Author Topic: What's the best registry cleaner? Ask Leo says: none (Read 92846 times)

PhilB66 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 06, 2009, 05:34 AM »

Phil: doesn't have google hits for any full sentences and URL doesn't have referrer links...
* f0dder shrugs.
-f0dder (April 06, 2009, 04:29 AM)

winkyg + Digeus

* Phil shrugs too

cmpm · « **Reply #51 on:** April 06, 2009, 06:56 AM »

$18 for each function?!!
Spam or like to waste money.
You get a nice big pretty box with each function!

For Every $18 function, there is more then one free one.

mahesh2k · « **Reply #52 on:** July 05, 2009, 01:38 AM »

Sorry to bump old thread. But i've found old Jv16 ergistry cleaner (last freeware version) searches for more absolute registry keys than CCcleaner's Registry cleaner. I don't get it why such huge difference in finding out registry keys.

Innuendo · « **Reply #53 on:** July 06, 2009, 12:06 PM »

Since you asked, jv16 is more aggressive with its search results and marks those that it thinks are most likely safe for deleting.

CCleaner is more conservative in its results and only marks those that it knows for a fact are safe for deleting.

There is no real reason to clean your registry unless you are OCD about it or there is something in there that is seriously screwing up your system. Since the registry is in a database format doing thinks like cleaning, optimizing, shrinking, compressing or whatever fancy names these programs put on their functions will not gain you any speed-up at all when your OS accesses it.

cyberdiva · « **Reply #54 on:** July 06, 2009, 01:26 PM »

It's been MANY years since I used the free version of JVPowerTools, so I don't recall the specifics. I do know that as far back as 2005, the paid version had two settings: Normal and Aggressive. The number of items found was greatly increased if you used Aggressive. I almost always used Normal. The current version (JVPowerTools2009) has a four-point scale for you to select from. It goes from "Emphasize safety of the Registry Cleaner engine over both scan speed and the number of found errors" on one end to "Emphasize number of found errors and speed of the Registry Cleaner over safety and accuracy." Of course, in all cases you are asked whether you want JV to make a backup of items before fixing them. I always say yes, but fortunately I've never had to make use of the backup.

I can't comment on Innuendo's view that registry cleaners are usually unnecessary. There do seem to be two camps about this. All I know is that I'm forever installing and moving and renaming and uninstalling files/programs/whatever, and given how I use the computer, I tend to think that using a Registry Cleaner can be helpful. But I don't know enough to be certain about this.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #55 on:** July 06, 2009, 03:03 PM »

@cyberdiva I know some people who create slipstream install DVDs just so every 6 months or so they can format the HD and reinstall to get rid of the accumulated garbage. Only thing is, I'm like you in that I'm always trying out a new utility, some of my own programs, or some install script or whatever. I don't have a PC dedicated to doing one job. Sometimes I envy those guys. They don't have to keep snapshotting their system with image backup programs. If it gets hosed they do the slipstream install and copy back a few data files they saved.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #56 on:** July 06, 2009, 03:21 PM »

Simpler solution is to install a virtual OS (there are loads of host options these days some free) and only test stuff in the virtual OS keeping your main OS clean of all the crap that accumulates.

mouser · « **Reply #57 on:** July 06, 2009, 03:24 PM »

Simpler solution is to install a virtual OS (there are loads of host options these days some free) and only test stuff in the virtual OS keeping your main OS clean of all the crap that accumulates.

amen.

edbro · « **Reply #58 on:** July 06, 2009, 03:42 PM »

Or, run your os in a sandbox. I swear by Returnil. Muck it up as much as you want then simply reboot and you are fresh again.

KenR · « **Reply #59 on:** July 06, 2009, 04:00 PM »

... or just backup (create an image of) your operating system and then restore it when things get to nutty. This is what I do. That way, I only need to focus on one OS. Running things in an artificial env. is protective, but doesn't give much info about how it will fit it with everything else. For these two reasons, I prefer the backup and restore method.

Ken

MilesAhead · « **Reply #60 on:** July 06, 2009, 04:20 PM »

Trouble with loading up old images, is then I'd lose all the improvements I've installed on my system. Likewise for me, virtual OS stuff seems more pain than it's worth. Sandboxie I like. When I'm done running the program in the prophylactic, I can just kill the sandbox and stop the Sandboxie service. If only it ran in Vista64!

I run my system pretty lean anyway. I don't really feel the need to wipe my system partition. I do an image backup every few days to guard against disaster. About the only thing I use to optimize the registry is NTREGOPT, and then only every few months. Just seems to boot smoother for awhile after running it.

cyberdiva · « **Reply #61 on:** July 06, 2009, 04:22 PM »

Or, run your os in a sandbox. I swear by Returnil. Muck it up as much as you want then simply reboot and you are fresh again.
-edbro (July 06, 2009, 03:42 PM)

Well, I do occasionally use a sandbox, but one problem is that you don't get an idea of how a piece of software behaves during bootup. I was testing one anti-malware program that worked fine...until I rebooted. It then apparently got into a pissing contest with my anti-virus program, with the result that I couldn't even complete the boot process. I've kept the anti-malware program on my system, but only to run scans, not to work in real time and not to start at startup. But testing it in a sandbox wouldn't have revealed this very important problem.

