PC utilities: Do computer Registry cleaners really work?
- 6/19/09 12:42 PM
The nipple my PC runs off of is a Happy Camper!
by ctime - 6/21/09 8:34 PM In reply to: noblesse by archeoptimistIt's simple, if there's any bitter taste in someone's PC mouth it's those who use independent products developed to latch on to the Windows Operating System and then complain when they don't work! Why should Microsoft care??? Like seriously... Email your independent Vendor if you're independent product isn't working properly with Windows. I'm sure FireFox is a nice alternative for surfing the Web but if it can't perform an MS update what does that tell you?
Talk about congenial... I bought a Vaio Z, a copy of Vista Ultimate, Office Professional 2003 and haven't had one single problem. I also don't even run an Antivirus program at all because the Ultimate version provides a 2 or 3 click full PC image backup that I use regularly and check for updates from time to time. Never once have I been coercively directed to any MS product before, during or after the update process.
With the ease of PC backup, I can install anything I want, screw around with the registry, experiment however I like and if anything goes wrong I just restore the PC from the full image backup (in fact I keep 2 backups, one that's basically a revision of the original restore discs that came with my PC in that all programs and initial updates are good to go and the 2nd is never more than a week or two old).
Once that's done I can add what I just experimented with, knowing exactly where it's being installed and how it affects my system. Next, do the 2 or 3 click PC backup once again and I'm good to go until I feel like testing out the waters again with something else. If by some chance I do happen upon a virus, I could care less knowing that I have 2 backups to fall back on.
So No bitterness here. To top it off, Live One Care cleans every remaining trace of unnecessary tmp installation files and registry entries, checks for disk fragmentation, if any ports are open that shouldn't be and will execute a complete virus and spyware scan at the user level - ALL FOR FREE! Those suits over in Redmond sure know how to rough somebody up.
The whole point that I'm trying to make is that MS products work great with their own Operating system. Once again, why should MS care if independent products can't, won't or just plain don't jive with their system?
I'm no fanboy but I know what works. MS products with the MS operating system is seamless and a pleasure to use. I haven't spent a dime on anything else but my PC, Vista and Office. An 80GB backup so far finishes in the time it takes to eat dinner - with USB 3.0 around the corner that'll be cut down to about 5 minutes.
Even MACS with their parallels or what have you is trying to latch on to MS. Should MS be held accountable for that too when Word won't open on a MAC?
It's hilarious and incredible to me how many people insist on acting like salmon and swim upstream against the ease of freely available MS products specifically tailored for MS's own operating system. I'm looking around and feeling pretty cozy. Many others could be too I suppose, but hey! To each their own.
IE vs FIREFOX
by Darren Dheilly - 6/20/09 4:08 PM In reply to: IE vs FIREFOX by jreisingerI Know,,, I know. It is irritataing, like Firefox with the Google Tool bar puts downloads it in the Desktop and You canot select a good a destination easily, But I used to like Microsoft IE but No longer for Microsoft forces us to use the new "Bing? Thing browser, Does anyone like the new browser "Bing" ? Can it be be removed ? Cnet someone help me out...
Bing Bong
by msgale - 6/21/09 9:34 PM In reply to: IE vs FIREFOX by Darren DheillyI am using Bing with IE8, my choice. There is no requirement to use Bing nor is its use forced on you. My wife's notebook uses Google with IE8. We are both using Vista Ultimate X64
Windows Live One Care Scan (FREE)
by desirawson - 6/20/09 10:42 AM In reply to: Here's all you need - it's by Microsoft & Free by ctimeThank you for pointing this program out to these people that are bound and determined to TRASH Microsoft constantly every minute of every day for doing nothing, ever, at all period, the end. There are other good reg cleaner programs out there, but if they would spend as much time educating themselves as they do writing bad blogs about MS, they might learn a lot. Just because someone doesn't know how to use something, doesn't mean that it doesn't work correctly. It is soooo old...
