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Community Newsletter: Q&A: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help?
- 2/22/08 12:08 PM
WHAT???
by r_rayjr - 2/9/08 8:29 AM In reply to: Nooo! by Me, Myself and YouWhere do you get that they are BAD??? They were recommended by instructor I had when I was getting my degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. In fact I had been using it when I was in the Navy before I even went to college. I have been using them for over 7 years, at least. And my computer, and the other peoples computers I work on has been used on pcpitstop.com... And they love how their computers work afterward. They do the same thing that you could do by going out and buying a good do it yourself PC care magazine that I also use sometimes, just in case someone doesn't have internet connection, I can do it manually using articles that are in Smart Computing Magizine... And PC Pit Stop automated thing does the same thing that Smart Computing magazine recommends doing for problems, and it does work.
I am most of the way thru my second degree which is for my Bachelors of Science degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering Technology. My first degree was Associates of Science degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. Both of which was mostly about working on and/or with computers.
My computer works too :-)
by Me, Myself and You - 2/9/08 9:56 AM In reply to: WHAT??? by r_rayjrNo PC Pitstop here. In fact the only "maintenance" utilities I have, are CCLeaner.
I've used disk defrag a few times, ccleaner some, taken out the trash on old files, and cleaned out temps. My laptop started acting up a few weeks ago and the problem was simply that....
...my other monitor was too mighty for the graphics card.
Most errors are user related, and overall, my machinery runs very, very well, with not a sight nor sound of most utilities people in this thread are recommending, and convincing the poor man to spend his hard earned money on.
IT'S FREE!!!
by r_rayjr - 2/9/08 9:47 PM In reply to: My computer works too :-) by Me, Myself and YouPC Pit Stop is FREE. Yes they sale a download version that is suppose to be better than the FREE online version, but I tried the trail version of the download one and it didn't do anything more than the online version, but slow the computer down more, because it has a thing that monitors your system. So I don't use the program that you have to buy. But if you use the FREE one at http://pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/default.asp Then it don't cost a damn thing. You do have to sign up for it though, but who cares. If don't know much about computers, but you can follow direction this free version with scan your computer for any problems. If any are found it then tells you want the problem is and how to fix then. Some of the problems have an auto-fix that you can do if you don't want to mess with anything. But my computer runs better and faster than it did when I first got it brand spanking new from DELL. I do most checks my self, and then once a month I go to http://pcpitstop.com run the FULL TEST just to make sure that I didn't miss anything.
Yes, I do agree with the part you said about needlessly spending money. But all I have to say about that is don't buy the program, use the free online scanner, it's just as good, and it really is from people who don't know a lot about computers, to help fix problems.
I am a disabled Veteran, and because of my military service connected disability I haven't been able to find a job, even with my military training, and the degree's I have. So I know all about trying to save money. And this is the BEST way to get everything told about your computer and fix it as anything out there...
...
by Me, Myself and You - 2/10/08 7:32 AM In reply to: IT'S FREE!!! by r_rayjrStill, utilities like that have been known to cause more harm than damage, and why, when the features that you need are inherent in the OS.
People should learn, instead of just bowing to XYZ companies.
registry cleaner
by Doug Sprague - 2/9/08 8:26 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Tom, I just had my tower cleaned because of spyware, and after hooking it up, I had a pop-up saying I should try Registrycleanerxp. I made the mistake of clicking on it, and it became a steady pop-up every time I used the comp. Eventually, it began to stay on the screen and could not be removed. I could drag it around, but never could erase it. I am told it is a type of spyware. I am kind of green when it comes to computers, but I believe I will have to get my machine H drive washed again. Quite a pain.. Good Luck. Doug
HI Tom
by Michael6760 - 2/9/08 8:30 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are several options for you, Tom. Cleaning the registry is only a small part of the bigger picture. Cnet just presented a class on speeding up your XP machine. I highly recommend going there and use their archival system to review the online course. Under the "Online Courses" tab there is a course on speeding up Windows XP. Look under Windows XP and then scroll down to the appropriate topic. I used this class and was well satisfied.
There are several safe registry cleaners. I am all about using the free stuff and there are several on Download.com. That said, I highly recommend CCleaner. I have used it now for about a year. I have had really good success with it and have had no glitches. I always install it on any computer I repair and highly recommend to the owners that they use it often.
Another free program is Auslogics Defrag. It is a small, very quick defrag program. I use it when I have little time to get things "freshened up." I also use IOBit Defrag and Optimizer. This is a very good program and can be set to shut down the computer when it is done defragging. I use this one when I want a more thorough defragmentation. I can set it to defrag and optimize any or all drive letters and then shut down the computer when it is done. This allows me to set it and go to bed or go somewhere else so that I can be doing two things at one time.
