Registry Cleaners

[Al]

I just uninstalled a program on this Home Premium 64bit system and it
left a few things lying around. I manually deleted the
files/directories it could not delete but the program still shows as
installed when you go into Programs & Features. Of course it is NOT
installed and clicking on it and telling it to uninstall gets you
nowhere. It is suggested that you install the program and try it
again. I did with the same results. :-(

There used to be a good Program for Windows XP Pro that you could use
to remove this program fromn that list, I think it was part of
PowerTools. Is there something like that for Vista?

Also I looked at registry cleaners to see if they could do the job.
Now they all seem to scan for free but they want the money if you
expect them to actually do anything. If I buy it, would it remove
that program from showing up in the install program list?

I guess there are a lot of program that do not clean up after
themselves properly, it found 397 things in my registry that could be
deleted.

Al

 

[Spirit]

Get CCcleaner and Wise Registry Cleaner both are free.

http://www.ccleaner.com/

http://www.wisecleaner.com/

Although I consider both programs safe NEVER remove a registry
entry unless you are SURE exactly what it does. Easy enough to
research any suspected entries using Google.

 

[John Barnes]

I agree, but make sure you back up any entries you delete. CCleaner
provides and easy way to do this.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Don't rely on registry cleaners, they often mistakenly remove needed entries
in addition to unwanted ones. Run regedit and check under this key for a
subkey that refers to the unwanted entry and delete just that key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Adam Albright]

I just uninstalled a program on this Home Premium 64bit system and it
left a few things lying around. I manually deleted the
files/directories it could not delete but the program still shows as
installed when you go into Programs & Features. Of course it is NOT
installed and clicking on it and telling it to uninstall gets you
nowhere. It is suggested that you install the program and try it
again. I did with the same results. :-(

There used to be a good Program for Windows XP Pro that you could use
to remove this program fromn that list, I think it was part of
PowerTools. Is there something like that for Vista?

Also I looked at registry cleaners to see if they could do the job.
Now they all seem to scan for free but they want the money if you
expect them to actually do anything. If I buy it, would it remove
that program from showing up in the install program list?

I guess there are a lot of program that do not clean up after
themselves properly, it found 397 things in my registry that could be
deleted.

Al

If not you can benefit from a Registry Cleaner depends on what and how
well written the software on your system is. The crowd that says never
use a Registry Cleaner are simply ignorant if this any many other
facts. Does everyone need or benefit from a Registry Cleaner? Of
course not. That doesn't mean some people won't benefit. It is usually
just another chorus of the do as I say crowd trying to fake they know
what they're talking about.

Way back when Windows was just arriving on the scene these use to be a
program called Clean Sweep. It sat in the background and waited for
you to install a new application. When you did it would pop up and
record a detailed log of every entry changed or added to your system.
Then when you deleted the application it used this log to fully remove
it and restore the system to how it was prior to installing the new
application.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Al,

Most folk around here do not recommend the use if registry cleans do to the
unexpected results that may arise.

And have these instructions handy in the event Windows does not start.
Running System Restore from System Recovery Options:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/recovery.html

You will also want to test system restore to make sure it is functioning
correctly.

1. Create a new restore point named TEST.
2. Create a new shortcut on the desktop and point it to My Computer or any
other file of your choice and name it TEST.
3. Now restore to the Test restore point.

The system will now reboot, and you will receive a message if the restore
was successful, and the Test shortcut on the desktop will be gone.

I would also suggest installing the following utility before hand.
ERUNT: The Emergency Recovery Utility NT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[keepout]

I just uninstalled a program on this Home Premium 64bit system and it
left a few things lying around. I manually deleted the
files/directories it could not delete but the program still shows as
installed when you go into Programs & Features. Of course it is NOT
installed and clicking on it and telling it to uninstall gets you
nowhere. It is suggested that you install the program and try it
again. I did with the same results. :-(

There used to be a good Program for Windows XP Pro that you could use
to remove this program fromn that list, I think it was part of
PowerTools. Is there something like that for Vista?

It's called 'windows install cleanup'
You don't need a registry cleaner to fix the add/remove section.
Just do a search at M$ for it.
It also works for Vista.

 

[Ian Betts]

I just uninstalled a program on this Home Premium 64bit system and it
left a few things lying around. I manually deleted the
files/directories it could not delete but the program still shows as
installed when you go into Programs & Features. Of course it is NOT
installed and clicking on it and telling it to uninstall gets you
nowhere. It is suggested that you install the program and try it
again. I did with the same results. :-(

There used to be a good Program for Windows XP Pro that you could use
to remove this program fromn that list, I think it was part of
PowerTools. Is there something like that for Vista?

Also I looked at registry cleaners to see if they could do the job.
Now they all seem to scan for free but they want the money if you
expect them to actually do anything. If I buy it, would it remove
that program from showing up in the install program list?

I guess there are a lot of program that do not clean up after
themselves properly, it found 397 things in my registry that could be
deleted.

Al

You can physically delete things like icons and Start menu entries. You
could also edit the register an easy way, but be very careful and save the
reg before starting so you can go back,

First change your Start menu to Classic by right click/Properties.

Then click Run and type in regedit Go

In the Reg go Edit /Find and type the name of the program. Find every entry
by hitting Find Next. Delete all highlighted program entries.