Windows Live One Care Scan (FREE)
by Darren Dheilly - 6/20/09 4:23 PM In reply to: Windows Live One Care Scan (FREE) by desirawsonI have used it But I am waiting for it after I hesard ONe Care" wiil be free for Windows users (Yeah right ? Has anyone seen that Flying Elephant too ?), But I caufgt the Kiddo Comflicker and Avast missed it. I used "Trend House Call" it takes a lot of Time But WOW ! Does it do a Great Job and fixes you up for FREE !) Users who read this Give "Trend House call" a try, be patient and it works wonders. My hat is off to Trend..
Cons : I have 2 - 750 Gig hard drives. I ran Trend, and went to bed, Woke up to the errors cleaned them and "Wolla" a New Hard drive. clean of Crap. I used it again and cleaned the second went to Work and returned with a few errors to Clean after super I was a real happy Camper.
I can't run Trend Housecall
by bruvensky - 7/5/09 7:46 AM In reply to: Windows Live One Care Scan (FREE) by Darren DheillyI went to the Trend Housecall site. It told me that I have to have Java Runtime 1.4 or higher. I have several J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0 updates, and several Java 6 updates. I read that I can uninstall older versions of Runtime, but I only see the updates in Add/Remove Programs.
Just so you know.
by R. Proffitt - 7/5/09 7:51 AM
In reply to: I can't run Trend Housecall by bruvensky
This post is 300+ posts long now. If you need help I'd start in either the Spyware or Computer Help forums next time.
I thought I was in the help section
by bruvensky - 7/5/09 8:38 AM In reply to: Just so you know. by R. Proffitt
I came here direct from a newsletter that I recieved.
Anyone Tried this ?
by LordVaderr - 7/24/09 8:19 PM In reply to: Here's all you need - it's by Microsoft & Free by ctimeHas anyone Tried this ?
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/center/cleanup.htm
As i can understand everyone has different opinoins
about Registery Cleaner
Its Like Microsoft knows the Truth
but theres no real Help or
they let us belive it works
& by that they let these small
companys make some money cos we buy it
Cos the real problem is with the Operating system
Why Mac doesnt have all these problems 
Registry Cleaners
by Bob Lanctot - 6/20/09 8:28 AM In reply to: Registry Cleaners by waytronI agree that reinstalling Windows is a good way to clean up your computer. It doesn't take that long to do that. However, what does take long is locating and reinstalling all your software. It can take days. So, I've been successful in maintaining my computer with AVG Antivirus, Zonealarm and several spyware/malware removers - all freeware. I also use AusLogics Disk Defrag and CCleaner from time to time. My computer runs pretty smoothly most of the time. But my Ubuntu Linux computer runs way better. 
Registry Cleaners
by classicgrag - 6/22/09 5:26 AM In reply to: Registry Cleaners by waytronWhilst having a team of consultants and sales staff under my wing we used to re-install all Windows machines annually. The effect on performance was always staggering as users have generally no idea how much 'occasional' software has been installed over the last year and even though uninstalled, it always leaves a mark.
We tried a number of registry cleaners, some free, some purchased and never experienced the same results. Yes, a re-install took a while but with a bit of planning and a CD will all your favourite installs and drivers saved on it, it was never that bad and worth the extra time.
Today, I never recommend 'clean-up' software but do tell my clients not to install software unless they really need it and to avoid 'trial' software if at all possible.
I also tell them not to install printer software as this can be a major cause of PC performance issues. All you really need are the drivers.
Work? Well....
by Flatworm - 6/6/09 4:52 AM In reply to: Do computer Registry cleaners really work? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Do they really work? That depends on what work you expect them to do.
I expect that you think you need a registry cleaner because your computer has started to slow down. If you expect a registry cleaner to appreciably speed up your computer's response, they don't really work. They might cause a negligible -- VERY negligible -- reduction in the time it takes your computer to boot, but it won't speed it up much once it does.
