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registry
Just what is the registry? Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you
clean it? |
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registry
answered inline
Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. Although there are some fine registry tools out there - the ones that just go through and find orphaned entries and then remove them for you should not be utilized by the layman (or even the so-called expert) unless every single entry is checked with a fine-tooth comb before removal of each and every one and a full backup of the system was made before attempting it so you can restore if things begin to fail. It's not worth the risk you take. While I cannot say conclusively that cleaning out *any* registry will not improve performance of *any* machine - I can say that most people - even with machines that have been around since 2001 and have had each successive service pack installed and every version of Microsoft and Open Office installed since 2001 and removed - and assorted other packages (hundreds - if not thousands) installed and removed multiple times - will not see any marked improvement from a cleaned registry. They will not recover much (if any) drive space and they will not gain much (if any) performance. (When I say much for performance - nano, maybe milli seconds...) -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html |
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registry
Thank you, SS, for your great answer. I am glad that I don't have to do
anything. "Shenan Stanley" wrote in message ... answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. Although there are some fine registry tools out there - the ones that just go through and find orphaned entries and then remove them for you should not be utilized by the layman (or even the so-called expert) unless every single entry is checked with a fine-tooth comb before removal of each and every one and a full backup of the system was made before attempting it so you can restore if things begin to fail. It's not worth the risk you take. While I cannot say conclusively that cleaning out *any* registry will not improve performance of *any* machine - I can say that most people - even with machines that have been around since 2001 and have had each successive service pack installed and every version of Microsoft and Open Office installed since 2001 and removed - and assorted other packages (hundreds - if not thousands) installed and removed multiple times - will not see any marked improvement from a cleaned registry. They will not recover much (if any) drive space and they will not gain much (if any) performance. (When I say much for performance - nano, maybe milli seconds...) -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html |
#4
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registry
In Windows, the registry is where Windows and your other software store
most of their configuration settings. A registry does NOT need cleaning, despite all the hype you'll read to the contrary, so your last question is moot. --- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est "A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? |
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registry
answered inline
Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. Twayne Although there are some fine registry tools out there - the ones that just go through and find orphaned entries and then remove them for you should not be utilized by the layman (or even the so-called expert) unless every single entry is checked with a fine-tooth comb before removal of each and every one and a full backup of the system was made before attempting it so you can restore if things begin to fail. It's not worth the risk you take. While I cannot say conclusively that cleaning out *any* registry will not improve performance of *any* machine - I can say that most people - even with machines that have been around since 2001 and have had each successive service pack installed and every version of Microsoft and Open Office installed since 2001 and removed - and assorted other packages (hundreds - if not thousands) installed and removed multiple times - will not see any marked improvement from a cleaned registry. They will not recover much (if any) drive space and they will not gain much (if any) performance. (When I say much for performance - nano, maybe milli seconds...) -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP |
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registry
Claire Brucker wrote:
Just what is the registry? Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? Go to your local library. Get a copy of Windows for Dummies. Read. |
#7
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registry
On Tue, 7 Oct 2008 09:27:31 -0400, "Claire Brucker"
wrote: Just what is the registry? It's a bunch of files that contain setting information, both for Windows itself, as well as much of your hardware and most of your applications. It's critical: without it, or if it gets screwed up, your system won't run. Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? Not only does it not *need* regular cleaning, registry cleaning is very dangerous and more likely to hurt you than help you. Here's my standard post on the subject: Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil. Cleaning of the registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and don't use any 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 Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup |
#8
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Twayne wrote:
answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. The OP asked three questions: 1- Just what is the registry? 2- Does it need regular cleaning? 3- If so, how do you clean it? Shenan aswered questions 1 & 2, question 3 does not need an answer because the registry does not need cleaning. John |
#9
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registry
Reply below.
--- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est "A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp John John (MVP) wrote: Twayne wrote: answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. The OP asked three questions: 1- Just what is the registry? 2- Does it need regular cleaning? 3- If so, how do you clean it? Shenan aswered questions 1 & 2, question 3 does not need an answer because the registry does not need cleaning. John I would steer clear of Twayne. S/He's on this crusade over registry cleaners and won't be denied. |
#10
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registry
Shenan Stanley wrote:
answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? Shenan Stanley wrote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Claire Brucker wrote: Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? Shenan Stanley wrote: No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. Although there are some fine registry tools out there - the ones that just go through and find orphaned entries and then remove them for you should not be utilized by the layman (or even the so-called expert) unless every single entry is checked with a fine-tooth comb before removal of each and every one and a full backup of the system was made before attempting it so you can restore if things begin to fail. It's not worth the risk you take. While I cannot say conclusively that cleaning out *any* registry will not improve performance of *any* machine - I can say that most people - even with machines that have been around since 2001 and have had each successive service pack installed and every version of Microsoft and Open Office installed since 2001 and removed - and assorted other packages (hundreds - if not thousands) installed and removed multiple times - will not see any marked improvement from a cleaned registry. They will not recover much (if any) drive space and they will not gain much (if any) performance. (When I say much for performance - nano, maybe milli seconds...) Twayne wrote: That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. Twayne, You are telling the world you missed my answer to "What is the registry?" (even though you quoted the answer in your own reply?) Here is the link I gave that explains it quite well (even includes a link at the bottom to information on Registry Cleaners... But you'd have to read the information given...) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Af for 'condescending' - not at all. I gave facts based off my experience with such things and the link I gave would lead to more information on the matter if one wished to follow up on their own free time. That's it. You snipped a lot of my posting in your response. Conveniently the parts that skimmed the issue of question (3) and did not completely disagree with what you mighht have to say (likely why you snipped it - you just wanted to argue IMHO.) You have your opinion, I have mine. Post yours if you like - but don't try to pick a fight for no reason - it's not wise or mature. I have included the entire text of my posting above. For those who wish to trust an archival vs. anything I said I posted - you can find it all archived indefinitely he http://groups.google.com/group/micro...e7e2f5bbabecdd Otherwise - I have nothing more to say on the matter. The OP seems to have gotten the information they requested and are welcomed to come back and ask for more (or clarification) if they so desire. Claire, I hope you did get enough information. I did see your response elsewhere in this conversation thanking me for the answer. If you need to know more I suggest following up on the first link I gave you about what the registry is. Near the bottom is more information concerning registry cleaners and even a blurb about the 'argument' that Twayne is obviously trying to propogate here. If you read anything you feel you need translated from 'geek speak' to normal human - come back and let someone here know. Nothing wrong with wanting to learn - that's what we are all doing. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html |
#11
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registry
and the daily double is:
What is http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/a...leaner_why.htm -- db·´¯`·...¸)))º "Claire Brucker" wrote in message ... Just what is the registry? Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? |
#12
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registry
Reply below.
--- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est "A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp John John (MVP) wrote: Twayne wrote: answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. The OP asked three questions: 1- Just what is the registry? 2- Does it need regular cleaning? 3- If so, how do you clean it? Shenan aswered questions 1 & 2, question 3 does not need an answer because the registry does not need cleaning. John I would steer clear of Twayne. S/He's on this crusade over registry cleaners and won't be denied. The "crusade" is really about misinformation; in this case against closed minded zealots who refuse to verify/clarify/validate their claims in any way. His adamancy is bolstered by absolutely nothing based in fact and reality around the issue. Otherwise he would either accept the challenge or admit to the "evidence" and other things I've provided him over the last couple of years and tried to convince me otherwise with facts rather than blind proclamations. When one becomes that closed minded they become dangerous to anyone who might listen to them because they don't reason things out. |
#13
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registry
snipped
