PC utilities forum: Poll: Do you think Registry cleaners and system optimizers really work?

Personally, I couldn't live without TUNEUP. True, it is mostly an interface for running Windows utilities.
But, who has time to check for broken links, old internet files, the registry, etc.

Moreover, TUNEUP constantly monitors the system.
I have yet to find fault with it, except for registry cleaning.
In this respect, it is doubtful that any program exists that can do this to perfection.

Even Windows the 'Remove' part of Windows Add/Remove programs usually omits to clean all traces of the program in the registry.
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www.tuneup-software.co.uk

If you want to clean your registry, the best thing is a fresh re-install. That'll speed up your system considerably, and if you have two disks, a C: drive where your OS is, and data on another drive, a re-install really is quick and fairly painless. Especially when you find your system running like new after doing that.

Other than that, make sure that you pick up any left-overs when you uninstall programs...something like "Agent Ransack" can help find everything leftover associated with a program. After all, a program's uninstall is only as good as the uninstall code that it supplies to Windows to run when it is uninstalled. You can only get so much out of defragmentation, and you should never do that with an SSD, extra reads and writes just to move things around simply shortens it's life. I believe that Windows 7 is set to do defragmentation about once a week by default, anyways. And it should recognize an SSD and not offer it as a drive to be defragmented.

I'm not a big believer in system cleaners or tune-up programs as you can tell. Most of what they do, I do occasionally anyways, other than cleaning the registry, which I'd rather not touch. Your system has tools to clean up temp files, and your browswer has tools to clean up it's work area as well. Use them both occasionally.

And so on...I did use CCleaner for a while, but it really didn't do anything that I couldn't do myself (aside from registry cleaning, again *smile*)...and when I do it myself, I find things that I can do that also need to be done and can improve performance.

One of my favorite free tools is "WinDirStat", which can really help with big-picture disk management. Since my C: drive is an SSD, it really is helpful to find those large chunks of storage and nuke them so that the SSD doesn't fill up with unused garbage.

I like this program because it helps off set the short comings of Windows XP by making registry and operating program management easier and more effective. I can identify and reduce resource hungry programs that launch themselves needlessly and eliminate their drain on the resources to allow my computer to operate faster. I fully intend to use a pro version of Glary Utilities for my business computers when I am ready to expand. I will not use Vista or Windows 7, but XP for my office computers because XP is more stable and less of a resource drain, is simple and usually easily to manage. As well I am boycotting new Windows product because of the greedy and belligerent course the company has taken regarding their public relations policies, and intentional attempts to damage XP platforms and force users to purchase newer, inferior Windows products.... Why pay $100+ dollars for Microsoft Word, when Sun micro soft systems offers a better product for free... many software programs are standard, and ought to come bundled free. Greed, like that of Microsoft has become more of a hindrance to developing human potential in computing than when they first started out. Now Gates is all about control and vaccinating people with crap that will make their children sick from a weaken immune system... SHAME on Microsoft and shame on Bill Gates~ traitor!

Really, you and I think alike regarding the usefulness of registry cleaners, I also use XP, like it and think the way MS is intending on obsoleting us into obscurity is shameful...
but launching off into rants about vaccinations hurting people makes it hard for people to say "I share common ground with this person". Vaccines have always had side effects and while some people claim their children got sick from them, statistically it's insignificant compared to all the diseases they've defeated.
I see what Gates is doing in Africa as his way of giving a little back to the world, if fault can be found with it it's that every dollar spent on saving a life there should be equalled with one spent on birth control. Everything else you say about the MS business model is of course true, it needn't segueway into conspiracy theory-take this as advice not criticism.
BUT ANYWAY I also have had good experience with Glary, switched to the similar ASC when Glary loaded some bogus add-on I couldn't separate from the install on an update. Any of these registry cleaners provide the most noticeable improvement if you've never had one and have a lot of garbage in your registry from installing and uninstalling programs. If you have a well maintained computer you may just be adding one more thing to gob it up.
If I have a gripe with any of them it's the free ones that say "we found 723 errors in your registry. we fixed 182 of them, lucky for you! now if you REALLY want your PC to run smoothly, purchase "deceitfulfreeregeditPRO" for $19.95 and we'll clean the other 541 errors!"
Hey we all have to make a living, if trying to sneak an Ask.com toolbar past newbies on the install isn't enough just say up front it's free to try.

I don't use them.

