're left with only one
option: Back-up your data, format the hard drive, and reinstall Vista
and your applications from scratch. Of course, this is the option of
last resort, but it may be necessary, sadly. I truly hope it doesn't.
--
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
