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Registry Cleaners



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 16th 09, 09:03 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Bill Ridgeway
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 342
Default Registry Cleaners

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at the
very least. However, the additional space requirement of a bloated Registry
may not be significant. I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.

I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry Cleaner and
Registry Mechanic) both without any problem. Mind you, my backup system
includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy of all key files (as at
the previous day). I have recently proved that I can get a system with a
failed hard disk drive up and running in the time it takes to swap a hard
disk, copy key files and update Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.

Bill Ridgeway


Ads
  #2  
Old June 16th 09, 01:16 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Gerry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,437
Default Registry Cleaners

Bill

You do not need a Registry Cleaner.

Use Autoruns to remove the orphaned start-up entries

To identify what loads when you boot use Autoruns (freeware from
Microsoft).
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from
starting,or you can right click an item and then delete it. If you
uncheck you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer
approach than editing the Registry and better than using msconfig..
Another useful feature of the programme is that you can right click an
item and select Search Online to get information about the item
selected.

You will spot them by seeing an entry like this -File not found being
the relevant bit
Display Panning CPL Extension File not found: deskpan.dll

Using the Online feature you can get information as illustrated in the
next link.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=deskpan...ox&Form=IE8SRC

Using a Registry Cleaner produces so much information that you cannot
see the wood for the trees.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Bill Ridgeway wrote:
Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage
to the Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot
up. I would also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the
Registry very regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated
with calls to uninstalled software which does increase the time
needed to boot up - at the very least. However, the additional space
requirement of a bloated Registry may not be significant. I would
suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.
I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry
Cleaner and Registry Mechanic) both without any problem. Mind you,
my backup system includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy
of all key files (as at the previous day). I have recently proved
that I can get a system with a failed hard disk drive up and running
in the time it takes to swap a hard disk, copy key files and update
Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.
Bill Ridgeway


  #3  
Old June 16th 09, 01:16 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Gerry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,437
Default Registry Cleaners

Bill

You do not need a Registry Cleaner.

Use Autoruns to remove the orphaned start-up entries

To identify what loads when you boot use Autoruns (freeware from
Microsoft).
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../Autoruns.mspx

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from
starting,or you can right click an item and then delete it. If you
uncheck you can recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer
approach than editing the Registry and better than using msconfig..
Another useful feature of the programme is that you can right click an
item and select Search Online to get information about the item
selected.

You will spot them by seeing an entry like this -File not found being
the relevant bit
Display Panning CPL Extension File not found: deskpan.dll

Using the Online feature you can get information as illustrated in the
next link.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=deskpan...ox&Form=IE8SRC

Using a Registry Cleaner produces so much information that you cannot
see the wood for the trees.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Bill Ridgeway wrote:
Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage
to the Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot
up. I would also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the
Registry very regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated
with calls to uninstalled software which does increase the time
needed to boot up - at the very least. However, the additional space
requirement of a bloated Registry may not be significant. I would
suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.
I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry
Cleaner and Registry Mechanic) both without any problem. Mind you,
my backup system includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy
of all key files (as at the previous day). I have recently proved
that I can get a system with a failed hard disk drive up and running
in the time it takes to swap a hard disk, copy key files and update
Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.
Bill Ridgeway


  #4  
Old June 16th 09, 01:54 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Touch Base[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 182
Default Registry Cleaners


"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

==================================================

"Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil."

Well why is it then that Windows Live OneCare promotes this on their
website:

"As part of its Clean Up scan, the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner
offers a free registry cleaner. Running this scan is a great way to rid your
PC of clutter and keep it running at its speediest." ??

For the full details
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/a...leaner_why.htm

I have used CCleaner on mine and client computers for some time and I have
yet to have a call back complaining that something has gone amiss. I have
also regularly used RegCleaner by Jouni Vuoro with no bad repercussions.


--
Regards,
Touch Base
Report back on the results, good or bad so others may benefit


  #5  
Old June 16th 09, 01:54 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Touch Base[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 182
Default Registry Cleaners


"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

==================================================

"Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil."

Well why is it then that Windows Live OneCare promotes this on their
website:

"As part of its Clean Up scan, the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner
offers a free registry cleaner. Running this scan is a great way to rid your
PC of clutter and keep it running at its speediest." ??

For the full details
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/a...leaner_why.htm

I have used CCleaner on mine and client computers for some time and I have
yet to have a call back complaining that something has gone amiss. I have
also regularly used RegCleaner by Jouni Vuoro with no bad repercussions.


