uninstall & registry files

when we uninstall any software usually it's anme will not go from the
programs menu.
Does windows also preserves some of the registery key related to that
specific uninstalled software?

rephrasing the point ,if we uninstall all the user end software does the
machine regain it's orignal speed ,or the speed degrads with every
installation or uninstallations?

regards

Hi / Bonjour *Jagjeet* :

when we uninstall any software usually it's anme will not go from the
programs menu.
Does windows also preserves some of the registery key related to that
specific uninstalled software?

Preserve ... :-D

Not exactly : most of the times the uninstall programs do not delete all
registry keys...


rephrasing the point ,if we uninstall all the user end software does the
machine regain it's orignal speed ,or the speed degrads with every
installation or uninstallations?

There is no relation between the orphans keys remaining in the registry
and the performances of your PC.
[with few exceptions such as drivers or security stuff like the ones of
Zone Alarm and Nortob AV...(shame on them !)]

*A)* About Registry
*B)* About preventive maintenance

The boot time is not the only performance variable
but it give a good overview of the health of W xp.
A well maintened XP boot in an average of 30 seconds:
Example:
http://cjoint.com/?gvp7n4tSTe

*A) About the registry , bugaboo utilities for registry, and some hints:*

I would like to give you first some preliminary informations about the W xp
registry.

1- Unlike the previous version of Windows, the Registry Size Limit
functionality has been removed from Windows XP and W 2003 as
explained in this MSKB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...2726&x=13&y=12

2- The access to the registry by the system or an application is not
sequential. They don't reads the registry keys from the beginning until
they found the correct key, therefore the size of the registry and the
number of the keys have no real impact for the access performances.

3- It's a fact that sometimes it's necessary to delete some keys to
fix a specific problem. An example of this is the problem with AVI files
which are impossible to delete or rename.The solution is to delete
that key :
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}\InProcServer32.

4- It's a fact that the vast majority of programs uninstalled do not remove
all their keys in the registry.The uninstallation programs are too much
often an example of bad programmation.

I some case the bad uninstallation prevent the reinstallation of the
program itself. An example of this is Norton Anti-virus.
To uninstall it you must download a specific program to finished the job.

An other worst example is Zone Alarm which can't be uninstalled except with
a complicated manual remove explained on their Web site... The keys
remainings in the registry prevent also the installation of an other
firewall untill you clean all the ZA keys remaining in the registry.

5- It's also a fact that many registry cleaners clean too much
and have a negative impact to the operating systems.

An example of this is the effect of the "Toni Arts EasyCleaner"
which prevent Help and Support to be launched.
The fix is available from Doug Knox[MVP] on is site:
www.dougknox.com

6- The worst things who happen to the registry is the registry corruption
preventing Windows XP to boot. Most of the times this important problem
comes from bad programs or malwares. But the most important factors comes
at the shutdown time.

a) a power failure, surcharge or important current variations.
b) defective hardware related to writing such as disk, disk controler, ram
etc.
c) a "wild" shutdown or a program or a driver causing bad entries in the
registry
Did registry "tools" prevent or fix those issues ???

Now , with all those information we can talk about those registry cleaner.

I ) Since there is no more size limit of the registry, the number of
orphans keys is not so important if they have some...
The claim of registry cleaner vendors about this factor is an hoax.

II ) Since the access is not sequential their claim about performances
and optimisation is also an hoax.

III ) When it's time to delete a specific registry key as stated in # 3 is
needed, the Windows XP regedit is the tools you need to do that job.
Why pay for somethings else ? Did any of thoses registry utilities can
find and fix a problem like the one I have talked previously at # 3?

IV ) It's a fact that most registry cleaners can find a reasonable number
of orphan keys leaved by an uninstallation but there is no guaranty of
this.
In the examples previously given (Norton and ZA) they are almost useless.

The best solution is to prevent that kind of problem by using a specific
utility such as Total Uninstall which monitor the installations and provide
a complete and targetted cleanup... Not a "guess" of what are the orphans
keys...
TUN :
http://www.martau.com/tu2.php

V ) The best things we can do for a sane registry is to keep or Windows XP
free of malwares and some bad programs ( alpha,beta, crackz, serialz etc.)

VI ) The others cares for the Windows XP registry are :

a) Keep an eye to the hardware componants, keep the PC free of dust and
cool.
Here some tools:
Everest:
http://www.lavalys.com/

SpeedFan
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

b) Used on regular basis the tools provided by Windows XP :

Event Viewer : Start | Run | evntvwr.msc
Hints about errors:http://www.eventid.net/

Devices manager : Start | Run | devmgmt.msc
Hints about dev
errors:http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...0123&x=11&y=12

CHKDSK : to check and fix the errors on the hard disk.
I'm sure you realise the impact if the system attemps to save the registry
on a bad sector...

