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PC utilities: Do computer Registry cleaners really work?
- 6/19/09 12:42 PM
Do computer Registry cleaners really work?
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 6/19/09 12:42 PM
Question:
Do computer Registry cleaners really work?
I have Registry Cleaner version 4.0.1.547 that is a registered retail version which I paid $30 for. I use it fairly often and sometimes it gives me errors and I click fix and it does its cleaning. I have also downloaded the free version of RegCure and after running my paid Registry cleaner I run the RegCure Version 1.5.2 and it tells me I have 355 errors on my computer. What is up with this? The RegCure won't clean these errors unless I buy the Pro version. Is this their way of getting people to buy their product? If not, one of these programs is giving me false information. One says I have no errors, the other says I have 355 errors and I had better buy their product or my computer will crash. So who am I suppose to believe?
My questions to you members are: what do Registry cleaners do exactly? Do they create more problems or solve them? Or are companies who make these utilities just out here to make a buck? Bottom line, do registry cleaners really work? And how are you to know if they are doing what they are suppose to do? Thank you!
--Submitted by Clem & Kay W.
Here are some featured member answers to get you started, but
please read all the advice and suggestions that our
members have contributed to this question.
Great questions but complex answer! --Submitted by Grimbles
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3057004#3057004
A registry cleaner analogy... --Submitted by John.Wilkinson
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3056439#3056439
Registry cleaners do Work, sort of.... --Submitted by davismccarn
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3056696#3056696
Registry cleaners pros and cons --Submitted by thegame102
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3057631#3057631
Registry cleaners work, but doesn't mean you should do it. --Submitted by Jim Johnson
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3056687#3056687
Typical --Submitted by rbsjrx
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3056392#3056392
Yes they do work, but... --Submitted by rlessmue
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6138_102-0.html?messageID=3058231#3058231
There are many more suggestions, opinions, and advice in this discussion thread, so please give it all a read.
If you have any additional advice or experience you'd like to share with Clem and Kay, click on the reply link and submit it. Please be as detailed as possible when providing your answer to them. Thanks!
Registry Cleaners
by ron ostrowski - 6/5/09 6:25 PM In reply to: Do computer Registry cleaners really work? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The best answer is that you don't need them, esp RegCure. I fell for it and feel that this program is a giant ripoff. I have seen errors on friend's computers saying that we should buy the program to fix some problem.
You buy and it doesn't solve the problem.
If you have to have a program I recommend TuneUp Utilities. Only use one and Tune Up will work for more than one year while RegCure will become non-operational.
UniBlue looks like a sneaky rip off
by rje49 - 6/20/09 7:33 AM In reply to: Registry Cleaners by ron ostrowskiUniBlue gives you a free trial scan, which I ran after my usual WinAso registry clean-up. It showed about 300 "problems". Hmmm. I paid the $30 and cleaned out the 300 "problems". For the next few weeks, it never detected a single "problem" that my WinAso missed. I ran their trial scan on 2 other computers, and guess what? It "found" the same number- about 300- of "problems" on both! It became obvious that the trail scan was either a complete fake, or those "problem" registry entries were planted there before the scan started. Fortunately, I got a refund before 30 days was up. I don't know what I was thinking; I never pay for utility programs and I'm not easily tricked.
Undoubtedly...
by JCitizen - 6/21/09 5:04 PM In reply to: UniBlue looks like a sneaky rip off by rje49I'd agree with that assessment. I've been in computer support for quite a while and serviced hundreds of computers; and reg cleaners are a must, unfortunately.
Mostly because of faulty uninstallation of previous applications.
I tell most newbies not to run them unless they notice errors or instability after a install/uninstall. Otherwise they may not be needed.
Malware can gob up the registry too, but Malwarebytes anti-malware always cleans up after those kind of infections. If your anti-virus cleans a virus off your computer, it can't hurt to run CCleaner, just to make sure some other dependent code or malware isn't attached to the processes.
CCleaner does way more that just clean the registry; it can clean many folders that Microsoft and newbies don't monitor or clean with onboard cookie and file cleaners. It never fails, when Internet Explorer is gobbed up on a client's machine. I run CCleaner for the first time and check everything. I've never had a problem with it, except when malware gets in a fight with the process.
Piriform - the maker, uses an unusual process to clean the registy and does backups along the way; it peals the registry like and onion, in layers, to get rid of dependent entries for nasty installs. Always run it recursively to be sure and find all problems. It is real easy to restore from backup if something unusual is noticed. All you do is click on the backup file and voila! Everything is back as it was! If you don't find a problem with Ccleaner then you probably don't have any problems. On the other hand - I've found a few problems with the PC, and ingnored them untill some other problem comes up. CCleaner is safe, but it is just not always necessary to fix every broken/unused shortcut or orphaned .dll.
Another thing it does is a better job uninstalling pesky programs. I always check the remove progams part of the tool kit to see what has surprisingly been installed without the users permission! These entries should always be removed, as you are just inviting malware into your PC - and in fact the entry may BE malware..Compare the program list with the one Microsoft includes with your control panel, to find these hidden ones.
For tougher nuts you may have to use Revo Ininstaller which is also a very great reg cleaner for very tough jobs. You better back your system up before using this one; but I've never lost an operating system using it.
Macecraft is also a very excellent reg cleaner for advanced users - and it has a very reasonable lifetime license!! They have several solutions under that name that changes with each version, like the venerable JV16. I don't know which version name they use now.
