Registry Cleaner

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:40:09 -0000, "johnbee"
> <> wrote:
>
>
>> It is most definitely true that if you keep a PC for a long time,
>> it gets slower and slower to boot and close down as more
>> crap junk gets introduced into the Registry.
>
>
> I completely disagree. Getting slower to boot or shut down has not
> been my experience at all.
>


Suppose you downloaded and installed by accident malware, and the
malware wasn't quite working properly? Wouldn't it be a good idea
to get the remnants of the malware cleared out of your registry?
Or suppose you uninstall a program and it doesn't uninstall
cleanly, or completely -- isn't it better to get the bits cleaned
out of the registry in case you might want to install the program
again, or a newer version of that program?

-Al-

On 16/03/2010 11:36, Al Smith wrote:

>
> Suppose you downloaded and installed by accident malware, and the
> malware wasn't quite working properly? Wouldn't it be a good idea to get
> the remnants of the malware cleared out of your registry?

Yes - that's what your Antimalware app does - not the registry cleaner

> Or suppose you
> uninstall a program and it doesn't uninstall cleanly, or completely --
> isn't it better to get the bits cleaned out of the registry in case you
> might want to install the program again, or a newer version of that
> program?


A common fallacy. Orphaned registry entries have little or no effect on
computer performance.

On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:36:34 -0300, Al Smith <>
wrote:

> Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> > On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:40:09 -0000, "johnbee"
> > <> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> It is most definitely true that if you keep a PC for a long time,
> >> it gets slower and slower to boot and close down as more
> >> crap junk gets introduced into the Registry.
> >
> >
> > I completely disagree. Getting slower to boot or shut down has not
> > been my experience at all.
> >
>
>
> Suppose you downloaded and installed by accident malware, and the
> malware wasn't quite working properly? Wouldn't it be a good idea
> to get the remnants of the malware cleared out of your registry?


Anti-malware software does that.


> Or suppose you uninstall a program and it doesn't uninstall
> cleanly, or completely -- isn't it better to get the bits cleaned
> out of the registry in case you might want to install the program
> again, or a newer version of that program?


No. It doesn't matter and its being there doesn't hurt you.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:56:11 -0700, Allen <>
wrote:

> Slap wrote:
> >
> > "Allen" <> wrote in message
> > news:BZ6dneQvpq0-...
> >> On 3/13/2010 9:17 AM, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> >>> On Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:39:09 -0000, "Quilljar"<not@home .today>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Is there a reliable free Windows 7 Registry cleaner?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> A common question here, and one that usually fosters all kinds of
> >>> disagreement.
> >>>
> >>> My answer is no. Not only is there not a reliable free one, there is
> >>> not even a reliable paid-for one. Here's my standard message on the
> >>> subject:
> >>>
> >>> 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.
> >>>
> >>> Read http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Amen. Right now I am in the process of getting ready for a complete
> >> install-from-scratch of W7 because I trusted a purchased register
> >> cleaner despite misgivings. Why oh why does M$ recommend some of them?
> >> Allen
> >
> > Your destiny Allen. There is 400 million downloads of CCleaner. Might
> > be the odd problem but I suspect Office has caused the odd problem too.
> > --
> >
> >
> I specifically did not use CCleaner--I said "purchased", which certainly
> excludes CC. I wish I had stuck with CC, as it never caused any problems.
> Allen


Two points:

1. I didn't say that using any registry cleaner *always* causes
problems (and neither does anyone else here, as far as I know). In
fact most uses of any registry cleaner does not cause a problem. The
reason not to use them is that any use of a registry cleaner carries
with it the *risk* of a problem.

If any registry cleaner always caused a problem, the product would
disappear from the market almost instantly.

It's like driving a car without your seatbelt on. Yes, your risk is
much greater without the seatbelt, but most of the time you can get
away with not having buckled it.

2. Yes, the risk of using CCleaner's registry cleaning functionality
is lower than it is with most registry cleaners. But that does not
mean that it's zero. And exposing yourself to any risk at all is
foolhardy for a product that essentially has no real benefits.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Slap wrote:
>
> "Allen" <> wrote in message
> news:BZ6dneQvpq0-...
>> On 3/13/2010 9:17 AM, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
>>> On Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:39:09 -0000, "Quilljar"<not@home .today>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Is there a reliable free Windows 7 Registry cleaner?
>>>
>>>
>>> A common question here, and one that usually fosters all kinds of
>>> disagreement.
>>>
>>> My answer is no. Not only is there not a reliable free one, there is
>>> not even a reliable paid-for one. Here's my standard message on the
>>> subject:
>>>
>>> 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.
>>>
>>> Read http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html
>>>
>>>
>> Amen. Right now I am in the process of getting ready for a complete
>> install-from-scratch of W7 because I trusted a purchased register
>> cleaner despite misgivings. Why oh why does M$ recommend some of them?
>> Allen
>
> Your destiny Allen. There is 400 million downloads of CCleaner. Might
> be the odd problem but I suspect Office has caused the odd problem too.
> --
>
>
I specifically did not use CCleaner--I said "purchased", which certainly
excludes CC. I wish I had stuck with CC, as it never caused any problems.
Allen