Defragmentation :
( give a better acces to the disk and keep the disk cooler...)
Star | Run | dfrg.msc

c) Used of some reliable third party tools to protect the registry :

Defragmentation of the protected files of W XP including the registry
hives:
C:\Windows\System32\config\default
C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM
C:\Windows\System32\config\SECURITY
C:\Windows\System32\config\software
C:\Windows\System32\config\system
etc.

with Page Defrag of Mark Russinovich :
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PageDefrag.html

Registry Backup with ERUNT of Lars Hederer:
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

d) Install the MS UPHClean service in your system :

User Profile Hive Cleanup Service
A service to help with slow log off and unreconciled profile problems.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

With those informations and tools you'll be able to decide yourself if
using a registry cleaner is a good option and if you to pay to have a
good one.

Hope this help to undestand this registry cleaner and optimizer and blah
blah blah tools hoax.

Don't "crunch" the W xp registry please.

*B) About the preventive maintenance for W xp*

Check those Windows Explorer parameters

a) To used the multi-thread in Windows explorer:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer
Create this key:

DesktopProcess
Reg_DWord
value 1

b) Change the value of the "Windows priority separation" :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\PriorityControl
Create this key

Win32PrioritySeparation
Reg_DWord
Value 26 in HEX

c) Modify those folders options :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Don't hide hidden folder and files
HideFileExt
Reg_Dword
1

Open folders in separate process
SeparateProcess
Reg_Dword
1

A good maintenance of W xp is required from time to time.

Here some hints:

1- Use chkdsk to check the integrity of your hard disk:

Windows explorer | right click on disk icon |
properties | tab "tools" | "check errors" | check both options
ok and restart your computer

or

Start | Run | cmd | chkdsk X: /F /V ,
Where X= disk volume

For the results un applications log:
Souce : Winlogon
ID : 1001

2) Clean the temporary files:

Start | Run | cleanmgr.exe

3) Defrag the volumes of the HD :

Start | Run | Defrag.msc

For multiple volume defrag use this:
http://www.dougknox.com/utility/scri...defrag_all.htm

4) Check devices and drivers and upgrade them if needed

Start | Run | devmgmt.msc

a)
Devices error codes:
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=310123

b)
To find recent drivers

www.driverfiles.net
or
used Everest to have more informations about your system configuration
and some links to the components manufacturer :
http://www.lavalys.com/


5) Check the services configuration:

The mandatories services must be started and in automatic mode
The others in manual...or disabled....

More info on W xp services:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm
If you understand french:
http://climenole.serendipia.net/arch...indows-XP.html

6) Check the applications started at boot and keep them
to the minimum.

instead of using msconfig used Starter from CodeStuff...
http://codestuff.mirrorz.com/

Check for applications in your account and All users
(from an admin account...)

7) Control what's running on that PC with this tool:

Process Explorer :
(an enhanced Task Manager!)
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/fr.../procexp.shtml

8) Defrag the protected files ( Registry , hiberfil.sys, Pagefile.sys etc.)

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/fr...gedefrag.shtml

9) Optimize the prefetching

Run this command :
%windir%\system32\Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks
usefull only when the computer is idle...
The service Task Scheduler must be running and in automatic mode.
Check this value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory
Management\PrefetchParameters
The keyEnablePrefetcher REG_DWORD must be set to 3.

10) Check the warnings and errors in the application and system logs
and fix the problems :

Start | Run | eventvwr.msc

Some hints : http://www.eventid.net/

11) Safe & Cool ...

A)
Keep your system free of malwares (virus, worms,spywares, etc.)

Some tools and links:

Those tools do not replaced a resident AV, updated, well configured for "On
Access" protection. They do not replaced a set of Anti-spywares and a well
configured Firewall. The most important factor in security is the user
itself. (The "Safe-Hex").

"Mini- antivirus" to be runned in safe mode:

TrendMicro : disable your AV before.

The "sysclean":
http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp
+
The virus patterns :
http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp

Put them in the same folder and launch the program.

Stinger :
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

Avast cleaner :
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_cleaner.html

MS:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=fr

Kaspersky:
ftp://ftp.kaspersky.ru/utils/clrav.com

Anti Root-Kits
F-Secure (beta)
http://www.f-secure.com/blacklight/

Online scan:

Anti-trojan:
http://www.windowsecurity.com/trojanscan/

Anti-spy:
http://www.spywareguide.com/txt_onlinescan.html
http://store.ca.com/dr/v2/ec_main.en...715&CID=181432

Anti-virus:
www.trendmicro.com

B)
Keep your PC free of dust and check the temperatures with those tools:

Everest:
http://www.lavalys.com/

Remark:
Very good software but the warnings about the Bios
and the commercial links to that stuff are useless...

Bios upgrades *if needed* must comes from the PC manufacturer
or the Motherboard manufacturer and nobody else.
(Not needed most of the time : don't worry about this..)

SpeedFan
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Remark:
Good software but the temperatures of the hard disk are not
reported correctly and most of the time not related to the disk
reliability.
Better info from Everest...


Good reading Sir .



--
Claude LaFrenière [MVP] :-)

«My Principal Design Was To Inform, Not To Amuse Thee.»
Lemuel Gulliver, The Travels (IV:12)
http://climenole.serendipia.net
Soon on / Bientôt sur www.msmvps.com