Which Registry Repair/System Maintainance software???

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goorambatman

There are a lot of System Fixers/Maintainers/Registry Repairers out there,
which one is the best and what do you recommend?

I've had good results with Registry Mechanic and heard good things about
RegistryBooster 2 and noticed that they are Certified Microsoft Partners.
 
goorambatman said:
There are a lot of System Fixers/Maintainers/Registry Repairers out there,
which one is the best and what do you recommend?

I've had good results with Registry Mechanic and heard good things about
RegistryBooster 2 and noticed that they are Certified Microsoft Partners.


I wouldn't recommend any..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
 
goorambatman said:
There are a lot of System Fixers/Maintainers/Registry Repairers out there,
which one is the best and what do you recommend?

I've had good results with Registry Mechanic and heard good things about
RegistryBooster 2 and noticed that they are Certified Microsoft Partners.

None. It isn't really necessary to "maintain" the registry. If you have
changes you want to make and can't do it by hand, leave it alone. Or you'll
be posting back here shortly with a hosed Windows/Office install, crying
about it. At that point, no one will be sympathetic.

See this thread for details about registry cleaners:

http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099

Malke
 
Mr. Hall gives good advice!

If you need a registry repair to get the system to boot, then you need one
procedure.
1. Back up your files (somehow) - this should be done regularly, and I'm
as guilty as anyone for not doing it often enough
2. repair the registry only enough to let the system boot
3. If it does, back up your files (can't be stressed enough)
4. Re-install the OS, and start over. (which gets rid of the registry
mess-up)

The only use for these things is in dire need. They can, and will cause
greif.
If your system boots, you don't want it.
Don't mess with a system that keeps your computer running, unless you're
prepared for the results.

Or for a more personal comparison:
Don't eat spicy food, unless you can take the results.
 
The best advice that anyone can give you is this:

If you are not competent enough to manually edit the registry, then leave
well alone.

In general registry repair software usually ends up causing more trouble
than it 'apparently' cures. My advise is stay well clear of them.

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
Besides sophisticated Registry Protection the RegRun Rescue which creates
an automated backup scenario for the Registry and other important files which
which you can add to is Excellent.

http://www.greatis.com/security/rescue.htm

http://www.greatis.com/security/detail.htm#FULL
Version Comparisons

http://www.greatis.com/webhelp/regrunhelp.htm
More Details

I recommend RegRun Gold or better Platinum. These are not Registry
Cleaner they guard the registry from being written to as well as other
system security measures. Been using it for years.

http://www.greatis.com/security/
 
There are a lot of System Fixers/Maintainers/Registry Repairers out there,
which one is the best and what do you recommend?

I've had good results with Registry Mechanic and heard good things about
RegistryBooster 2 and noticed that they are Certified Microsoft Partners.


The best one is *none* of them. I recommend against all such programs.
Registry cleaning programs are *all* snake oil. Cleaning of the
registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and
don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and
what vendors of registry cleaning software try to convince you of,
having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously
removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit
it may have.
 
goorambatman said:
There are a lot of System Fixers/Maintainers/Registry Repairers out there,
which one is the best and what do you recommend?


None of them. They're all virtually useless, and potentially
dangerous, as well. Any so-called registry "cleaner" is nothing more
than a worthless snake oil remedy whose sole purpose is to separate you
from some of your money.

I've had good results with Registry Mechanic ....


What "results" did you have? About the best that can be expected is
that the OS remained usable.

Snipped....
...and noticed that they are Certified Microsoft Partners.

Which means only that they've paid a licensing fee to Microsoft so they
can use Microsoft logos in their advertising material. It *doesn't*
mean that Microsoft endorses/recommends them or the use of their products.


Why do you think you'd ever need to clean your registry? What
specific *problems* are 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 light reading on the subject:

Why I don’t use registry cleaners | Ed Bott’s Windows Expertise |
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


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
 
The best advice that anyone can give you is this:

If you are not competent enough to manually edit the registry, then
leave well alone.

In general registry repair software usually ends up causing more
trouble than it 'apparently' cures. My advise is stay well clear of
them.