You can probably get away with never using a reg cleaner by following these simple steps when uninstalling a program:
1. Check the programs list and click on the particular application to see if an uninstaller is listed. Always use the applications uninstaller.
2. If not available go to CCleaner and use the right button on the uninstall tool in the consol. CCleaner will usually find the best uninstall path and tool to do the job. If it needs the Windows uninstaller, it will use it.
3. If you just don't like third party reg cleaners like CCleaner you can go to Microsoft and use the one provided by them! After all they make the operating system you can't hardly go wrong with their registry cleaner. I believe, many of the problems are dealt with by [Fix-it] buttons on Microsoft's site now. They have been continually improving the site(finally)!
It may be difficult to navigate the MS site and google might help - but you may still have to drill down to the reg cleaner only, as they have a lot of spurious utilities there that are really not needed. Just make sure you are getting the regular reg cleaner download only; not something else.
Do Registry Cleaners Really Work
by shouldbe51 - 6/22/09 6:53 AM In reply to: Undoubtedly... by JCitizenI agree totally with this response!!!
Agrre to everything-
by morrie 52 - 7/14/09 8:14 AM In reply to: Undoubtedly... by JCitizenJust that Revo Uninstaller does automatically do a System Restore on every uninstall.
(NT) Good advice!...(nt)
by JCitizen - 7/15/09 8:51 PM In reply to: Agrre to everything- by morrie 52registry cleaners
by blackbob2188 - 6/24/09 8:46 AM In reply to: Registry Cleaners by ron ostrowskii use advanced system care and ccleaner.both are free and appear to do the job. advanced system care is free but offers upgrade. bob
advanced system care and ccleaner
by jjchgo - 7/8/09 9:33 PM In reply to: registry cleaners by blackbob2188advanced system care and ccleaner both of these programs are great. And FREE!!!
thanks for mentioning them.
Registry Cleaners
by ronrieger - 6/5/09 6:28 PM In reply to: Do computer Registry cleaners really work? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Good question. I don't have an answer but will be looking forward to someone that does. Thanks for asking the question.
Why the trial picks up more
by scorpious - 6/5/09 6:33 PM In reply to: Do computer Registry cleaners really work? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It's real simple it'll be picking up the backup entries that your already paid version saves in case there is an issue after doing a clean,another reason is that it is a more aggressive cleaner which means you better know what deleting those entries will do to your system,honestly tho free requires no money so go get ccleaner it has a long track record & is updated frequently,as for do cleaners work you betcha,whether it be surf histories & cookies or just the registry,do a test don't run it for a month & then see how much space you clear,just this week alone i removed more than 1gb of crap,lastly when looking for new programs & then finding it's not free at all keep searching or look to open source,there's usually a program that will do it for nothing out there somewhere,well most of the time..lol..
Good advice...(nt)
by JCitizen - 6/21/09 5:06 PM In reply to: Why the trial picks up more by scorpiousnt
reg clnrs
by tedtks - 6/5/09 6:40 PM In reply to: Do computer Registry cleaners really work? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
personally, I use regseeker. it seemed easier to work with
(free dnld fm/Cnet) - :-0 and less spendy.
last year I bought into one of those 2oo errors must buy to
fix - did - fixed (or so it said) 88.
got my $ back.
Now - reg repair pgms look for errors in the registry. things that
dont cross match. to create an error ? move a program that is
usually called by a short cut. you get a not found, bad link error.
quite simple actually. When you uninstall programs, their uninstall
list leaves out (in some cases) a LOT of stuff. reg entries, folders, files. So its up to you to get rid of all that.
Norton is probably the worst. they put stuff that are meant not to
be found.
installation and updates sometimes leave more than just what they
put into ' temp ' folders. dont know why - sloppy programming - and
Microsoft is in this catagory !
When you run a reg clnr, it should give you a list of what it has
found bad. look it over, every line. sometimes something you dont
want to get rid of shows up and really is not a problem.
Every time you run something, the system checks the registry, along
with other things, to see what connections it needs etc. This is why there is a reason to clean. system reads everything in a given reg
folder - good and bad - uses cpu time - after while you notice it
in your system.
thats where you will notice the fix. if it speeds back up to what it
was last month or whenever.
I could tell you why MS came up with the registry - but thats a longer and separate chat 
most cleaners are like most virus programs. they all have their own
way of doing things and, what-and-how they are looking for.
A really good use for a registry cleaner
by rbsjrx - 6/7/09 5:57 AM In reply to: reg clnrs by tedtks"Norton is probably the worst. they put stuff that are meant not to be found. Installation and updates sometimes leave more than just what they put into 'temp' folders. don't know why - sloppy programming - and Microsoft is in this category!"
When I recently bought my Vista laptop, I confirmed how easy it is to totally get rid of Norton. First I did a normal Windows delete, using Glary's Absolute Uninstaller. Then I ran Advanced System Care to clean the registry. Voila, no Norton - anywhere! (It works just as well on trialware versions of MS Office.)
Not vtrue
by msgale - 7/15/09 10:17 PM In reply to: reg clnrs by tedtks"System reads everything in a given reg folder - good and bad - uses cpu time - after while you notice it in your system..." This is absolutely not true. The only thing read is what needs to be read, noting more and nothing less. The registry is order in such a manner (partial hash with a linked list) that searches a very quick. It is not searched from end to end (linear search). Read a book by a compentent authority to verify my statement. I have never used a registry cleaner since Windows NT 4.0, I have not any performance issues!
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