Mark

My computer caught a virus from hell - probably from email but also possibly from Teck Tracker, as both acted involved. Viruses make the usual trouble - repeated windows opening at high speed, and the letter N in small case running across the screen in any possible place where you could type. I ran my usual AVG, which does a good job most of the time, but did not work here. When AVG had initially done as much as it could, my computer was still acting up, so stage two was to run Registry Something or Other, but it was one of the registry monitors, the free run.I downloaded the free sample from the internet once in case I ever wanted to try it. BOY was I glad I had! It found a bunch of errors and corrected them. After the one-two punch of AVG AND Registry worker THEN the machine was cured. Then I copied all my personal files on Ultra SanDisk's (8 GB's. used 3). but they took my large collection of pictures, games' memory files, and documents. Then I deleted my mail - Incredimail - and turned my machine off, plus disconnecting it from the electricity source for half an hour. (an old trick.) Later, I came back and booted it up. It worked perfectly, and all the things I had copied just in case were now working. My mail was gone, but I'd planned that. After I reinstalled Incredimail, I had to hand-install the direction for the pop incoming server and smtp outgoing server, but with some help with Incredimail, I finally got that going. Five days later, my computer is where it should be and more efficient than it has been in a long time! I am using Windows 10 on an Acer Aspire tower -the last one made. I need my 22" screen because I have Macular Degeneration.

After many years of fooling with computers, repairs, etc. I have seen (and tried) many such programs. Got a bit skeptical of them over the years.

But I have recently installed Advanced System Care 4 from IOrbit that is very impressive! First good "all-in-one" optimizing program I've used. Offers complete optimizing functions that include the registry, de-frag, malware scans, HD performance, unnecessary files scans, and more.

The free download is very functional; upgrading is inexpensive and unlocks a toolbox of other system tweaks.

I have used it on many computers, and they all ran faster. The program provides lots of tools that other programs lack, making it a more complete package.

I have been on the net since 1982. Long before Windows, graphics, etc. Freewares are often great programs, written by new individuals or companies trying to get into the marketplace. Many off them succeed by marketing in this way! What other alternative is there than to pay the bloated prices many software companies charge? Putting an inferior product on a web site only leads to their failure, a gamble over their future.

As a professional computer repair person with many years' experience, I find the majority of problems with softwares are users who don't understand them (or Windows) to start with. "User errors!" Finding files in unusual places like the Temp folder can mean many things.

After trying a freeware program first, you can then choose to UNINSTALL it if it doesn't work for you, but try returning software to a store! Impossible once you've opened and tried it.

When a company like IOrbit advertises that over 100 million people have tried out it's freeware, it gets my attention!

I was pretty sure the internet didn't exist until '95 or '96 when I got on it- but then my idea of a computer in '82 was that thing Radio Shack sold for ~$400? How did you get porn downloads through that?
LOL.
Are you as busy now as you probably were in the days of Win95, before plug and play and a major hardware change (for us amateurs) meant staying up until the wee hours just trying to get it to boot up again?

How's this for registry cleaning.
Perhaps pocket cleaning too.
I have Tuneup 2011 and AVG Internet Securty 2011 Both paid up.
I clicked Tuneup 2011 a few minutes ago as I normally do three times daily.
Report comes back as: Registry OK. No broken short cuts, Optimization not needed.
I hardly finished when AVG pops up a windows advising me that my PC needs analysing.
So I clicked to go ahead. The report then comes up as: 164 Registry errors.
7 Broken short-cuts And a prompt to repair these.
I opted for repair, and AVG goes on line to the Tune up Web site,
which in turn prompts me to buy TUNEUP - Cheek of it all.

LOL if you like but I have yet come across a registry cleaner that will do it's job without the operator having enough tech knowledge to know which ones need fixing, deleting, etc. My tech can do it but then that is defeating the purpose of free! If anyone knows of a registry cleaner that doesn't require tech knowledge, I would appreciate a heads up as I have been through the install/uninstall of several that tell you how many errors there are but won't fix them unless you pay. I'd RATHER pay a tech to go over my whole computer and fix everything for the price!

On more than one occasion I have run a registry/system optimizer and had system registry entries deleted causing significant problems with the a system afterwards. Although I agree to some extent that they can be helpful, sometimes they can cause trouble. If I was using a critical system I am not sure I would use such programs. Any thoughts?

Little Scenario: Your computer is behaving strangely, you're constantly getting error messages, programs freeze and crash. Basically your system is driving you nuts and you don't know what to do. As bad as you hate to do it, you decide to shell out the bucks to have a techie come over and look at it. I've watched this. Here's what they do. They boot your system up (if it'll boot), plug in a memory stick or throw in a CD, and a system optimizer (oftentimes a FREE ONE) will open up on your monitor. They scan, run clean up and Voila! Your system is magically fixed. You're so thankful to the techie that you shell out the dough gratefully, and he leaves Laughing.
My point is that if you would trust a trained computer tech to run these very programs, then the programs themselves are NOT to blame for messing up a system. You're confidence is in the person running the programs and not necessarily the programs themselves. Because these softwares are available for download does not automatically make ANYONE qualified to run them. They're just there if you want to try them. That is - if you feel confident to use them. In all fairness to the user, it might be better to pay a professional to maintain your system. Because YES system optimizers CAN ruin a system if used carelessly and without confidence. I consider myself a casual user only, and I have never had an irreversible problem with any system utility. But I understand that they're not for everyone.