Registry Cleaners and Defaggers

[MoiMeme]

Not so stupid.
I use cleaners regularly, because I do not liek the idea to have junk in my
registry. I do not have evidence that it changes something more than me when
I do it however, but that is enough reason for me.
HOWEVER I never, never use the build in automatic cleaning : I do manually
select and delete what I am sure is useless.
ALL cleaners I have used ( and I have tried many) select keys that
- ARE still used ( perhaps not "as should be")
- couild be dangerous to delete

And I have earlier had problems with some of the cleaners ( don't remember
which ones anymore, since only using EasyCleaner and jv16 ones)

So I couldn't recommend any one in automatic mode. I should one of them be
used, then the user must know what he does, or at least have a good backup
of registry / system

Phil

 

[Guest]

Are registry cleaners and defraggers a good idea?

 

[Alan Edwards]

No.

....Alan

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

Are registry cleaners and defraggers a good idea?

Nope.

 

[Drew Tognola]

I'd like to hear why a defragger is bad. Anyone else?

Drew

 

[Alan Edwards]

Nobody said a defragger was bad.
He asked about Registry cleaners and defraggers.

....Alan

 

[Drew Tognola]

I think you both said it wasn't a 'good idea'. That why I assumed you both
meant it was a 'bad idea'. I was just wondering why? Am I missing something
here? Why isn't it a good idea?
Drew

 

[Alias]

I think you both said it wasn't a 'good idea'. That why I assumed you both
meant it was a 'bad idea'. I was just wondering why? Am I missing something
here? Why isn't it a good idea?
Drew

I've been using one for years on many computers and it has
improved/fixed all these computers.

What I don't advise is using an automatic cleaner. Cleaners that give
you a list with paths and suggestions as to which ones are removable and
why are recommended. I use the one that comes with SystemSuite,
www.v-com.com and haven't had a problem with it on hundreds of computers.

Personally, I think the people who don't recommend it think that most
computer users are too dumb to use them and consider it an opportunity
to brag about how they know how to use regedit.

Alias

 

[Guest]

No, XP performance is not affected by registry junk. In addition, registry cleaners may delete keys and values which are important for the operating system, or any installed application(s).

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Ryan,

Registry cleaners: No, there is no need for them and they may remove needed
entries. WinXP does not suffer from registry bloat as did earlier iterations
of Windows (mainly in the Win9x line), nor does having "dead" entries create
an issue.

Defragging: Yes, but choose one utility and stick with it. Running multiple
different ones with different optimization schemes tends to inhibit, not
enhance, performance.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Alias]

No, XP performance is not affected by registry junk.
False.

In addition, registry cleaners may delete keys and values which are important for the operating system, or any installed application(s).

Never happened to me and I have been using one for years.

Alias

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

I think you both said it wasn't a 'good idea'. That why I assumed you
both meant it was a 'bad idea'. I was just wondering why? Am I missing
something here? Why isn't it a good idea?

As for the registry cleaners, see the latest problem with this species.

Problems after running such tools are posted on a regular base.

As for defraggers, it's a good idea to run the built-in defrag from time
to time. No need to install extra software.

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

Never happened to me and I have been using one for years.

Well, there are people who drink and drive for years and never been
caught by the police. That's no reason to recommend drunk driving.

 

[Drew Tognola]

Thanks Alias & Detlev.

Drew

As for the registry cleaners, see the latest problem with this species.

Problems after running such tools are posted on a regular base.

As for defraggers, it's a good idea to run the built-in defrag from time
to time. No need to install extra software.

 

[Alias]

Well, there are people who drink and drive for years and never been
caught by the police. That's no reason to recommend drunk driving.

What a stupid analogy.

Alias

 

[Mikie]

ME TOO!!!!!

 

[Mikie]

Stupid ignorant analogy!

 

[R. McCarty]

The Registry uses layers of references and dependencies. Removing
a single entry may "Break" those associations. You can prove this by
running a Registry Cleaner repetitively. If it (Cleaner) was 100%
effective, a single pass would remove all "Dubious" content. Running
the cleaner again should yield a Zero detection count. This isn't how
most work. They function like pealing an onion. The 1st run peals off
missing or unresolved entries. Run the cleaner a 2nd time and it will
drill even further into entries and likely post another list of "Errors".
As I've said before, the issue with Registry Cleaning is knowing when
to STOP.

 

[Don Burnette]

Are registry cleaners and defraggers a good idea?

Defraggers - definitely yes imho.

If nothing else, use the built in XP defragger, especially if you do much
downloading, installing /uninstalling, and deleting of files.
I purchased and have used Executive Software's Diskeeper for a couple of
years now, and have been pleased with it's performance. My XP Pro
installation runs just as fast and smooth today as the day I installed it.

Registry Cleaner - you will get many opinions on this, most of which say XP
does a good enough job of keeping it's registry fit, and cleaners can cause
problems by deleting needed registry files unnecessarily. Be careful using a
registry cleaner. If you do not do a lot of installing/uninstalling, I would
definitely recommend staying away from any registry cleaner, and if you are
not well versed in the workings of your system, I would stay away from them
as well... for you may find yourself with a computer that cannot boot into
the os.

I myself use a registry cleaner, the one that comes with System Mechanic. I
have used it for app 2 years, and have yet to have it cause me any problems
with my registry. Does it help keep my performance in it's best shape? I
really can't say that it does, but I can say it certainly has not hurt it.

At least every two weeks, and usually weekly, I perform the following for
maintenance, and as I mentioned my install runs at top performance today
just as it has been for the last couple of years.

1: Disk Cleanup
2: Scan with Ad Aware 6 and Spybot Search and Destroy.
3: Clean registry and delete obsolete files with System Mechanic
4: Defrag all my partitions with Diskeeper.

 

[Jon]

Equivalent to asking whether a program is a good program or a bad program.

Depends on the cleaner and on the defragger and how well they have been
written.

Jon