There are some things they might be useful for. For example, if you have an application that won't uninstall, and you go in and delete the directory in "Program Files" where it was stored, a registry cleaner can clean up the resulting spurious entries.
But it is always dangerous to mess with your registry if you don't know what you're doing. First off, you MUST backup your registry before any effort to start mucking around in there, either manually with regedit or with some registry cleaner or other editor program.
Other things will speed up your computer's operation much more than any registry cleaner. First and foremost is a good anti-adware/spyware program. Two of the best are available free -- Ad-Aware by Lavasoft and Spybot Search & Destroy. Spyware Doctor, which costs $29, is perhaps a bit better, particularly in its ongoing protection, but slows down older computers. Sometimes scanning your machine with one of these and removing the problems it finds results in a HUGE boost to your performance.
Also, a good defragger can make a big difference. I like PerfectDisk 10. The defragger supplied by Windows is utterly useless.
And a last point. If your computer is running slow, look first at the antivirus program you are running. Even relatively recent versions of Norton and McAfee, the two most common, are absolutely HORRIBLE resource hogs (I have heard that Norton's latest release is a big improvement, however). If you remove these and replace them with something like the freeware Avira, you will see a HUGE improvement in performance without giving up any meaningful protection.
Also, for nearly everyone, the software firewall provided with Windows since the release of XP SP2 is adequate. You probably don't really need something like ZoneAlarm, which is often a source for a slowdown, particularly in the performance of your web browser.
Beware of the various protection suites offered by your ISP (sometimes for free, sometimes -- as with Verizon -- for an additional monthly fee). They tend to be a melange of various commercially available programs (and often some freeware) that combine into a nasty resource hog that slows your computer WAY down and that can be hard to remove.
But all of these things make a bigger difference in performance than even the most bloated registry. Your money spent on a commercial registry cleaner is quite wasted.
Norton Internet Security (NIS) and/or Norton Antivirus 2009
by GERRY RAINS - 6/19/09 7:04 PM In reply to: Work? Well.... by FlatwormI have had NIS 2008 and replaced it with NIS 2009. The claim is correct - the new version is significantly faster than the old. Before you had an elderly tortoise, it has been replaced by a younger tortoise. It is in my Startup Files. Roughly speaking, even on my very fast desktop computer (XP Pro - SP3), it takes about 5 times as long to load as all of the rest of the Startup files put together. This is an improvement over the previous 20 - 1 ratio, but it is still annoying. When I boot my laptop (XP Pro - SP3) which has NIS 2009 and 4 Gb of fast ram and a 2.4 GHz Intel dual core processor but a fairly slow hard drive I go to the kitchen to get something to drink and I don't come back until I have finished the drink - water or coffee you evil-thinkers out there:) Perhaps a martini would be more appropriate but I don't drink alcohol.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Spyware Doctor comes up quickly on both computers if that helps.
If I had a slow laptop I would have to do something else. Avira Free AntiVirus is excellent although they do constantly harass you with ads to upgrade. I have never found a freeware firewall that I like and I have tried everything except ZoneAlarm which several friends who are either IT Pros or developers assure me cannot be uninstalled short of a reformat. Comodo Pro drives me crazy and it won't work at all on my Toshiba laptop.
Agreement- with a question on backing up
by rje49 - 6/19/09 7:35 PM In reply to: Work? Well.... by FlatwormI've used WinAso for years, and trust it- never had a problem, but I also realize it may not be making a whole lot of difference. I just like "clean". As far as "backing up the registry" wouldn't setting a restore point before "cleaning" anything up be sufficient? Assuming you recognize a problem within a reasonable time.
Registry Cleaners
by Art Keetra - 6/20/09 7:32 AM In reply to: Work? Well.... by FlatwormThanks for the 'belt & braces' advice, Flatworm
It's just what the 'layman' requires.
AK
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