Sometimes you need to though because some shitware has caused an issue in
the registry. I use CrapCleaner as it has a very safe reg cleaner and I
need it to easily clean my system of left over temp files, cookies etc. on
occasion.
 
I too use CCleaner but I don't use the 'Registry' button

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
I too use CCleaner but I don't use the 'Registry' button

Well, the registry is where the Windows history is stored so it can have
it's uses too. I don't like progs that leave behind a history of their
installation so use CCleaner's reg cleaner to delete those too.
 
Wingwong said:
Sometimes you need to though because some shitware has caused an issue in
the registry. I use CrapCleaner as it has a very safe reg cleaner....


CCleaner is worthless as a registry cleaner. I tried the latest
version on a brand-new OS installation with no additional applications
installed, and certainly none installed and then uninstalled, and
CCleaner still managed to "find" over a hundred allegedly orphaned
registry entries and dozens of purportedly "suspicious" files, making it
clearly a *worthless* product, in this regard. (Not that any registry
cleaner can ever be anything but worthless, as they don't serve any
*useful* purpose, to start with.)


.... and I
need it to easily clean my system of left over temp files, cookies etc. on
occasion.

This is the only reason to use CCleaner.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


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
 
Well, the registry is where the Windows history is stored so it can have
it's uses too. I don't like progs that leave behind a history of their
installation so use CCleaner's reg cleaner to delete those too.


You then want to use a program called Revo Uninstaller, which not only
uninstalls a program but searches the registry for entries left behind by
the uninstaller. It highlights the safe keys to delete. Great, great
program - haven't had a problem using it and, best of all, it's GRATIS!


Ray :)
 
You then want to use a program called Revo Uninstaller, which not only
uninstalls a program but searches the registry for entries left behind by
the uninstaller. It highlights the safe keys to delete. Great, great
program - haven't had a problem using it and, best of all, it's GRATIS!


I'm glad you haven't had a problem using it, but I strongly recommend
against using any program like this. That's for two reasons:

1. Although most of the time, doing what it does does not create a
problem, occasionally it will remove something it shouldn't, and will
create a problem. If you haven't had a problem using it, consider
yourself lucky.

2. Other than saving a tiny amount of disk space, there is *no*
benefit to removing those orphaned registry entries. It doesn't
improve your performance at all.

In my view, running any risk at all, no matter how small, that such a
program may erroneously remove a needed registry entry, in return for
zero benefit, is foolhardy.
 
I'm glad you haven't had a problem using it, but I strongly recommend
against using any program like this. That's for two reasons:

1. Although most of the time, doing what it does does not create a
problem, occasionally it will remove something it shouldn't, and will
create a problem. If you haven't had a problem using it, consider
yourself lucky.

2. Other than saving a tiny amount of disk space, there is *no*
benefit to removing those orphaned registry entries. It doesn't
improve your performance at all.

In my view, running any risk at all, no matter how small, that such a
program may erroneously remove a needed registry entry, in return for
zero benefit, is foolhardy.

Tightening up the size of the Registry DOES one thing good and MANY
things bad. It CAN speed up the loading of the computer, BY A VERY
SMALL AMOUNT!! THAT is the good thing!!!
The bad thing....it can make your computer unbootable!!!! If you have
no clue how to back up the Registry AND restore it if you screw up,
LEAVE IT ALONE!!!! Yes programs can mess it up really badly too!!!!
 
Tightening up the size of the Registry DOES one thing good and MANY
things bad. It CAN speed up the loading of the computer, BY A VERY
SMALL AMOUNT!! THAT is the good thing!!!

It is SO small that you won't even notice it. A benchmarking tool
probably wouldn't even notice it.

"Back in the day" of sloooooooooooow processors, low RAM and small
slow hard drives it might have been noticable. Today? No way.
 
Tightening up the size of the Registry DOES one thing good and MANY
things bad. It CAN speed up the loading of the computer, BY A VERY
SMALL AMOUNT!! THAT is the good thing!!!


Not even that. If it does it at all, it's such a small amount as to be
unnoticeable.
 
It is SO small that you won't even notice it. A benchmarking tool
probably wouldn't even notice it.

"Back in the day" of sloooooooooooow processors, low RAM and small
slow hard drives it might have been noticable. Today? No way.

Agreed
 
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