--
Regards,
Touch Base
Report back on the results, good or bad so others may benefit


  #6  
Old June 16th 09, 03:10 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Gerry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,437
Default Registry Cleaners

Touch Base

Does Windows Live OneCare have an assured future? It is being dropped by
Microsoft!

The problem is that using a Registry Cleaner gives negligible gains for
a certain risk that any errors it makes are invariably insoluble
problems for all but the most expert users.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Touch Base wrote:
"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

==================================================

"Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil."

Well why is it then that Windows Live OneCare promotes this on their
website:

"As part of its Clean Up scan, the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner
offers a free registry cleaner. Running this scan is a great way to
rid your PC of clutter and keep it running at its speediest." ??

For the full details
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/a...leaner_why.htm

I have used CCleaner on mine and client computers for some time and I
have yet to have a call back complaining that something has gone
amiss. I have also regularly used RegCleaner by Jouni Vuoro with no
bad repercussions.


  #7  
Old June 16th 09, 03:10 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Gerry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,437
Default Registry Cleaners

Touch Base

Does Windows Live OneCare have an assured future? It is being dropped by
Microsoft!

The problem is that using a Registry Cleaner gives negligible gains for
a certain risk that any errors it makes are invariably insoluble
problems for all but the most expert users.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Touch Base wrote:
"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

==================================================

"Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil."

Well why is it then that Windows Live OneCare promotes this on their
website:

"As part of its Clean Up scan, the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner
offers a free registry cleaner. Running this scan is a great way to
rid your PC of clutter and keep it running at its speediest." ??

For the full details
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/a...leaner_why.htm

I have used CCleaner on mine and client computers for some time and I
have yet to have a call back complaining that something has gone
amiss. I have also regularly used RegCleaner by Jouni Vuoro with no
bad repercussions.


  #8  
Old June 16th 09, 03:20 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Ken Blake, MVP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,402
Default Registry Cleaners

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:03:21 +0100, "Bill Ridgeway"
wrote:

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at the
very least.



What you call "bloated up" is true in the sense that it becomes
somewhat bigger. However the extra size is minimal and the
significance of that extra size is also minimal, since access to the
registry is random.

Since most people boot up not much more than once a day, how long it
takes to boot up is of very little consequence. My standard statement
is "In the overall scheme of things, even a few minutes to start up
isn't very important. Personally I power on my computer when I get up
in the morning, then go get my coffee. When I come back, it's done
booting. I don't know how long it took to boot and I don't care."

Moreover, a slightly bigger registry will make such a small difference
to the time it takes to boot that it's insignificant.


However, the additional space requirement of a bloated Registry
may not be significant.



Exactly!


I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.



I wouldn't. Using a registry cleaner is dangerous. Using it less often
is, of course, less dangerous, but I believe you should eliminate that
danger, not reduce it.


I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry Cleaner and
Registry Mechanic) both without any problem.



There are *many* people who have had similar experiences. None of us
has ever claimed that every time someone uses a registry cleaner, the
result is a problem. If that were the case, everyone would know that
they couldn't be used, and all registry cleaners would quickly
disappear.

But although no registry cleaner always causes a problem, there is
*always* a risk in using one. Since there is no benefit to using it,
running any risk at all is foolhardy.



Mind you, my backup system
includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy of all key files (as at
the previous day). I have recently proved that I can get a system with a
failed hard disk drive up and running in the time it takes to swap a hard
disk, copy key files and update Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.



Good! Then the risk of using a registry cleaner is less to you than it
is to most people. But not everyone is as well backed-up as you are.
Moreover, there is no point in taking any risk at all for no benefit
at all.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
  #9  
Old June 16th 09, 03:20 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Ken Blake, MVP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,402
Default Registry Cleaners

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:03:21 +0100, "Bill Ridgeway"
wrote:

Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at the
very least.



What you call "bloated up" is true in the sense that it becomes
somewhat bigger. However the extra size is minimal and the
significance of that extra size is also minimal, since access to the
registry is random.

Since most people boot up not much more than once a day, how long it
takes to boot up is of very little consequence. My standard statement
is "In the overall scheme of things, even a few minutes to start up
isn't very important. Personally I power on my computer when I get up
in the morning, then go get my coffee. When I come back, it's done
booting. I don't know how long it took to boot and I don't care."

Moreover, a slightly bigger registry will make such a small difference
to the time it takes to boot that it's insignificant.