Steven Avery · « **Reply #62 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:33 PM »

Hi Folks,

Cyberdiva, one thing I noticed about SuperAntiSpyware (generally top-notch) was that .. even though I simply wanted it for an on-demand scan .. it was very pushy about putting stuff into the boot-time (possibly hoping that I would need it some day on a real-time upgrade .. clearly it could check for any updates at the beginning of an on-demand run).

Wondering .. was SAS involved in your unruly school children fight ?

As for registry cleaners, probably the best single thing to do is to uninstall with Revo Uninstaller rather than only Add/Remove. After each uninstall you will end up deleting a couple of paths and/or registry entries that would have been left over. The registry cleaning industry, when it is not outright sham and scareware, is much ado about very, very little. If you happen to know a certain type of registry entry is quite recognizable and harmless, you could delete them with CCleaner or Eusing or somebody (the more conservative the better) .. however generally your time would be far better spent elsewhere.

btw, a good number of the techies on the net make $$ one way or another, directly or indirectly (google ads) with the sham & scare products, so they tend to not want to bite a feeding hand and say .. e.g. .. "beware of all the uniblue and paretologic and any google-advertised registry cleaner and speedup products, they are junk and dangerous".

The situation with registry and drivers are similar .. when your system is running smooth and decent, a good way to bring that smooth running to a screeching halt is to do an auotmatic software-directed "cleaning" (registry) or a software-directed "update" (drivers). And the registry is the more dangerous of the two.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

steeladept · « **Reply #63 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:53 PM »

...Likewise for me, virtual OS stuff seems more pain than it's worth....
-MilesAhead (July 06, 2009, 04:20 PM)

Seems to me you haven't looked deeply into it. Once it is setup, it is by far the easiest way to go. Setup isn't even all that difficult. Personally, I suggest either VirtualBox (freeware from Sun/Oracle, at least for now) or VMWare Workstation (expensive, but comprehensive). VMWare in particular makes development easy by fully supporting branching and snapshotting. In other words, you set up the software, install a "gold image" and then take a snapshot. From there, you can branch new versions of that image and it only saves the differences (conserving space), while still providing a fully functional PC appearance. Go with a different program? Just spin up another branch. Want to delete everything? Just delete the root image and wala, the rest is gone too. VirtualBox supports some of this, and is working toward full support for branching of snapshots, but isn't quite there from the last version I have used. That said, if you have the space, there are other ways around it. Either way, it is very simple, though there is a little bit of a learning curve before it becomes easy. If you had the time, I figure 4 good hours learning and working with it (after installation) should familiarize you with most of these types of functions and how to work around any limitations. That, to me, is really simple for this powerful of software. Maybe it is just me though...

cmpm · « **Reply #64 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:56 PM »

I pointed out Vit Registry cleaner in this thread and have since given it a big thumbs down. It is way too aggressive and ignorant.

Just wanted to point that out since this thread is back up to the top.

Power Tools Lite isn't too bad it seems.
discussed here along with a couple others.

http://www.freewareg...ls-registry-cleaner/

cyberdiva · « **Reply #65 on:** July 06, 2009, 07:45 PM »

Wondering .. was SAS involved in your unruly school children fight ?
-Steven Avery (July 06, 2009, 05:33 PM)

Hi, Steven. No, actually, it was another highly regarded program, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro.

As for registry cleaners, probably the best single thing to do is to uninstall with Revo Uninstaller rather than only Add/Remove. After each uninstall you will end up deleting a couple of paths and/or registry entries that would have been left over.

Yes, I've been using Revo, thanks to many enthusiastic recommendations here on DC. I'm very pleased with it, but I do have two minor reservations. One is that at times I can't tell whether the Registry keys Revo wants me to delete are the right ones. I think my confidence was undermined a bit by one time where I really felt that it was giving me incorrect advice. I no longer remember what that situation was. But since then, I've been a little uneasy, though I usually do follow Revo's advice.

The other reservation has to do with its setting a restore point each time it uninstalls a program. On the one hand, that makes sense, but on the other, I've set my computer to allot relatively little room to restore points, and there are times when I fear I could use up my self-imposed quota just by using Revo multiple times in a day or two.

The situation with registry and drivers are similar .. when your system is running smooth and decent, a good way to bring that smooth running to a screeching halt is to do an auotmatic software-directed "cleaning" (registry) or a software-directed "update" (drivers). And the registry is the more dangerous of the two.

I'm sufficiently superstitious that I don't want to declare publicly that I've never had a problem with my registry clearner, but...

MilesAhead · « **Reply #66 on:** July 06, 2009, 08:18 PM »

@steeladept I played around with VirtualBox. Also the MS incarnation of the same strategy. I think if I was going to do virtual I'd want something that just uses the Shadow Copy service and is nearly automatic. Unfortunately, like Sandboxie, I haven't found one for 64 bit that didn't appear to be dead(a la Disk Write Copy with a forum that hasn't had a post in 6 months or a program update in 8.)

