Reg Clean or Reformat

[Jack Bruss]

My computer has been acting up a bit for several months, slow to boot and
shut down, sluggish overall, Outlook errors and shutdowns, strange error
messages from time to time, etc. It has been almost 3 years since I
reformated, and I was wondering whether I ought to bite the bullet and do
that, or whether it's worth taking a chance that a $30 or so registry
cleaner would solve the problems.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[shawn modersohn]

My computer has been acting up a bit for several months, slow to boot and
shut down, sluggish overall, Outlook errors and shutdowns, strange error
messages from time to time, etc. It has been almost 3 years since I
reformated, and I was wondering whether I ought to bite the bullet and do
that, or whether it's worth taking a chance that a $30 or so registry
cleaner would solve the problems.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Jack

If you have a valid install disk, I would just reformat rather than
spend $30. I have no faith in registry cleaners and I think you would
be wasting your money. In a pure cost benefit scenario, you could spend
hours hunting down every problem and still miss a few, spend $30 on
snake oil, or spend three hours including patch download wait time with
a clean install. A clean install ensures you have a virus free machine.
I would back up all my data, reformat/reinstall, make sure your
computer is behind a firewall or router before going on the Internet,
and then update all patches from Microsoft. Further, assuming you are
using XP Pro, I would use proper user accounts, only use the
Administrator account for Administrative purposes, and only install the
software you actually need. In other words, stay away from free screen
savers. As I like to say, even if the free software isn't evil, the
less moving parts the better.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Registry cleaner don't always do what they are supposed to do. The general
maxim is, if you can't manually edit the registry then don't rely on
software to do it.

A few suggestions:

1/ Do a complete virus check
2/ Download and run the freeware spyware/malware software Ad-aware and
Spybot search and destroy ( www.lavasoft.com and www.safer-networking.org )
3/ Download CCleaner (freeware) (www.ccleaner.com ) and run that also. With
CCleaner there is also a button called 'Issues' This will actually search
your registry to see if there are any problems. You then have the option of
repairing the issues. I have found CCleaner to be an excellent addition to
the PC arsenal. Just make sure you opt to save a backup file prior to
repairing anything.

Slow boot up can also be caused by the amount of programs (in the
notification area) that have to load at the same time as Windows. If you can
do without some of them loading when windows does then that should help boot
up time. A quick look at the configuration utility will tell you what is
loading at startup (click start>run> then type msconfig. In msconfig click
the startup tab.) It is not wise to disable anti virus and firewall
software.

It may also be advisable to check the software you have on your pc. We tend
to fill our hard drives with software that we hardly use. If you don't use
it, then remove it.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..


--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[E. Barry Bruyea]

If you have a valid install disk, I would just reformat rather than
spend $30. I have no faith in registry cleaners and I think you would
be wasting your money. In a pure cost benefit scenario, you could spend
hours hunting down every problem and still miss a few, spend $30 on
snake oil, or spend three hours including patch download wait time with
a clean install. A clean install ensures you have a virus free machine.
I would back up all my data, reformat/reinstall, make sure your
computer is behind a firewall or router before going on the Internet,
and then update all patches from Microsoft. Further, assuming you are
using XP Pro, I would use proper user accounts, only use the
Administrator account for Administrative purposes, and only install the
software you actually need. In other words, stay away from free screen
savers. As I like to say, even if the free software isn't evil, the
less moving parts the better.

For a number of years (with all Win Operating Systems) I have been in
the habit of doing a complete format & re-install every 6-9 months,
and have had very few significant problems with my PC. I would never
consider leaving it for 3 years, as the accumulated problems could
drive you nuts.

 

[Alias]

For a number of years (with all Win Operating Systems) I have been in
the habit of doing a complete format & re-install every 6-9 months,
and have had very few significant problems with my PC. I would never
consider leaving it for 3 years, as the accumulated problems could
drive you nuts.

Mine has been installed for four years and no problems.

Alias

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Problems usually occur if you are in the habit of installing an uninstall
applications on a regular basis. I think the most my operating system has
been installed has been 12 months without any problems, but i do like to
have a clean image of the operating system and installed software so that i
can re-image the drive as and when i need to. I usually re-install the
operating system, along with all the other software i need and then image
the drive using Acronis or something similar. I keep this copy safe on a DVD
and then, if the system gets sluggish, i simply reformat and then re-image
the drive.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Alias]

Problems usually occur if you are in the habit of installing an
uninstall applications on a regular basis.