However, the additional space requirement of a bloated Registry
may not be significant.



Exactly!


I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.



I wouldn't. Using a registry cleaner is dangerous. Using it less often
is, of course, less dangerous, but I believe you should eliminate that
danger, not reduce it.


I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry Cleaner and
Registry Mechanic) both without any problem.



There are *many* people who have had similar experiences. None of us
has ever claimed that every time someone uses a registry cleaner, the
result is a problem. If that were the case, everyone would know that
they couldn't be used, and all registry cleaners would quickly
disappear.

But although no registry cleaner always causes a problem, there is
*always* a risk in using one. Since there is no benefit to using it,
running any risk at all is foolhardy.



Mind you, my backup system
includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy of all key files (as at
the previous day). I have recently proved that I can get a system with a
failed hard disk drive up and running in the time it takes to swap a hard
disk, copy key files and update Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.



Good! Then the risk of using a registry cleaner is less to you than it
is to most people. But not everyone is as well backed-up as you are.
Moreover, there is no point in taking any risk at all for no benefit
at all.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
  #10  
Old June 16th 09, 03:35 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
JS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,475
Default Registry Cleaners

Not a good idea.
The only good registry cleaner is one that will list what it finds by
grouping them into categories.
The gives you the option to manually make a change after investigating any
information provided
by the cleaner. If you can determine the cause for what it found and decide
on a fix then in effect
you are the registry cleaner and not some automated vacuum cleaner.

Example #1
Ran a scan to count the number of entries in my PC's registry
Total was over 260,000
So if a registry cleaner (if it worked properly) removed say 1,000 entries
that would be less than one half of one percent space savings.

Example #2
I while back I ran a registry cleaner knowing in advance what some of the
fixes the cleaner should find and the suggested changes.
This was based on the fact I had uninstalled an application (knowing it
would leave some orphaned registry entries) and then reinstalled the same
application to a different directory location.

The cleaner's default suggested fix for the application's old directory
location (the orphaned entries) was to change these entries to the new
location, which was not necessary as you would have to entries point to the
same location, so I manually deleted these entries.

Now here is where a registry cleaner could cause a real problem!
A few months ago I removed a large number but not all of the
$NtUninstallKBxxxxxx$ folders
(these are the folders and associated files left behind each time you
install the latest Windows Updates each month)
The cleaner reported the broken (orphaned) registry entries but the
suggested fix was to point the broken entries to more recent $NtUninstall
files still on the hard drive (on a random basis), thus royally screwing up
the registry pointers. By that I mean: if you go to uninstall (in rare
cases) a MS KB patch that may be giving you problems and due to the screwed
up registry entry it may instead removes the wrong patch.

If the above isn't enough to convince you then read this:
AUMHA Discussion: Should I Use a Registry Cleaner?
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com



"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...
Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to
the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at
the
very least. However, the additional space requirement of a bloated
Registry
may not be significant. I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.

I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry Cleaner and
Registry Mechanic) both without any problem. Mind you, my backup system
includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy of all key files (as
at
the previous day). I have recently proved that I can get a system with a
failed hard disk drive up and running in the time it takes to swap a hard
disk, copy key files and update Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.

Bill Ridgeway



  #11  
Old June 16th 09, 03:35 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
JS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,475
Default Registry Cleaners

Not a good idea.
The only good registry cleaner is one that will list what it finds by
grouping them into categories.
The gives you the option to manually make a change after investigating any
information provided
by the cleaner. If you can determine the cause for what it found and decide
on a fix then in effect
you are the registry cleaner and not some automated vacuum cleaner.

Example #1
Ran a scan to count the number of entries in my PC's registry
Total was over 260,000
So if a registry cleaner (if it worked properly) removed say 1,000 entries
that would be less than one half of one percent space savings.

Example #2
I while back I ran a registry cleaner knowing in advance what some of the
fixes the cleaner should find and the suggested changes.
This was based on the fact I had uninstalled an application (knowing it
would leave some orphaned registry entries) and then reinstalled the same
application to a different directory location.

The cleaner's default suggested fix for the application's old directory
location (the orphaned entries) was to change these entries to the new
location, which was not necessary as you would have to entries point to the
same location, so I manually deleted these entries.