Some other things to look at is how much memory you are running and virtual memory. If you have not upgraded your memory since you bought the machine then by all means look into getting more capacity memory modules. It might seem like a tedious chore but well worth the money in the long run, if you are planning on keeping the computer for a long time. This is the probably the single biggest improvement you can make with any appreciable difference.
If you are not interested in adding memory then get WinMem Optimizer at Download.com. It is a small program that monitors your memory use and frees up memory that is still being used by Windows after a program has been shut down. It is a free program and works very well. Install it and go. That is all you need to do to it.
Virtual memory is space allocated on the HDD to be used as memory in case you run low on resources. That amount can be increased to 4000 megs by going to Control Panel-System-Advanced-System Performance-Advanced-Virtual Memory. Hilite the available drive and select No Page Filing (the last option) then click SET. Then go back and select custom amount and enter 4000. Then click set again and reboot your system. This allows the maximum amount of space on the HDD for memory use.
If you find the online course on speeding up Win XP and do all the recommendations, you will be pleasantly surprised at the improvement of your computer's operation.
You have not mentioned your level of expertise but even a novice can do what has been explained here and on the online course. Watch your "p's and q's" and you should be very satisfied with the results.
Good luck Tom
Mike
Registry Cleaning
by margsi2 - 2/9/08 8:30 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Five years is very long time to run Windows without some kind of cleaning method. There is nothing like a good clean out - weed out programs for your pc. Remove all old unused programs. I like the reformat,re-install Windows method. Backup, backup, backup and backup all your important and critical files. I like to sweep with a good secure sweeper that wipes the drive at least 10 times to elimiate any stubborn files or fragments. Then re-format and re-install all your programs with fresh updates. This method eliminates all the gunked up mess in the registry plus cleans your hard drive. It does take some time, though. With a fresh reformat and re-install and a ****-n-span registry, you're good to go for another five years.
Registry cleaners
by DrJohnOH - 2/9/08 8:40 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have used Registry Mechanic for the past three years without any problems. I typically run it after I have installed or uninstalled software and at least monthly as part of my house-keeping duties along with Ad-aware and Spy-Bot Search and Destroy. On my oldest Windows XP box, I noticed the biggest improvement after the first time I ran the program. But even on newer computers, the program finds registry errors to correct.
Sure it's a registry slower-downer?
by Impreza WRX - 2/9/08 9:14 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I just use CCleaner to do registry cleaning, and it works fine enough. However, I am more concerned about the PC slowing down more and more. Has this happened just recently? If so, your hard drive might be giving you early warning signs of impending failure. I recommend backing up your files now, just in case. Hard drives are spiffy things, some last decades (have a Maxtor 514MB from 1995!), others last a year. It depends on how hot it runs and how hard it runs.
You can get a 250 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (the 7200.10 part is important! It uses "Perpendicular Recording" or PMR) for less than $70. It had tremendous amounts of speed if your computer supports SATA. If it does not support SATA, you can still get a IDE version for the same price. Both drives are warranted for 5 years.
Well try to be carrefull
by Dotuletz - 2/9/08 9:19 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
All the thinks you probably heard about tweaks in windows xp about system crashes are probably true.
Many registry changes happen when you install some software so in 5 years no wonder your system is getting slower.
From what i read you are probably a normal user, so i reccomand you use some programs like TuneUp Utilities or WinXP Manager to clear and ... very important after cleaning, to defragment your registry. And try to use the uninstall from the WinXP Manager to uninstall software you don't use anymore, it has a option to clean you registry after an uninstall.
You can also speed up your pc with this programs. I've used them but i also made manual changes, and i must say that there's nothing like a good home made tweak to your registry to speed up things on your computer.
I've also seen many registry 'short' e-manuals, they are on many hubs and torrents if you want to learn some things and make a change in your registry yourself. You'll find windows xp sp2 could have some cache tweaks and depending on your system and preferences you may also tweak the visual settings on your xp.
Slow XP
by patcheye.com - 2/9/08 9:25 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You mentioned that you run a tight ship with regard to security, but you didn't mention defragging your disk. I defrag often, even when Windows Disk Optimizer doesn't think I need to do it yet. If you notice slowing performance during a session, try a little freeware program "Speed It Up III Extreme" (available from dear old C|Net download) to make windows let loose of memory it allocated for a program but failed to release when the program was run. If your disk is just getting older (increasing time required to spin up & more bad sectors) you will have to replace the disk. This gives you a great opportunity for a "clean install".