Only if you don't do a proper clean up afterwards.

Alias

I think the most my operating

 

[Milton Brenner]

Only if you don't do a proper clean up afterwards.

So what constitutes a "proper cleanup"?

*TimDaniels*

 

[Alias]

So what constitutes a "proper cleanup"?

*TimDaniels*

I use SystemSuite and Crap Cleaner to clean my computer, including
fixing the registry. I also use Driver Cleaner Pro for video driver
remnants, although the other day I was cleaning up after an nVidia card
removal and had to go into both the Administrator account and my
account, in safe mode, to use Crap Cleaner to finish removing all the
nVidia remnants.

Once everything is cleaned up, I do a defrag.

Alias

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My computer has been acting up a bit for several months, slow to boot
and shut down, sluggish overall, Outlook errors and shutdowns,
strange error messages from time to time, etc. It has been almost 3
years since I reformated, and I was wondering whether I ought to bite
the bullet and do that,

I am almost always against reformatting and reinstalling Windows, and I am
*always* against doing it because some amount of time has gone by. With a
modicum of care, it should never be necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or
any other version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, each for the period of time before
the next version came out, and each on two machines here. I never
reinstalled any of them, and I have never had anything more than an
occasional minor problem.

It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical support
people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost any problem they
don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and reinstall." That's the
perfect solution for them. It gets you off the phone quickly, it almost
always works, and it doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a
skill that most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).

But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your programs, you
have to reinstall all the Windows and application updates,you have to locate
and install all the needed drivers for your system, you have to recustomize
Windows and all your apps to work the way you're comfortable with.

Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may have
trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs? Can you
find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data backups to restore?
Do you even remember all the customizations and tweaks you may have
installed to make everything work the way you like? Occasionally there are
problems that are so difficult to solve that Windows should be reinstalled
cleanly. But they are few and far between; reinstallation should not be a
substitute for troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have
failed.

or whether it's worth taking a chance that a
$30 or so registry cleaner would solve the problems.

I am also against the use of Registry Cleaners.Do not try to clean the
registry.. 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.



If you are experiencing "slow to boot and shut down, sluggish overall,
Outlook errors and shutdowns, strange error messages from time to time,
etc.," I think you should address the specific problems. Tell us exactly
what those "strange error messages" say, and it's likely that someone here
can help you.



And regarding sluggishness, these days, in many, if not most, instances,
it's spyware infestation that's causing such a problem.


I recommend that you go to Malke's Malware Removal site at
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware and follow
the instructions there.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

My apologies, Alias, i ommitted to add 'if you don't do a proper cleanup
afterwards' Thank you for pointing that 'ommission' out!

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Ron Martell]

For a number of years (with all Win Operating Systems) I have been in
the habit of doing a complete format & re-install every 6-9 months,
and have had very few significant problems with my PC. I would never
consider leaving it for 3 years, as the accumulated problems could
drive you nuts.

The last time I did a re-install on my main PC was with Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 sometime in 1993 or 1994.

Since then I have upgraded to Windows 95 then to 95B, 98, 98SE, ME, XP
Home, and XP Pro. I have also replaced every hardware component
multiple times, except perhaps the power cord.

My computer runs just fine, with no problems or issues.

There are circumstances where it is necessary, or at least advisable,
to do a format and reinstall, but those conditions are actually quite
rare and I would never consider just the passage of time to be in any
way sufficient reason to reformat a computer.

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

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[E. Barry Bruyea]

So what constitutes a "proper cleanup"?

*TimDaniels*

A proper cleanup would take hours & hours as you manually pour through
the registry, because there isn't one single application 'uninstall'
program that removes all of its entries.

 

[PD43]

reg cleaning can be a pain, just format it and be done with it. If you
want it done fast and done right try goin' to 'ANLIT'
(http://www.anlit.com/) I've used their service before its great and
it's fast (about 4 hrs). They do it all over the net with about 10 mins
of setup. Reinstalling the OS, backing up your files, MS Office, other
apps, the works.

You freaking moron. You're replying to a post/thread from November of
2006!

 

[Bill in Co.]

You freaking moron. You're replying to a post/thread from November of
2006!

LOL. Heck, he's got me beat then!