Catana said:
I have several programs that I have uninstalled and deleted from my
computer.
I want to know if it is safe to delete items in the registry that look
like
folders or (keys I believe they are called) that belong to uninstalled
programs I no longer need?
I can see several of these folders (keys) in more than one branch of
the
registry.
I have used two registry cleaners such as CCleaner and Tweak now but
they do
not delete the actual keys in the registry.
Deleting keys is safe if and only if they are the proper keys to delete.
Backing them up first is good practice because if you accidentally
delete a needed key, you *should* be able to put it back where it
belongs.
The problem, though, is the phrase "look like." Suppose you remove a key
that looks like it was part of a recently uninstalled program. Now
suppose you can't even boot up your PC because that key was needed for
the bootup process! Admittedly, this is a fairly unlikely scenario,
however the point is that is is possible and has in fact occurred.
That is the reason that almost everyone who is knowledgeable recommends
against tinkering with the registry. Ditto with using registry
"cleaning" programs. Almost always, there is no perceivable benefit with
regard to performance when leftover registry entries are removed. And
the chance always exists that some amount of real damage may be done
(including the inability to boot!) if they are removed.
For those who are insatiably curious and who still want to tinker with
the registry (even though there is arguably not much of a benefit and
always a potential liability in doing so), I would suggest learning
about the workings of the registry inside and out, making sure System
Restore is working properly, using Erunt as a backup, and finally
imaging the hard drive each and every time immediately before messing
with the registry.
But for 99% of PC users, just stay away from it! Almost always, the only
time (*) you should edit the registry is if it is necessary to install a
particular program and certain leftover registry entries do not make
this possible. Otherwise, don't worry about it!
* There may occasionally be other times. For instance, it may be
necessary to change registry key values when changing the hard drive's
access mode. But the point is that it is unusal.
