Danny said:
I have a dumb quwstion, is there a danger in using a
program called Registry Mechanic. Or are programs like
these a hoax. I have installed and uninstalled programs.
And with time running spyware search programs, I have
deleted lots of stuff found and some have been registry
related.
I was told by a friend to purchase and run Registry
Machanic instead of doing a roll back, or going to a
recovery point because I have been experiencing slow
system boot ups and they said this may help repair any
damadge done to the registry. So am I just a clutton for
punishment, or do programs like this really help. If they
do is there one you may recomend I use?
Thanks for any insight.
Computer iliterate, Danny
Unless YOU know how to manage the registry even if just for basic
management then using some software to do it for you and which will make
some canned experienced guesses is like you trying to use an unknown
explosive to remove a tree stump: it might be a weak explosive and won't
do anything effective, it might be just right to blow out the stump so
you could then cut its roots, or it could vaporize the stump, blow up
your nearby house and car, and even blow up you while hiding behind your
car. The tool should show you exactly what changes it proposes to make
and then ask YOUR permission to make those changes, so eventually the
decision and expertise comes down to you. If you don't know what those
changes are for and are unwilling to track or investigate the use of
that key or value in the registry then you shouldn't make that change.
The purpose of such registry tools should be to make it easier for you
to manage the registry, not as a substitute for your ignorance of the
registry. These tools provide a pre-programmed or canned level of fixed
expertise in managing the registry, but it would be impossible for any
program to understand every configuration possible for every Windows
host that exists in which there is a mix of thousands of different
software products installed across those hosts.
Rather than follow the "free advice" from your self-proclaimed wizard
friend, let HIM buy the product that he thinks is so great, run it on
your computer but do NOT let it make any changes, and then ask him to
qualify each change proposed by the registry fix-it tool. I bet your
friend is clueless to simply ran the program and it fixed his particular
problem (but might've easily caused other problems that he doesn't know
were caused by this registry tool or have yet to exhibit themselves).
There is a free download (i.e., trialware) for Registry Mechanic. You
could try that to see what it reports as *possible* problems (and to see
if it reports anything at all, which would be nearly impossible for it
not to report a problem since I've not seen one of these products that
fails to understand something about a software product's use of the
registry). The trial version should not make any changes but just alert
you to what problems it thinks exist in the registry; otherwise, let it
scan but do NOT let it make any changes. In the hands of someone
familiar with the registry (or, at least, does backups to recover from
their own or the product's mistakes), they represent an additional tool
in managing the registry. In the hands of someone totally unfamiliar
with the registry then they represent a loaded gun in the hands of a
child.
Such products are most definitely "Use at your own risk". If you decide
to use it, make a drive image of your hard disk so you can recover from
using a hazardous tool.
And I don't think I