Registry

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Guest

Is there any XP program, or other free program out there that will clean up
my registry?

Thank you.
 
MAv0033 said:
Is there any XP program, or other free program out there that will clean
up
my registry?

Thank you.
Click to expand...
Why do you think that your registry needs to be cleaned up?
Jim
 
The Registry is more a less a Database, comprised of individual files
called Hives. Stored at \Windows\System32\Config
Where this Registry Cleaning comes from is basically the situation
where a PC has had numerous applications installed and removed.
To facilitate re-installing, many uninstaller modules do not completely
remove 100% of all the programs files or Registry keys/values. These
Keys and Values become "Orphaned". Impact of these varies based
on what level the program "Hooks" into Windows. Some programs
that are removed have NO negative impact. Others like Security apps
may introduce system performance issues.
Registry Cleaning is very involved. Data in the Registry isn't just simple
lines of code, but highly intertwined/dependant links and associations.
The danger with Registry Cleaning is the level of removal the tool does.
If it (Registry Cleaner) breaks an association you may not discover the
failure/issue until much later than when the cleaner was run.
Personally, I've repaired many systems that became unbootable due to
the user downloading/running these cleaners.
If you Image your system and have 100% fallback protection then use
anything you desire. Nothing a Registry cleaner does can't be put back
by a Image recovery. Just do not expect Registry Cleaning to be like a
vitamin B-12 shot for a PC. If any affects are visible, it's likely a
shorter
shutdown time not overall performance. The key thing to consider is how
many apps have been installed and subsequently removed on the PC.
 
MAv0033 said:
Ive heard the cleaning the registry will make my computer faster.
Click to expand...

You heard wrong. Three times out of ten your computer won't run at all after
a "registry cleaning."
 
HeyBub said:
You heard wrong. Three times out of ten your computer won't run at all
after a "registry cleaning."
Click to expand...
In this instance perhaps the slogan should be "It is better that your
computer run slowly than not at all."

Jim
 
MAv0033 said:
Ive heard the cleaning the registry will make my computer faster.
Click to expand...


That's an often-repeated statement, but it's not true. I always recommend
against the routine use of registry cleaners. 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.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



 
MAv0033 said:
Ive heard the cleaning the registry will make my computer faster.
Click to expand...

I would recommend against using a registry cleaner unless you know exactly
what you are doing and so can decide, before letting the cleaner make any
changes, what changes it should make from what it suggests. There are other
things to look at to help a computer that is running slowly, but registry
cleaning will have little if any impact on speed.

See this link for tips on dealing with a slow computer.
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
 
MAv0033 said:
Is there any XP program, or other free program out there that will clean up
my registry?

Thank you.
Click to expand...


Why would you think you need to clean your registry?

What specific problem are you experiencing that you believe 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 clean 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.

I always use Regedit.exe. I trust my own experience and judgment
far more than I would any automated registry cleaner. I strongly
encourage others to acquire the knowledge, as well.


--

Bruce Chambers

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