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#1
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Registry Mainternance?
(I just posted the question about reinstalling Windows 7 on my sluggish pc)
I'm wondering about "registry errors" progreams. On a previous computer I trusted "RegCure" to repair registry errors and it was the beginning of all my problems on that previous (XP) machine! I'm wondering tho, are these registry programs just a take, or did I just have a bad experience? Is there a reliable one that is likely to fix my Windows 7 pc? There doesn't seem to be anything in Windows 7 itself to do that. Needless to say I'm skeptical. |
#2
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Registry Mainternance?
Hi. I have used Registry Mechanic myself for years and never had any problems. Just keep in mind that sometimes these kinds of programs can cause more harm than good. For example, You install software A which in turn adds registry values, that's normal... However when you try to use Software B you get a registry error. So you think there is something wrong with your registry and run a registry repair software when in fact it's just that the value of that particular registry has been changed by Software A and Software B needs another value. This registry repair software interprets several errors in your registry and all turn out to be of the same nature as the software A and B problem... It's not really a problem, just an intrepretation of the program. Registry Mechanic has a way of seeing these "problems" and usually avoid them which is why I have used it for so long. / Ani |
#3
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Registry Mainternance?
From what I gather in forums more related to computer operations than this
office forum registry cleaners and other registry programs all cause more problems than they cure. I have had this computer over 6 years and NEVER had a registry problem.Do not try to fix something that's not broken. I do routinely use spyware and other computer security programs as well as a Avast. SG "Kevryl" wrote in message ... (I just posted the question about reinstalling Windows 7 on my sluggish pc) I'm wondering about "registry errors" progreams. On a previous computer I trusted "RegCure" to repair registry errors and it was the beginning of all my problems on that previous (XP) machine! I'm wondering tho, are these registry programs just a take, or did I just have a bad experience? Is there a reliable one that is likely to fix my Windows 7 pc? There doesn't seem to be anything in Windows 7 itself to do that. Needless to say I'm skeptical. |
#4
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Registry Mainternance?
Why would you even 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 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 -- 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 "Kevryl" wrote in message ... (I just posted the question about reinstalling Windows 7 on my sluggish pc) I'm wondering about "registry errors" progreams. On a previous computer I trusted "RegCure" to repair registry errors and it was the beginning of all my problems on that previous (XP) machine! I'm wondering tho, are these registry programs just a take, or did I just have a bad experience? Is there a reliable one that is likely to fix my Windows 7 pc? There doesn't seem to be anything in Windows 7 itself to do that. Needless to say I'm skeptical. |
#5
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Registry Mainternance?
Thanks Animenia. I'll note "Registry Mechanic".
"Animenia" wrote: Hi. I have used Registry Mechanic myself for years and never had any problems. Just keep in mind that sometimes these kinds of programs can cause more harm than good. For example, You install software A which in turn adds registry values, that's normal... However when you try to use Software B you get a registry error. So you think there is something wrong with your registry and run a registry repair software when in fact it's just that the value of that particular registry has been changed by Software A and Software B needs another value. This registry repair software interprets several errors in your registry and all turn out to be of the same nature as the software A and B problem... It's not really a problem, just an intrepretation of the program. Registry Mechanic has a way of seeing these "problems" and usually avoid them which is why I have used it for so long. / Ani . |
#6
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Registry Mainternance?
Yes, I'd only use one as a last resort now, before a clean install.
"shakey" wrote: From what I gather in forums more related to computer operations than this office forum registry cleaners and other registry programs all cause more problems than they cure. I have had this computer over 6 years and NEVER had a registry problem.Do not try to fix something that's not broken. I do routinely use spyware and other computer security programs as well as a Avast. SG "Kevryl" wrote in message ... (I just posted the question about reinstalling Windows 7 on my sluggish pc) I'm wondering about "registry errors" progreams. On a previous computer I trusted "RegCure" to repair registry errors and it was the beginning of all my problems on that previous (XP) machine! I'm wondering tho, are these registry programs just a take, or did I just have a bad experience? Is there a reliable one that is likely to fix my Windows 7 pc? There doesn't seem to be anything in Windows 7 itself to do that. Needless to say I'm skeptical. . |
#7
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Registry Mainternance?
Because it seems to be general opinion that removing programs doesn't
completely clear the registry, and I have reached desparation point. However, I've taken your points on board and I won't use one until the next step is a totally clean install on a formatted drive. Thanks "Peter Foldes" wrote: Why would you even 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 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 -- 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 "Kevryl" wrote in message ... (I just posted the question about reinstalling Windows 7 on my sluggish pc) I'm wondering about "registry errors" progreams. On a previous computer I trusted "RegCure" to repair registry errors and it was the beginning of all my problems on that previous (XP) machine! I'm wondering tho, are these registry programs just a take, or did I just have a bad experience? Is there a reliable one that is likely to fix my Windows 7 pc? There doesn't seem to be anything in Windows 7 itself to do that. Needless to say I'm skeptical. . |
#8
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Registry Mainternance?
"Kevryl" wrote in message ... Because it seems to be general opinion that removing programs doesn't completely clear the registry, Which has an almost completely negligible affect on computer performance..... |
#9
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Registry Mainternance?
Which has an almost completely negligible affect on computer
performance..... Thanks, Gordon. Animenia commented that one program can change the value of an entry that another program relied on. I guess if removing that later program doesn't restore the original value then the program that relies on it is likely to malfunction. But then, probably no auto cleaner could handle that one anyway. I recall when I ran RegCure a cuppla years back, it told me I had some enormous number of broken shortcuts. I was suspicious then, and I never really understood how a bit of ..."rubbish DNA" in the registry could cause a slow-down if it wasn't called upon and was just a bit of useless text. Oh the mysteries of life... I remember when it was sooo much simpler and uninstalling a program consisted of nothing more than deleting the whole director it was in. Oh, and "640k should be enough for anyone" LOL. Yep. I'm not a spring chook any more! Cheers |
#10
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Registry Mainternance?
The reason Microsoft don't provide a built-in Registry Checker is because they consider them unsafe and capable of doing more harm than good. After several years of using various Registry Checkers myself I'm now on the side of "leave well alone". This change of opinion has been brought about by having had a few registry-related errors and crashes which I've never had since I stopped use such utilities, and I've tried many of them, both free and commercial ones. I now prefer to check the Registry manually after uninstalling a program, just to delete the program key in the 'Software' sections - and that's all (unless I'm fixing a particular problem and the instructions involve editing or adding a Registry entry). |
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