Besides, I'm always installing small utilities, and tweaking my system. So now I have to invest in some software that allows me to "save the changes" etc. Why do all that when I can do a system image save in 15 minutes? If I was doing software testing for a living that's another story. But for me the Sandboxie modus operandi seems most convenient.

Everyone has their own preferences. If it works for you more power to you.

edbro · « **Reply #67 on:** July 07, 2009, 08:06 AM »

If you religiously monitor each installation with tools like Ashampoo Uninstaller or Total Uninstaller, you can easily wipe out everything that gets installed, including registry entries. I use Ashampoo and try to monitor each new installation.

Innuendo · « **Reply #68 on:** July 11, 2009, 03:41 PM »

All I know is that I'm forever installing and moving and renaming and uninstalling files/programs/whatever, and given how I use the computer, I tend to think that using a Registry Cleaner can be helpful. But I don't know enough to be certain about this.
-cyberdiva

All I can tell you is of my own personal experiences. I am a software junkie. If I have a software need (yes, need, dang it!) I will relentlessly search till I have found every program that will fulfill that need & I will end up installing a bunch of those till I finally have the one I consider to be best. I do this for every program I have on my PC. Sadly, it doesn't end there. Every few months I go check out all the new developments in programs and if they look like they can usurp my current choice I install them to give them a try out.

Everything I don't keep, of course, is uninstalled. Compound this phenomena with dabbling in PC games (I'll install games, try them out and after I've beat them or gotten bored with them they are uninstalled) my registry probably has a cubic butt-load of irrelevant obsolete entries.

I never do any registry maintenance and I don't have any program compatibility problems nor does my system run any slower than when I first installed my OS.

Actually, the only problems I have on my system from time to time are those evil little programs you install that covertly commandeer all your file associations behind your back. Fortunately, there aren't as many of those as there used to be and UAC blocks almost all of the remaining offenders.

Side note: Though I have never used it I have heard wonderful things about Total Uninstaller. If someone were looking for something that does what edbro talks about in his post then Total Uninstaller would be the first one I'd try.

mouser · « **Reply #69 on:** July 11, 2009, 03:51 PM »

All I can tell you is of my own personal experiences. I am a software junkie. If I have a software need (yes, need, dang it!) I will relentlessly search till I have found every program that will fulfill that need & I will end up installing a bunch of those till I finally have the one I consider to be best.

welcome to the club.. probably a lot of us on DC like that.

HOWEVER.. i have come to believe that one should avoid whenever possible installing any program on your pc that you don't intend to keep installed for a long time.

INSTEAD.. test these programs in a virtual machine -- there are very good ones now: VmWare, VirtualPC, VirtualBox, etc. These programs make it completely painless to evaluate programs without any risk or leftovers on your real pc.

Especially when trialing lots of alternative programs, since most of the programs you don't have to use for more than a few minutes to know it's not for you.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #70 on:** July 11, 2009, 04:45 PM »

I think what we need is an automated gizmo to clone a mini-OS from the system partition, to a blank partition in like 10 minutes. Then try your stuff out. If it gets hosed, wipe and recreate it. No messing with settings. The program(which I have no intention of writing I must say) should do all that by analyzing what you've got on the "real" OS partition.

Reboot, install a bunch of junk, if it goes sour, reboot the "real" OS and rerun the mini-OS creation tool.

SKesselman · « **Reply #71 on:** July 11, 2009, 05:30 PM »

I was just directed to, then helped immensely by Revo a few days ago when I had a nasty little problem with LetMeType. Revo Uninstaller was simple to use & very effective. But I will still take Carol & mouser's advice & install VirtualPC when I install Windows 7.

Cyberdiva, I has the same issue when asked if I wanted to delete certain registry keys.
So, I allowed it to delete the ones that obviously came from LetMeType & left the rest alone.
Haven't heard from that program since, so I'm fairly certain everything's OK.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #72 on:** July 11, 2009, 08:25 PM »

The other quandry is when uninstalling if you get that "do you want to delete shared library x.dll? ... nothing is using it" query.. then you delete it and stuff is hosed mucho.

You'd think with all this database technology they could tell you what used to use it and when, and what will happen if you delete it.. instead of just the ref count = 0.

f0dder · « **Reply #73 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:00 AM »

There is no real reason to clean your registry unless you are OCD about it or there is something in there that is seriously screwing up your system. Since the registry is in a database format doing thinks like cleaning, optimizing, shrinking, compressing or whatever fancy names these programs put on their functions will not gain you any speed-up at all when your OS accesses it.
-Innuendo (July 06, 2009, 12:06 PM)

Hear ye, hear ye!

The registry is pretty darn efficient, binary searches and all. You do want to keep the hive files defragmented, but that's of course something those silly registry cleaners don't tend to do.

harminder · « **Reply #74 on:** September 15, 2009, 12:58 AM »

I think <removed link> is best registry software that one can trust.

edit by jgpaiva: removed link to site with low reputability