How safe is a registry cleaner?
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From: Peter Foldes on 7 Jun 2010 14:02 How Safe? After using any one of them and you are not able to boot then you will find out Registry Cleaners are all snake oil remedies and that is all they are. -- Peter Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged. http://www.microsoft.com/protect "Gabriel Knight" <FakeEmail(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:9w6Pn.1616$Ls1.416(a)news-server.bigpond.net.au...
From: Bruce Chambers on 7 Jun 2010 19:21 Gabriel Knight wrote: > Hi all, Im having problems with internet explorer 7, Ive used my norton to > do a registry clean but it dosnt get as many detectable errors in the > registry as some online programs do. One program said my system had about > 400 errors, but it was a demo program and was unable to clean the entries. > Is this safe to use these programs as anything that changes the registry > cant be all that good or am I wrong? Is there any realy good cleaners that > are full programs for free on the web? > > Thanks all > GK > > There's simply no such thing as a "good" registry cleaner, unless you limit the meaning of the word "good" to "using it didn't tank my system this time." Why would you even think you'd ever need to clean your registry? What specific *problems* were you actually experiencing (not some program's bogus listing of imaginary problems) that you think can be fixed by using a registry "cleaner?" If you do have a problem that is rooted in the registry, it would be far better to simply edit (after backing up, of course) only the specific key(s) and/or value(s) that are causing the problem. After all, why use a chainsaw when a scalpel will do the job? Additionally, the manually changing of one or two registry entries is far less likely to have the dire consequences of allowing an automated product to make multiple changes simultaneously. The only thing needed to safely clean your registry is knowledge and Regedit.exe. The registry contains all of the operating system's "knowledge" of the computer's hardware devices, installed software, the location of the device drivers, and the computer's configuration. A misstep in the registry can have severe consequences. One should not even turning loose a poorly understood automated "cleaner," unless he is fully confident that he knows *exactly* what is going to happen as a result of each and every change. Having repeatedly seen the results of inexperienced people using automated registry "cleaners," I can only advise all but the most experienced computer technicians (and/or hobbyists) to avoid them all. Experience has shown me that such tools simply are not safe in the hands of the inexperienced user. If you lack the knowledge and experience to maintain your registry by yourself, then you also lack the knowledge and experience to safely configure and use any automated registry cleaner, no matter how safe they claim to be. More importantly, no one has ever demonstrated that the use of an automated registry "cleaner," particularly by an untrained, inexperienced computer user, does any real good, whatsoever. There's certainly been no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use of such products to "clean" WinXP's registry improves a computer's performance or stability. Given the potential for harm, it's just not worth the risk. Granted, most registry "cleaners" won't cause problems each and every time they're used, but the potential for harm is always there. And, since no registry "cleaner" has ever been demonstrated to do any good (think of them like treating the flu with chicken soup - there's no real medicinal value, but it sometimes provides a warming placebo effect), I always tell people that the risks far out-weigh the non-existent benefits. I will concede that a good registry *scanning* tool, in the hands of an experienced and knowledgeable technician or hobbyist can be a useful time-saving diagnostic tool, as long as it's not allowed to make any changes automatically. But I really don't think that there are any registry "cleaners" that are truly safe for the general public to use. Experience has proven just the opposite: such tools simply are not safe in the hands of the inexperienced user. A little further reading on the subject: Why I don't use registry cleaners http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643 AumHa Forums � View topic - AUMHA Discussion: Should I Use a Registry Cleaner? http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot
From: Tecknomage on 8 Jun 2010 10:57 GENERAL COMMENT ON SUBJECT There are Microsoft MVPs that do not like any registry cleaners. Some rant and post foaming-at-the-mouth comments on registry cleaners. Microsoft MVPs are correct in their opinion that Registry Cleaners are NOT a *necessity*. But most *seem* to misconstrue what registry cleaner are for. And there ARE sites that misrepresent registry cleaners. 1) Like ANY software, do not use or download from *promotional sites* that are NOT the *publisher* of the software. These sites are like the old sleaze "used card salesman." The software they offer is likely to be a demo which is dangerous to run. 2) Registry cleaners should NOT be use to FIX a problem you have at any time. You should NOT RUN REGISTRY CLEANERS WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS. Especially if you suspect you have a virus or other malware. Registry cleaners will not speed-up your system. (This is the primary reason that *promotional sites* are bad, because the offer a registry cleaner to fix a problem you have or speed up your system) 3) Registry cleaners ARE *preventative* maintained tools, that clean up Registry entries that MAY cause problems in the *future*. This is similar to running Disk Cleanup (System Tools menu), cleaning your Temporary Internet Files, and other tools that help keep your system in the best condition. I use (for years), and recommend registry cleaners for: - Removing entries left behind in the Registry by *poorly written* software uninstallers (run via link or Add/Remove Programs) - Removing Registry entries for any file that no longer exists A "good" registry cleaner? Here's my list: - Scans Registry for problem then presents you with a detailed list BEFORE cleaning. Then you decide what you want to clean or cancel the operation. - IMPORTANT, performs a backup the listed entries BEFORE cleaning them, AND includes a way to recover them if need be. (note that this is another problem with using registry cleaners from *promotional sites* because the download they offer is a demo that may not include the backup feature) Just carefully review the specs of any Registry Cleaner and ALL its features. Never use a demo. Again I stress, Registry Cleaners are NOT for fixing an existing problem. -- ======== Tecknomage ======== Computer Systems Specialist IT Technician San Diego, CA
From: Unknown on 8 Jun 2010 12:43 You were doing great until you said 'registry cleaners ARE preventive maintenance tools' that clean up registry entries that may cause problems in the future. If they erroneously 'clean up' an entry you have a problem immediately. "Tecknomage" <tecknode(a)NOSPAM.com> wrote in message news:ocjs069jugsv1nets4glfu7oil1foj9q1b(a)4ax.com... > GENERAL COMMENT ON SUBJECT > > There are Microsoft MVPs that do not like any registry cleaners. Some > rant and post foaming-at-the-mouth comments on registry cleaners. > > Microsoft MVPs are correct in their opinion that Registry Cleaners are > NOT a *necessity*. > > But most *seem* to misconstrue what registry cleaner are for. And > there ARE sites that misrepresent registry cleaners. > > > > 1) Like ANY software, do not use or download from *promotional sites* > that are NOT the *publisher* of the software. These sites are like > the old sleaze "used card salesman." The software they offer is > likely to be a demo which is dangerous to run. > > > 2) Registry cleaners should NOT be use to FIX a problem you have at > any time. > > You should NOT RUN REGISTRY CLEANERS WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER MAJOR > PROBLEMS. Especially if you suspect you have a virus or other > malware. > > Registry cleaners will not speed-up your system. > > (This is the primary reason that *promotional sites* are bad, because > the offer a registry cleaner to fix a problem you have or speed up > your system) > > > 3) Registry cleaners ARE *preventative* maintained tools, that clean > up Registry entries that MAY cause problems in the *future*. > > This is similar to running Disk Cleanup (System Tools menu), cleaning > your Temporary Internet Files, and other tools that help keep your > system in the best condition. > > > > I use (for years), and recommend registry cleaners for: > > - Removing entries left behind in the Registry by *poorly written* > software uninstallers (run via link or Add/Remove Programs) > > - Removing Registry entries for any file that no longer exists > > > > A "good" registry cleaner? Here's my list: > > - Scans Registry for problem then presents you with a detailed list > BEFORE cleaning. > > Then you decide what you want to clean or cancel the operation. > > - IMPORTANT, performs a backup the listed entries BEFORE cleaning > them, AND includes a way to recover them if need be. > > (note that this is another problem with using registry cleaners from > *promotional sites* because the download they offer is a demo that may > not include the backup feature) > > Just carefully review the specs of any Registry Cleaner and ALL its > features. Never use a demo. > > > Again I stress, Registry Cleaners are NOT for fixing an existing > problem. > > > > -- > ======== Tecknomage ======== > Computer Systems Specialist > IT Technician > San Diego, CA
From: Daave on 8 Jun 2010 13:57
Tecknomage wrote: > I use (for years), and recommend registry cleaners for: > > - Removing entries left behind in the Registry by *poorly written* > software uninstallers (run via link or Add/Remove Programs) > > - Removing Registry entries for any file that no longer exists You didn't answer my question the last time I asked, so here it is again: What specific, concrete benefits have you noticed to date by doing the above? It is very rare that leftover registry entries cause *any* problems whatsoever. Attempting to remove them is probably safe (as long as the person doing this is knowledgeable), but one runs an unnecessary risk of causing trouble by doing so. Therefore, since the risk of damage is higher in running these utlities (albeit a relatively small risk, admittedly), it is recommended to leave well enough alone. |