db.·.. ))) ·` .. . wrote: and the daily double is: What is http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/a...leaner_why.htm I do love that link. I like to think of it as the classic "right-hand knows not what the left-hand is doing..." For those who do not follow links, here is the web page - quoted... (My favorite part is the question, "What if I accidentally remove something I need in my registry?" The levels of irony there and proof that this is not something to be taken lightly astound me. And then the carefree "Oh - just use system restore, because that will never fail you" attitude is funny too.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is the registry? -------------------------- The Windows Registry is the place on your PC where Windows stores information it might need to retrieve later—for example, when you open an application or change a system setting. The registry contains profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents they create, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports being used. Why should I clean my registry? ---------------------------------------- Over time, the Windows Registry can begin to contain information that's no longer valid. Maybe you uninstalled an application without using the Add or Remove Programs function in the Control Panel, or perhaps an object or file in the registry got moved. Eventually this orphaned or misplaced information accumulates and begins to clog your registry, potentially slowing down your PC and causing error messages and system crashes. You might also notice that your PC's startup process is slower than it used to be. Cleaning your registry is the easiest way to help avoid these common problems. How do I clean my registry? ----------------------------------- The Windows Live OneCare clean up scanner will find and remove any invalid registry items on your PC. It's easy—it’s part of a full-service Windows Live OneCare safety scan. Or, for a targeted approach, click Clean Up Scan in the Clean Up Center. The clean up scan will check your registry and locate any items that can be removed safely. You can then choose to remove all the items the scanner finds or select items individually for removal. Can't I just delete registry items on my own? -------------------------------------------------------- We don't recommend trying to remove registry items on your own. It's often difficult to determine which items correspond to which applications, and by attempting to remove items yourself, you might accidentally remove a valid registry item, causing software crashes and errors. The Windows Live OneCare clean up scan is a safe and effective way to clean your Windows Registry. And remember, when you want to remove a program or software application from your PC, always use the Add or Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel. Doing so ensures that any registry items associated with that application are removed safely. What if I accidentally remove something I need in my registry? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Not to worry. Just like Microsoft Word, your PC has an "undo" option. In this case, it's called System Restore. Once it's finished scanning, the Windows Live Safety scanner creates a System Restore point on your PC. This allows you to revert your system to its original state, before you performed the scan, in case you inadvertently remove any valid registry items. To access the System Restore Wizard in Windows XP: 1. Click Start, then select All Programs. 2. Select Accessories, then System Tools, then System Restore. 3. In the System Restore wizard, make sure Restore my computer to an earlier time is selected, then click Next. 4. Now you can use the calendar to select the date you performed the clean up scan and instruct your PC to revert to the way it was before you ran the scan. How often should I clean my registry? ---------------------------------------------- We recommend a complete Windows Live OneCare safety scan once a month. The full-service scan checks your registry automatically. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ah well. My advice still does not change, luckily. I don't believe it is _necessary_, the performance difference is minimal at best (unless you can tell you gained a nanosecond in most cases), if you properly managed what you installed and how you removed it in most cases - you wouldn't have orphaned values anyway (like not testing software on your production machine - use a virtual machine (based off free software) to play - afer for everyone) and if you do decide to 'clean' the registry - do it carefully. Even this article that has to do with a Microsoft Product has foreboding language and such in it - warning you of the dangers. ;-) Not saying you should or should not - just saying you better understand what you are doing before you jump in. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html |
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registry
Twayne wrote:
Reply below. --- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est "A Day in the Life of a Web 2.0 Hacker" - PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330952,00.asp John John (MVP) wrote: Twayne wrote: answered inline Claire Brucker wrote: Just what is the registry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? No. In fact - if you have to ask what tthe registry is (even after you learn it and can explain it to others) - the registry is better left alone except in particular cases where you are following specific instructions to add or remove specific things. That's a little condescending, don't you think? Especially considering the stated purpose of the post was to find out WHAT the registry is? You never answered either question, although you gave a long boilerplate spew about the perceived dangers of registry cleaners. Your only purpose in answering thus had to be self-serving, with no consideration of helping the OP. The OP asked three questions: 1- Just what is the registry? 2- Does it need regular cleaning? 3- If so, how do you clean it? Shenan aswered questions 1 & 2, question 3 does not need an answer because the registry does not need cleaning. John I would steer clear of Twayne. S/He's on this crusade over registry cleaners and won't be denied. The "crusade" is really about misinformation; in this case against closed minded zealots who refuse to verify/clarify/validate their claims in any way. His adamancy is bolstered by absolutely nothing based in fact and reality around the issue. Otherwise he would either accept the challenge or admit to the "evidence" and other things I've provided him over the last couple of years and tried to convince me otherwise with facts rather than blind proclamations. You haven't once provided any real *factual evidence* on this. Oh, wait a minute, I stand corrected: you saw it as "factual evidence". Point taken. When one becomes that closed minded they become dangerous to anyone who might listen to them because they don't reason things out. Self-projection noted, once again. And you have my sympathies. |
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registry
and the daily double is:
What is http://onecare.live.com/site/en-US/a...leaner_why.htm "Claire Brucker" wrote in message ... Just what is the registry? Does it need regular cleaning? If so, how do you clean it? Good answer; that covers it all. |
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