How safe is a registry cleaner?
in [Help and Support]
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From: Twayne on 14 Jun 2010 11:42 In news:Sx8Pn.1625$Ls1.727(a)news-server.bigpond.net.au, Gabriel Knight <FakeEmail(a)hotmail.com> typed: > Ok all, im using Norton Internet Security 2010 that has > Norton Utilities its been updated and works fine but only > detects some errors like about 20-30 files. Im not to sure > about using any reg cleaners as from the ones Ive tried in > the past few days, has some how disabled some sounds for > win xp eg: when I click on a link there is no sound now and > a couple of others. I dont want to uninstall IE7 just yet > to see if that works as im waiting 2 weeks to do that. I > did do a safe mode boot with networking enabled but I didnt > want to see if IE7 closes as I had no way to enable my > Norton firewall as this would be to unsafe. Is there a way > to make a copy of the registry and then do a reg clean and > if problems occur can I use the backed up one? > Thanks > GK To make a backup copy of your registry do any of the following: 1. Create a Restore Point manually (under System Tools; Restore Points). or 2. Use ntbackup (XP's backup utility provided with all Home and Pro systems) and save the System State. or 3. Press F8 during the bootup to get the menu for things lke Safe Mode, but instead of Safe Mode, choose "Last Known Good Configuration". Creating a Restore Point essentially creates a full copy of the Regstry. Saving a System State does #1 above, plus also saves the necessary boot-time fles the OS needs to boot. IMO #1 should always be done and then either 2 and/or 3. Long term you can plan to learn about backups, get yourself an external disk drive (they're cheap nowadays, often all the way up to 1 Terabyte in size (1,000 GigaBytes). Then implement a good disk imagiing program such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image; both are good. I can't speak for any others at t's been too long since I've used them. HTH, Twayne` TH, Twayne` > > "Gabriel Knight" <FakeEmail(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:9w6Pn.1616$Ls1.416(a)news-server.bigpond.net.au... >> 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
From: Twayne on 14 Jun 2010 11:55 In news:MPG.2676faed5b3e03b298a3c6(a)us.news.astraweb.com, Leythos <spam999free(a)rrohio.com> typed: > In article <9w6Pn.1616$Ls1.416(a)news-server.bigpond.net.au>, > FakeEmail(a)hotmail.com says... >> >> 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. Beware the online scanners; you have no way of knowing what is actually being run unless you're at a known reliable site. Leave quickly when they find errors and claim only they know how to fix the. As with any software, those are often scammers at work. Assuming your Norton is up to date and maintained/supported, it's going to give you a good readng. 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? You are correct; you have no idea who you're dealing with in most of those sites and many of them are pure blackhat, as with any other program. Is there any realy good cleaners that are >> full programs for free on the web? I don't use them so can't say. I will say if there are any free ones, there aren't many of them will be reliable. Stick to the major names in the business, as with any program you download. >> >> Thanks all >> GK > > I've been working with MS products since DOS 1 days, and > have thousands of Windows computers under my control. Same here; and what does it mean? Not a damned thing. Well, it gives some idea of your probably age, but nothing about any experience or capabltes for the problem under discussion. > > I would never run a "registry cleaner" on any of them. Well, that's great; now we know what YOU would do! And that's certainly your right. But it's meaningless in any other way. HTH, Twayne`
From: Twayne on 14 Jun 2010 12:03 In news:OQxFRumBLHA.5848(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl, Peter Foldes <maci252211(a)hotmail.com> typed: > 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. And Peter Foldes, besides being a follower, is an outdated, out-experenced minion of the small group of libel and slandering fools who continue to post things such as this. Provide some technical, verifiable indications of your claims or have another mouthful of marbles. If your claims had any validty to them, the uprising over them would have begun a decade ago, but it's never gotten any further than this little group of deadheads who post here. And you few are the ONLY ones making these claims, WITHOUT anything to support your claims. The truth is, a good registry cleaner (e.g. not a scammer/malware infested site and delivery) is no more likely to cause any computer problems than ANY OTHER program or application! Thanks for this opportunity to once again expose you. HTH, Twayne`
From: Twayne on 14 Jun 2010 12:09 In news:eaJzjgpBLHA.980(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl, Bruce Chambers <bchambers(a)cable0ne.n3t> typed: > 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 And this is one of the original closed minds who think they know it all and yet have no knowldege at all about current product. Check out the names on the posts/writing in those self-serving links and you'll see some familiar ones there, using their own ego's to sound oh so great. Also notice they did nothing to authenticate the claims that originated the post, but did a lot to liibel and slander the companies involved. Authentication and verifiable evidence just is not one of the things they believe in. Go ahead and ask them. Thanks again for the chance to expose you and congrats on biting on a troller's inquiry who just loves to watch these conversations. Why no Russinovich? Did you discover that he recanted his claim about cleaners? RR is a breath of fresh air compared to the likes of your group of "followers" which proves nothing except that there's truly one born every minute. HTH, Twayne`
From: Twayne on 14 Jun 2010 12:21
In news:%23spRv02BLHA.1368(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl, Bruce Chambers <bchambers(a)cable0ne.n3t> typed: > Tecknomage wrote: >> >> >> 3) Registry cleaners ARE *preventative* maintained tools, >> that clean up Registry entries that MAY cause problems in >> the *future*. > > > Citation? Please provided documented reports of repeatable > experiments from independent laboratories that verify this. Where's ANY citation from you that they are NOT? You obviously cannot provide them or would have done so long ago. At one time I initially tried to actually discuss this with you, before I knew what a droid and idiot you were. All these years and you've only collected a few numbskulls as followers. You arrogantly assume that yu are the only one with accurate opinions, because you have nothing BUT opinons, and yet try to establish them as fact. > > Otherwise, you're no better than the fool who wear's a tin > foil hat to keep aliens away, and when told that there are no aliens > around, says "See?" Glad that works for you! 99.9999% of the visitors here though know better and see right through you as though you were made of glass. For the rest of us, we'll let reality and experience be our guides as any thinking person should do. You have refused for literally years to do that very same thing when asked to by many people right here on this newsgroup. Even I at one point initially took note of your postings but a little reality and logic puts everything you say/said into the darkness found under black hats and misiniformationists. As soon as I asked a technical question you disappeared and never did answer it. Shortly after that you found me exposing your misinformation at every turn where I came across it. Thanks again! HTH, Twayne` |