Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY | Registry cleaner
What is a good registry cleaner to use free or for pay?
I haven't used one in a while and have just built a new PC and hate to let it get out of hand.
What do you people recommend? |
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Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL | I have used Eusing Free Registry Cleaner with great results:
»download.cnet.com/Eusing-Free-Re···691.html |
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MSeng
Premium,Ex-Mod 2001-08
join:2000-07-13
Ork
clubs: | reply to Fishead1
»Software Forum Member Choice »Preferred Reg Cleaners / Editors - 2009 Member Choice |
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Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY | reply to Fishead1
Thanks for your suggestions and links. |
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MooJohn
join:2005-12-18
Milledgeville, GA
 ·Windstream
| reply to Fishead1
I don't know of a single problem caused by a "dirty" registry. It sounds plausible -- that a registry filled with unused or broken entries could make a machine run slower.
However, it's just a text file and it'd take megabytes of unneeded entries to make any noticeable difference in speed. Do you have any idea how many registry entries that would be? You'd have to double or triple the size of typical registry hives.
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John M - Cranky network guy |
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Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY
| Well would it stop certain things from working properly?I'm not really familiar with what and how bad or dead registry entries effect over all running of my PC.I did do a scan of with one of the trial versions and I have about 450 bad or dead entries.
Is that from a lot of installing and uninstalling of programs? |
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LittlePiggie
Premium
join:2009-09-11 | reply to Fishead1
Ccleaner |
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DownTheShore
Maddie Knows Poopie
Premium
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ
clubs:
| reply to MooJohn
said by MooJohn  :I don't know of a single problem caused by a "dirty" registry. It sounds plausible -- that a registry filled with unused or broken entries could make a machine run slower. However, it's just a text file and it'd take megabytes of unneeded entries to make any noticeable difference in speed. Do you have any idea how many registry entries that would be? You'd have to double or triple the size of typical registry hives. All I know is that when my computer started to hang at shut down, I ran Registry Mechanic, it cleaned out a bunch of stuff, and now the computer shuts down like it should.
A lot of the stuff a registry cleaner picks up, I realize, is stuff that can just sit on your computer that doesn't bother it at all (MRU's and the like) but if you do a lot of installing and uninstalling of programs, moving files around, etc., crap gets left behind.
It's funny though, I can use RM on my Gateway Vista computer and it'll do the job, but if I use it on my Dell Vista computer, things get screwed up and I have to restore everything. And RM, I've found anyway, is one of the least aggressive of the cleaners.
If I were a newbie to this, I would be very careful about using CCleaner. While it is an excellent cleaner, you first have to make sure that all the possible removal items are unchecked, and then just check the items you know you want it to clean. First time I used it, several years ago, I just ran it with the default checked boxes and boy did I have a problem afterward with things not running right. Now I only use it for specific items.
Registry Mechanic has an option to create a Restore Point before cleaning, which I highly recommend doing - whichever cleaner you wind up using.
--
Patriotism is not waving a flag, it is living the ideals
I want to retire to the Isle of Sodor and ride the trains. |
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Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY | DownTheShore it makes sense what you say and thats what I kind of think my self.I think most registry cleaners have the restore point built into them.I think that would be a must if your muking around with stuff like this. |
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jmorlan
Hmm... That's funny.
Premium
join:2001-02-05
Pacifica, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to Fishead1
Before chosing a registry cleaner, I recommend reading "Why I don’t use registry cleaners" by Ed Bott: »www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643
Registry cleaners are like cigarettes. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette or a safe registry cleaner. Both make you feel good; both are highly addictive; but the best you can hope for is that they won't kill you.
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This is not a rehearsal. |
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StraitShoot
Who Loves Ya Baby? - Theo Kojak
Premium
join:2003-02-08
Clinton, MA
1 edit | reply to Fishead1
"If you don't go looking for trouble, trouble won't come looking for you..."
The only reg cleaner I ever used that never eventually "hosed" a system was CC Cleaner. I've tried a lot of them..
Glary Free Utilities.. I don't recommend.. Thank God for Macrium Reflect Free...
Tune Up Utilities - Not bad, but unnecessary.. Snake oil and eye candy as far as I'm concerned..
Eusing. That one scares me...
Regvac- Okay if you like to pay for what I pretty much consider "vaporware"... (I did a long time back, don't see what the advantages are to running it)..
Easy Cleaner Free- Hosed my system
JV16 - Arrogant developer and it hosed my system.
CCLeaner cleans "safely", and in the long run, that's what you want. Believe me, leave your registry alone unless you have to. I also like running Revo Uninstaller in advanced mode when uninstalling software, BUT you have to know what you're doing..
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I'm proud to be a troublemaker! America was founded by "troublemakers"!
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Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY | reply to Fishead1
Thanks for all the reply s .I have always been leery of messing with the registry.But if I do use one of these programs and it has a restore point wouldn't that just about eliminate a major problem? |
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StraitShoot
Who Loves Ya Baby? - Theo Kojak
Premium
join:2003-02-08
Clinton, MA
| said by Fishead1 :Thanks for all the reply s .I have always been leery of messing with the registry.But if I do use one of these programs and it has a restore point wouldn't that just about eliminate a major problem? Sure, if the restore doesn't fail... but why do you want to even bother?
Let me clarify this...
WHY BOTHER?
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I'm proud to be a troublemaker! America was founded by "troublemakers"!
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lilhurricane
Crunchin' For Cures
Premium,Mod
join:2003-01-11
Purple Zone
clubs: 
 ·Comcast
Host:
TV over IP
Software
RCN
Inside Insight
Team Discovery
| reply to Fishead1
I've used (and still use) Eusing, Glary, CCleaner & TUU for years with no ill effects on 4 different operating systems on 14 different computers.
The restore /backup these programs create (if needed) never let me down
In CCleaner by default MS Hotfixes is unchecked - that one I did have an issue with once upon a time..but that was my error for checking it off.
Registry cleaning is personal preference, Richard.
See the link MSeng posted above to our FAQ's & see what our members have chosen & liked
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~Safe Hex~ Team Discovery ~ Project Hope ~ Like A Hurricane~ |
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ironwalker
World Renowned
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-31
Keansburg, NJ
clubs: | reply to Fishead1
You never mentioned the operating system to use it with.
Is it an x64 bit pc?
I don't know if there's a registry cleaner that cleans both 32bit and the 64bit registry.
Wouldn't the cleaners be different for vista and windows 7 as well? |
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Fishead1
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Bronx, NY | I'm running WIN-XP 64 bit version.CCleaner works with 64 bit XP according to their site.I always check for that. |
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DownTheShore
Maddie Knows Poopie
Premium
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ
clubs:
| reply to Fishead1
Rule of thumb for me with registry cleaners (of which I've only used three in the course of my computer ownership: Registry Mechanic, TuneUp Utilities and CCleaner) is that I only use it if there is an ongoing problem that is not infection-related and which System Restore does not initially solve. I do not use them on a regular basis. |
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tonyram57
join:2001-11-08
Brooklyn, NY
| The only two registry cleaners I use are Ace Utilities and TuneUp Utilities registry cleaners. Never gave me a problem.
I don't trust the other ones. I ran one which was portable and it found a bunch of errors. Many looked legit. Did not run the cleaner and deleted the program. |
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Keizer
I'M Your Huckleberry
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-20
| said by tonyram57 :The only two registry cleaners I use are Ace Utilities and TuneUp Utilities registry cleaners. Never gave me a problem. Those are the only two I run as well. Never had any issues at all. |
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