Speeding up a sluggish pc
by Droid - 2/9/08 9:26 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Tom
First let me deal with your concerns: You are absolutely right - fiddling around with the registry can break your pc. On the other hand, most of the programs that you are running now will be using and changing values in the registry all the time - so what you really need is some cleanup software that you trust as much as any other program.
But before you start, you must first make sure that you have a recovery plan should things go wrong.
If you have never backed anything up before, you should think about doing this regularly in any case!
The major disk manufacturers have free backup programs which are designed to help you migrate to a new disk, but which can be used for backup purposes.
For example Maxtors' MaxBlast - www.maxtor.com (look under software downloads) is an excellent utility, even if you don't have a Maxtor drive.
I'd recommend having a spare hard disk for backup purposes, although you can make do with writable dvd-rom. I don't recommend saving your backup onto your main hard drive - for example in a second partition. This leaves you open to losing all your data if the drive fails.
You say that your computer is slow. OK, so you need to determine why this is so. A cleanup will certainly help but it might only be part of the solution.
A lack of RAM can cause this problem. It's something that might not show up when a computer is new but as you load more programs and maybe begin to use more of them at any one time - that's when a ram shortage rears its head.
You could install RamBooster - http://www.sci.fi/~borg/rambooster/ which will help keep ram free - but my advice is to get more ram if you currently have 512M or less.
You also say you have a tight ship with regard to security. One cause of slowdowns is those security programs. For some odd reason I have seen both McAfee and Norton software cause an extreme slowdown when first installed - the answer being a full uninstall and then a re-install. Likewise if you've been updating that software with newer versions over a long period, maybe now is the time to clean it all out and start afresh.
Even so, a properly working security program does cause a performance drop and it will be worse on older computers. If this turns out to be the cause of the trouble, you will need to look at a different brand of security software such as Kapersky - www.kapersky.com.
Moving on to clean-up software,these are the programs which I use regularly
CCleaner - www.piriform.com
Registry Defrag - www.auslogics.com
Defraggler - www.piriform.com
Now before you start using these programs, if you have large folders full of junk (for example left-over temp files after writing a dvd, or files you downloaded but don't need any more) you should delete them now. The more disk you free up, the faster these programs will run.
If you have a laptop, you should also ensure that you are running on AC and not the battery.
This is my usual procedure:
1. Quit all running programs. If you have security programs then you should probably disable those too and unplug your internet cable.
2. Run CCleaner. There are two features that I use, labelled Cleaner and Registry.
Cleaner removes unwanted junk - most of which you won't even realise is there. Be aware that it will remove stored passwords, website history and so on. First hit analyze, then Run Cleaner.
Registry will search for problem entries in the registry - mostly broken links. Again, scan first, then Fix. The program will ask if you want to save a backup before fixing - if you choose to do this then you'll be able to put things back the way they were if necessary.
3. Run Registry Defrag. This program tries to tidy and reduce the size of the registry. Its simply a matter of scanning and then fixing - the computer will reboot when it is done, and the program should give you an indication of the size reduction it has managed.
4. Run Defraggler. This is a defrag program which works on a per-file basis. Analyze, then select all files and Defrag.
I'm now recommending these steps to everyone who asks me about a slow pc. So far I have seen significant improvements on around 10 pcs.
System running very slow after 5 years
by RoyMya - 2/9/08 9:26 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Before messing with the registry, I would run Chkdsk and Defrag. Usually the results are amazing.
For Tom: Registry Cleaner Question
by dlroberds - 2/9/08 9:41 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been using RegCure for quite some time now and have never had a problem with it at all. I routinely clean my registry at LEAST once a week. And, while RegCure does not clean EVERYTHING from the registry, it does help speed up my computer a little bit.
I have noticed my computer speed getting slower and slower over the past year and have not been able to figure out why. I do all of the routine things (disc clean, registry cleaner, etc...) to help keep the speed up but I still have the problem. Can anybody tell me what I can do to speed it up?
last resort
by deaths_little_helper - 2/9/08 9:59 AM In reply to: Slow computer: Will a registry cleaner help? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I think you're right to avoid registry cleaning...tweaking the registry is not only a potential OS killer, it's also usually unneeded. I would wait until absolutly the last resort before touching the registry. I work on computers for a living and will only go into the registry to change auto-logon options, and numlock/keyboard settings. Before ever entering the registry, backup your files on two sperate media sources...trust me on this, having a thumb drive with your files and a second source of your choice puts your mind at ease...then, if you still haven't found a better way to speed up the computer, just do a google search on registry cleaner software, pick your favorite, and go for it. I personally will rebuild a machine from a blank slate before I will tweak a registry to speed things up...
P.S. EVIL!
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