Now here is where a registry cleaner could cause a real problem!
A few months ago I removed a large number but not all of the
$NtUninstallKBxxxxxx$ folders
(these are the folders and associated files left behind each time you
install the latest Windows Updates each month)
The cleaner reported the broken (orphaned) registry entries but the
suggested fix was to point the broken entries to more recent $NtUninstall
files still on the hard drive (on a random basis), thus royally screwing up
the registry pointers. By that I mean: if you go to uninstall (in rare
cases) a MS KB patch that may be giving you problems and due to the screwed
up registry entry it may instead removes the wrong patch.

If the above isn't enough to convince you then read this:
AUMHA Discussion: Should I Use a Registry Cleaner?
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com



"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...
Ken Blake wrote (in response to another thread) -
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.

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to
the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at
the
very least. However, the additional space requirement of a bloated
Registry
may not be significant. I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.

I have used two Registry cleaners over the years (Max Registry Cleaner and
Registry Mechanic) both without any problem. Mind you, my backup system
includes a cloned hard disk drive and separate copy of all key files (as
at
the previous day). I have recently proved that I can get a system with a
failed hard disk drive up and running in the time it takes to swap a hard
disk, copy key files and update Windows and NIS: About 30 minutes.

Bill Ridgeway



  #12  
Old June 16th 09, 03:35 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default Registry Cleaners

To add to Gerry's typically good advice:

Many people have this vision of the Windows registry: They see Windows
scurrying through the registry and getting stuck in all those dead-ends
left behind by uninstalled software. They think: "this is surely slowing
my computer's performance." However, the registry does not work that
way. Applications make specific calls to registry keys; they don't go
hunting for data.

Another misconception: the "bloated" registry. In theory, if you remove
an unused registry key, it will take less time to load the registry into
memory. However, since a registry key typically occupies only a few
bytes, you would have to remove millions of registry keys to notice the
difference. And even if you could remove millions of registry keys, the
time needed to load, run and then exit the registry cleaner would
outstrip the time saved, by far.

In general, the more you know about the registry, the more you
understand why we like to poke fun at registry cleaners (and the people
who use them.)
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Gerry wrote:
Touch Base

Does Windows Live OneCare have an assured future? It is being dropped by
Microsoft!

The problem is that using a Registry Cleaner gives negligible gains for
a certain risk that any errors it makes are invariably insoluble
problems for all but the most expert users.

  #13  
Old June 16th 09, 03:35 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Leonard Grey[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,048
Default Registry Cleaners

To add to Gerry's typically good advice:

Many people have this vision of the Windows registry: They see Windows
scurrying through the registry and getting stuck in all those dead-ends
left behind by uninstalled software. They think: "this is surely slowing
my computer's performance." However, the registry does not work that
way. Applications make specific calls to registry keys; they don't go
hunting for data.

Another misconception: the "bloated" registry. In theory, if you remove
an unused registry key, it will take less time to load the registry into
memory. However, since a registry key typically occupies only a few
bytes, you would have to remove millions of registry keys to notice the
difference. And even if you could remove millions of registry keys, the
time needed to load, run and then exit the registry cleaner would
outstrip the time saved, by far.

In general, the more you know about the registry, the more you
understand why we like to poke fun at registry cleaners (and the people
who use them.)
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Gerry wrote:
Touch Base

Does Windows Live OneCare have an assured future? It is being dropped by
Microsoft!

The problem is that using a Registry Cleaner gives negligible gains for
a certain risk that any errors it makes are invariably insoluble
problems for all but the most expert users.

  #14  
Old June 16th 09, 04:18 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Peter Foldes
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,444
Default Registry Cleaners

Bill

However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up


That is also not true and is a misconception. You need to remove hundreds if not
thousands of dead entries to be able to notice even a very small difference.

Best advice to anyone is to DO NOT TOUCH the registry
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at the
very least. However, the additional space requirement of a bloated Registry
may not be significant. I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.


  #15  
Old June 16th 09, 04:18 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
Peter Foldes
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,444
Default Registry Cleaners

Bill

However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up


That is also not true and is a misconception. You need to remove hundreds if not
thousands of dead entries to be able to notice even a very small difference.

Best advice to anyone is to DO NOT TOUCH the registry
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in message
...

I would agree with the warning of the possibility of (serious) damage to the
Registry and the consequence that the computer may not boot up. I would
also agree that it may not be necessary to clean the Registry very
regularly. However, the Registry does become bloated with calls to
uninstalled software which does increase the time needed to boot up - at the
very least. However, the additional space requirement of a bloated Registry
may not be significant. I would suggest, say, an annual tidy-up.


 




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