--
Ian

With patience there is aways a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[Adam Albright]

You can physically delete things like icons and Start menu entries. You
could also edit the register an easy way, but be very careful and save the
reg before starting so you can go back,

First change your Start menu to Classic by right click/Properties.

Then click Run and type in regedit Go

In the Reg go Edit /Find and type the name of the program. Find every entry
by hitting Find Next. Delete all highlighted program entries.

I suppose there is a way to go to a beach and one by one pick up the
individual grains of sand and count them, but who would want to? Using
Regedit to manually search for specific tidbit over and over seems
silly to me when a Registry Clearer will generate a list of what it
finds suspect without interaction on part of the user.

OF COURSE it is up to the user to determine what if anything should be
deleted from the Registry. What I object to is the numbnuts crowd
automatically rejecting Registry Cleaners outright pretending everyone
will just push some auto clean button. That is no more a reflection of
reality than the example of counting grains of sand on a beach is.

 

[Al]

Thanks all for the suggestions and I tried CCleaner. It gives you a
list of the problems it finds in the registry but when you tell it to
FIX, it does not seem to do anything. When you scan again you don't
expect it to keep finding the same stuff you just fixed.

I did use it to delete the other stuff, cookies, history, etc. and
when I went to program and features, the program was still listed
there but when I clicked on it to uninstall, I was told it appears to
be uninstalled and asked me if I want to remove it from this list.
That seems to have worked now.

Al

 

[Ian Betts]

I suppose there is a way to go to a beach and one by one pick up the
individual grains of sand and count them, but who would want to? Using
Regedit to manually search for specific tidbit over and over seems
silly to me when a Registry Clearer will generate a list of what it
finds suspect without interaction on part of the user.

OF COURSE it is up to the user to determine what if anything should be
deleted from the Registry. What I object to is the numbnuts crowd
automatically rejecting Registry Cleaners outright pretending everyone
will just push some auto clean button. That is no more a reflection of
reality than the example of counting grains of sand on a beach is.

I don't reject Reg Cleaners but there are so many its a mine field for most
users and most are time limited full cost programs.

The Find button example takes about 3 mins tops for any program so don't
exaggerate

--
Ian

With patience there is aways a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[Ian Betts]

Thanks all for the suggestions and I tried CCleaner. It gives you a
list of the problems it finds in the registry but when you tell it to
FIX, it does not seem to do anything. When you scan again you don't
expect it to keep finding the same stuff you just fixed.

I did use it to delete the other stuff, cookies, history, etc. and
when I went to program and features, the program was still listed
there but when I clicked on it to uninstall, I was told it appears to
be uninstalled and asked me if I want to remove it from this list.
That seems to have worked now.

Al

No because its one of those. Pay up and we will work programs.

--
Ian

With patience there is aways a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[John Barnes]

Wrong. It is free and does clean entries

No because its one of those. Pay up and we will work programs.

--
Ian

With patience there is aways a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[John Barnes]

You need to select the FIX selected entries button on the right side. It
will then ask if you want to backup (please do), then it will show the
entries one at a time but with a fix all entries button, your option at that
point.

 

[Adam Albright]

I don't reject Reg Cleaners but there are so many its a mine field for most
users and most are time limited full cost programs.

The Find button example takes about 3 mins tops for any program so don't
exaggerate

The find button in Regedit assumes you KNOW beforehand what exactly
you're looking for or it is useless. Don't mislead people. That's one
advantage of using Registry Cleaners since they can quickly scan the
entire Registry and build a list of orphaned keys. As always, with any
software you still need to decide what to do with the information
presented. The fanboys club always pretends people will foolishly push
some auto button most Registry Cleaners have which is just as silly as
suggesting people will keep shoveling food in their mouth and not stop
until they puke.

 

[Ian Betts]

Wrong. It is free and does clean entries

And this pop up to remind you to donate.

Download installer
Although this software is free please donate to help support the software
and site costs.
Everyone who donates $20 / £10 / €20 or more will be emailed all new
releases before they're available to download on the site.
(Click on the image to donate using PayPal)

Huge


--
Ian

With patience there is aways a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[Ian Betts]

The find button in Regedit assumes you KNOW beforehand what exactly
you're looking for or it is useless. Don't mislead people. That's one
advantage of using Registry Cleaners since they can quickly scan the
entire Registry and build a list of orphaned keys. As always, with any
software you still need to decide what to do with the information
presented. The fanboys club always pretends people will foolishly push
some auto button most Registry Cleaners have which is just as silly as
suggesting people will keep shoveling food in their mouth and not stop
until they puke.

I very clearly stated that but you only read what you what to in order to
pour scorn.

--
Ian

With patience there is always a way.

Please Reply to Newsgroup so all can read.
Requests for assistance by email can not and will be deleted.

 

[Adam Albright]

I very clearly stated that but you only read what you what to in order to
pour scorn.

What you actually said ===> "The Find button example takes about 3
mins tops for any program so don't exaggerate."

What you neglected to mention is 'find' is useless unless you know
beforehand WHAT you tell Regedit to look for. I'm sorry you can't
stand to have the record corrected. That's a common problem of the
fanboy crowd. They say something either factually wrong or
deliberately misleading then scream bloody murder when facts confirm
they were spreading their usual BS.

 

[keepout]

And I was right, I did post the simple solution above and beyond hacking the registry to pieces, but no one saw it.

 

[John Barnes]

What free software sites don't have a place for voluntary contributions. As
long as it isn't crippled if you don't pay it's free.