Poprivet` wrote:
Daave wrote:
Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

1. Hardly anyone actually measures the speed of their computer
before and after running a registry cleaner, in part because
accurate measurement of speed is very difficult. So what they
really mean is that it generally *feels* faster. But just like
taking a placebo, such feelings can be very misleading, and many
people think there's an improvement where none really exists.
Moreover if someone has spent money (or even just time and effort)
on a product, he *wants* to be convinced that it has done something
useful, and that he hasn't wasted his money, time, and effort, and
that placebo effect is therefore greatly enhanced.

That's certainly a distinct possibility.

Another possibility is that the use of a combination temp file
cleaner/registry cleaner very well might speed up one's browsing.
Then again, it's deletion of *temp files* (not "dead wood" in the
registry) that causes this effect.

IMO all it takes to "measure" whether a "cleaner" made any difference
is a wrist watch or cheapie stop watch. If it's a noticeable
improvement, those instruments will readily identify non-negligible
changes.

But there is more to a registry than noticeable machine times and
setting any control for timing is difficult at best anyway. I don't
look at such tools as "tuning" tools, but I do on occasion use them
for some pretty substantial problems. And, being able to "put back"
the changes made creates a neatly verifiable fix-situation. There's
a lot more to the registry than machine cycles.

This thread has taken the OP's simple questions and turned into an
ego-fest of closed-minded tripe that puts some groups to shame. I'm
not saying YOU are a closed mind, BTW; I don't know you and what you
said, though singular, is true enough.

I believe I have a very open mind. What I find frustrating is when
people like D. Spencer Hines make claims but are unwilling to back it
up.

On the one hand, I've read a good deal of posts from those who are
clueless newbs who ruined their PCs by running bad-quality registry
cleaners. The worst offenders, of course, are the ones that cause you to
think that Microsoft itself has notified you of registry errors (false
positives) and then trick you into clicking on a link to download and
install their rogue programs.

On the other hand, I've had positive experiences with RegCleaner (same
as JV Tools). I find it useful for situations like de-McAfeeing a
system. For someone who knows what they're doing (and that's key!), I
feel it's quite safe. Still, I understand why many would generally avoid
recommending registry cleaners.

My point of interest is purely on performance grounds. Many have made
claims that a good registry cleaner can actually speed up a PC. That's
never been my experience. And I've never seen evidence to support this
claim. It is *because* I have an open mind that I'd like to see the
evidence! So, if you do know of any data, please point me to it; I'm
more than willing to agree with you vis-à-vis speed increases as long as
I see data that supports it.