low down on registry cleaners

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul Mars
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Paul Mars

There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along? This is just one that
has been recommended:


http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=322
These are two must have free windows xp utilities. NTREGOPT is a registry
optimizer that will clean up your unused and old registries while ERUNT will
backup and restore your registry into your a folder. More info on how to
install these utilities can be find here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/article.php?sid=1027
Enjoy :)
 
Paul Mars said:
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along? This is just one
that has been recommended:


http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=322
These are two must have free windows xp utilities. NTREGOPT is a registry
optimizer that will clean up your unused and old registries while ERUNT
will backup and restore your registry into your a folder. More info on how
to install these utilities can be find here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/article.php?sid=1027
Enjoy :)
Click to expand...

If you understand the registry then erunt is the only one to use if
you don't, then you have no business playing with it ....

rgds
Roberto
 
Today Paul Mars commented courteously on the subject at hand
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a
good idea to use these or since everything works, just
leave it along? This is just one that has been recommended:


http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=322
These are two must have free windows xp utilities. NTREGOPT
is a registry optimizer that will clean up your unused and
old registries while ERUNT will backup and restore your
registry into your a folder. More info on how to install
these utilities can be find here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/article.php?sid=1027 Enjoy :)
Click to expand...
I use JV16 Powertools but it isn't free. Once a month or so, I
set a RP then run Registry Cleaner. It never fails to find 50-
100 pieces of crap left behind by something. 99 44/100% are
benign - they're just useless references to things like a
"recent files" list that is no longer valid.

A much better reason for having a good cleaner/editor is when
you want to make damn well sure you've completely uninstalled
something, particularly if you're having trouble with it and
want to do a clean re-install. JV16 has an excellent
searchable "regedit" which I've used successfully many times,
again only after setting a RP.

But, in keeping with the old saw "don't try to fix something
that isn't broken", if you're unsure of anything here and have
a stable, good running system, why tempt fate and/or inviting
a visit from Murphy by accidently mucking up your Registry in
an attempt to fix what doesn't need fixing?
 
Paul Mars said:
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along? This is just one that
has been recommended:


http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=322
These are two must have free windows xp utilities. NTREGOPT is a registry
optimizer that will clean up your unused and old registries while ERUNT will
backup and restore your registry into your a folder. More info on how to
install these utilities can be find here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/article.php?sid=1027
Enjoy :)
Click to expand...

At best a registry cleaner will make no noticeable difference
to the performance of your machine. At worst it will cripple
it.
 
Paul said:
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along? This is just one that
has been recommended:


http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=322
These are two must have free windows xp utilities. NTREGOPT is a registry
optimizer that will clean up your unused and old registries while ERUNT will
backup and restore your registry into your a folder. More info on how to
install these utilities can be find here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/article.php?sid=1027
Enjoy :)
Click to expand...

Unless you know what you are doing, avoid using them. They don't
increase peformance anyway.
 
Paul Mars said:
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along? This is just one that
has been recommended:
Click to expand...

Registry cleaners do have an occasional use, but in general they
should be approached with extreme caution. Unless you know that
there is invalid information in the registry that is interfering with
the proper functioning of your computer in some way you should leave
things alone.


One situation where I do use a Registry Cleaner fairly often is when I
"de-Norton" a computer because when the Norton software is
uninstalled, either deliberately or by shoddy design, it leaves a ton
of crap behind that can cause problems.

My personal preference for a registry cleaner is RegSeeker from
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
[...]
At best a registry cleaner will make no noticeable difference
to the performance of your machine. At worst it will cripple
it.
Click to expand...

That's not my experience.
 
Paul, you might be mistaken on NTREGOPT! I've been using it for years with no problems BUT if I remember correctly, all it does is
COMPRESS unnecessary open (free) space. Again, if I recall correctly, it does NOT remove anything and it is safe to use!
___
 
Paul said:
There are several. If I have no problems, is it still a good idea to use
these or since everything works, just leave it along?
Click to expand...


What specific problem are you experiencing that you *know* beyond
all reasonable doubt will 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. Why use a shotgun
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 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 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.

The only thing needed to safely maintain your registry is knowledge
and Regedit.exe. 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.

Further, no one has ever demonstrated, to my satisfaction, that the
use of an automated registry "cleaner," particularly by an untrained,
inexperienced computer user, does any real good. There's certainly been
no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use of such
products to "clean" WinXP's registry improves a computer's performance
or stability.



--

Bruce Chambers

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