clean up

[Tom]

I am not a computer genius. I am running XP Pro.
I just got my laptop back from my kids. They were using it
the last 3 months. It is running a little slow. Is there
any programs that i can run that are SAFE which will
automatically clean up my registry and any junk on the
hard? I have used the disk clean up and cleared cookies
and temp files already. I ran scan disk and defrag as well.

 

[Tom Swift]

There is no software that can decide what is 'unneeded' in the registry and
what is "junk" on the hard disk - only you can make these decisions.

Editing the registry is an inherently unsafe activity which should not be
attempted unless and until you have a sufficient understanding of what you
are doing. Of course, that doesn't stop people from doing it anyway. They
usually end up posting here afterwards.

Tom Swift

 

[waydownsouth]

There ARE utilities that help with cleaning up the
registry. Norton System Works' Win Doctor is one of them.
I use it regularly, and very seldom am I called upon to
make a decision about a registry entry. Even then, it
gives me several choices. Win Doctor removes all invalid
shortcuts out of your registry, if you use it regularly.
That is a boon to better computer performance.
HTH

 

[Tom Swift]

How much extra performance do you believe you've gained by having WinDoctor
remove invalid shortcuts? Most of what WinDoctor finds (in an XP system) is
similarly benign. Moreover, blindly following WinDoctor's advice can land
you in plenty of trouble.

Tom Swift

 

[waydownsouth]

An observant person is not blind.

-----Original Message-----
How much extra performance do you believe you've gained by having WinDoctor
remove invalid shortcuts? Most of what WinDoctor finds (in an XP system) is
similarly benign. Moreover, blindly following WinDoctor's advice can land
you in plenty of trouble.

Tom Swift



.

 

[Chuck]

I am not a computer genius. I am running XP Pro.
I just got my laptop back from my kids. They were using it
the last 3 months. It is running a little slow. Is there
any programs that i can run that are SAFE which will
automatically clean up my registry and any junk on the
hard? I have used the disk clean up and cleared cookies
and temp files already. I ran scan disk and defrag as well.

Assuming that you have a good antivirus protection, you should check
and remove malware next. Three products (all free) are AdAware,
HijackThis, and Spybot S&D.

SWI Forums will help you with Spybot S&D and HijackThis. You need to
run Spybot first, cleanup what you can, then run HijackThis and get
expert advice to interpret its findings. Start with this article:
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=5187

Consider hardening your browser so picking up malware won't be so
likely. The immunise feature of Spybot will help with that need.
Also, check your browser security settings. Try these useful
websites.
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/
http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/sid-0263e4d41472376349cb9feb794909ee/index.php
https://testzone.secunia.com/browser_checker/



Chuck
I hate spam - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[baker886]

There is no software that can decide what is 'unneeded' in the registry and
what is "junk" on the hard disk - only you can make these decisions.

Editing the registry is an inherently unsafe activity which should not be
attempted unless and until you have a sufficient understanding of what you
are doing. Of course, that doesn't stop people from doing it anyway. They
usually end up posting here afterwards.

Tom Swift

Au contraire Swifty, there is a very good program called "Registry
First Aid" that will remove entries from the Registry that are dead,
unused, and unnecessary and I have used it for years without a hitch. It
even forces you to setup a restore point before it does it work. You can
obtain a free but limited copy at download.com. It will remove 15
entries at a time. I just did someones computer with a full copy and it
removed 258 entries of junk and his computer runs much faster. FYI.

 

[Tom Swift]

That's fine if it works for you. I prefer not to let someone else decide
what is unnecessary on my computer. I've never used a registry cleaner like
that, and my computer runs very quickly.

Sometimes, so-called registry cleaners seem to work great, until a few
months later when a computer 'suddenly' starts to exhibit strange behavior
and the user can't understand why...

Tom Swift

 

[Chuck]

That's fine if it works for you. I prefer not to let someone else decide
what is unnecessary on my computer. I've never used a registry cleaner like
that, and my computer runs very quickly.

Sometimes, so-called registry cleaners seem to work great, until a few
months later when a computer 'suddenly' starts to exhibit strange behavior
and the user can't understand why...

This may invite flames but WTH. I have to agree with you, Tom. I
used the Registry Cleaner in Norton System Doctor on my Windows NT.
Once. I had a similar experience. I ran it. Fine. The following
week, not so fine. Too late.

Chuck
I hate spam - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.