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  #1  
Old March 31st, 2013, 06:08 PM
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Murf Murf is offline
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Windows Registry Cleaners -Are they Safe

I have seen many posts about registry cleaners, in fact at one time I would recommend them. However, as age creeps up on all of us, and learning more about Windows over the years, my opinion has drastically changed.

My thoughts on using Windows Registry cleaners, what's your experience with them.

What does registry cleaner do;

1. Cleans out "Orphan" entries however, it actually creates mini-gaps in the registry file

2. Registry will become fragmented and searching data in a fragmented file is way slower than it is in a optimized file, the only way to speed up the handling of the registry is rewriting the file(s).

3. Registry cleaner will not improve system speed, the only difference you will notice is the speed of searching the registry, and how many times do you do that.

4. Actually constant cleaning of the registry will fragment it and could result is slower system performance. IMO I would rather have some orphan entries then having some cleaner deleting something it should not of.

5. Some cleaners will actually mark some Good entries for removal and skip the so called bad entries.

6. Programs such as Ccleaner can be very dangerous to your computer, No registry cleaner is safe

7. If you must remove something from the registry do it manually.

8. People have used registry cleaners with no problems and will swear by them, are you willing to take the chance? What benefits do you get by cleaning it?

9. There are many registry cleaners on the market and some have been rated by so called "experts", obviously those "experts" are trying to get you to buy them.

10. Finally, I believe you can spend your money on more wisely then investing in a registry cleaner. Registry cleans can do more harm than good. If your registry gets infected by Malware, then visit the CTH Malware removal forum and they will get you back up and running.
  #2  
Old March 31st, 2013, 06:47 PM
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renegade600 renegade600 is offline
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Would like to add:

The reason registry cleaners seems so effective is most will also delete temporary files created by programs, utilities and other sources. Deleting those files will clear folders that has limited assigned space and create more space for the harddrive to run more efficiently.
I
  #3  
Old April 1st, 2013, 12:36 PM
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The Dude The Dude is offline
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Yes but these programs ARE NOT FOR BEGGINERS as they are not user friendly! (They assume experienced users are running them)


If you dont know what your looking @ in the results of a reg cleaner scan,DONT DELETE ANYTHING IT FINDS!!
  #4  
Old January 10th, 2014, 01:06 AM
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WindowsXPer WindowsXPer is offline
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Agree with The Dude. I am beginner and I use Tune Up Utilities, Glary Utilities & Wise Disk Cleaner they are great, 100% safe too. They will automatically clean up registry for you without messing up your PC.


Those programs are DANGEROUS. Not recommended for beginners:

RegSeeker
RegScrubXP

Last edited by WindowsXPer; January 10th, 2014 at 01:09 AM.
  #5  
Old January 10th, 2014, 04:49 AM
It'sMe It'sMe is offline
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For the sake of exploring this idea as posted by the OP, may I ask, WindowsXPer, how you made the determination that particular product is safe?

As you admit to being a beginner, I wonder what factors caused you to have peace of mind in that product.

By the way, I completely agree that one needs to be extremely careful using any of these products. I'm not so sure I would recommend any beginner to use any of the prouducts, unless I knew I had some way of keeping tabs on what's happening on that beginner's unit. For that I have always recommended CCleaner because of the use of the list first and choose. But even that requires extreme care.

By the way, I am in no way meaning to endorse that particular product and there are very likely other products that show a list to choose from and all that, but I haven't done any research on registry cleaners in about a year or so. Well, now that I think about it, maybe further back. That product was the one a chose out of necessity and I did do a fair bit of research first.

renegad600 makes a good point about improving harddrive efficiency.

Another matter to consider is anti-malware programs and removing from the registry entries that could cause conflict if you are switching products. Yes, it's best to follow instructions from a particular company's staff and just go into the registry and manually remove what needs removing, but even that for beginners is scary. And I know some folks I simply wouldn't let into a registry even if ... Okay, I better not end that sentence. Might not be so civil, if standards are high here, which I hope they are. But you get my point that some people just don't belong in a registry, unless it's a training exercise and the unit being used for training has already been given up as soon to be going to cyber heaven.

.

Last edited by It'sMe; January 10th, 2014 at 04:51 AM.
  #6  
Old January 10th, 2014, 04:53 PM
SpywareDr SpywareDr is offline
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Registry cleaners/optimizers are not recommended - by Broni, Malware Annihilator
Quote:
Registry cleaners/optimizers are not recommended for several reasons:
  • Registry cleaners are extremely powerful applications that can damage the registry by using aggressive cleaning routines and cause your computer to become unbootable.

    The Windows registry is a central repository (database) for storing configuration data, user settings and machine-dependent settings, and options for the operating system. It contains information and settings for all hardware, software, users, and preferences. Whenever a user makes changes to settings, file associations, system policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in this repository. The registry is a crucial component because it is where Windows "remembers" all this information, how it works together, how Windows boots the system and what files it uses when it does. The registry is also a vulnerable subsystem, in that relatively small changes done incorrectly can render the system inoperable. For a more detailed explanation, read Understanding The Registry.

  • Not all registry cleaners are created equal. There are a number of them available but they do not all work entirely the same way. Each vendor uses different criteria as to what constitutes a "bad entry". One cleaner may find entries on your system that will not cause problems when removed, another may not find the same entries, and still another may want to remove entries required for a program to work.

  • Not all registry cleaners create a backup of the registry before making changes. If the changes prevent the system from booting up, then there is no backup available to restore it in order to regain functionality. A backup of the registry is essential BEFORE making any changes to the registry.

  • Improperly removing registry entries can hamper malware disinfection and make the removal process more difficult if your computer becomes infected. For example, removing malware related registry entries before the infection is properly identified can contribute to system instability and even make the malware undetectable to removal tools.

  • The usefulness of cleaning the registry is highly overrated and can be dangerous. In most cases, using a cleaner to remove obsolete, invalid, and erroneous entries does not affect system performance but it can result in "unpredictable results".
Unless you have a particular problem that requires a registry edit to correct it, I would suggest you leave the registry alone. Using registry cleaning tools unnecessarily or incorrectly could lead to disastrous effects on your operating system such as preventing it from ever starting again. For routine use, the benefits to your computer are negligible while the potential risks are great.
  #7  
Old June 27th, 2014, 08:24 AM
Vinson Vinson is offline
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Cleanup utility is good. You can also restore files which have been deleted. obviously up to certain extent.
  #8  
Old October 17th, 2014, 08:57 AM
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Cccleaner

i have used Cccleaner for several years with no problem. it has never gooded up my PC.
  #9  
Old October 17th, 2014, 01:51 PM
SpywareDr SpywareDr is offline
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Random registry “cleaning”, especially by a novice, is inviting disaster.
  #10  
Old October 17th, 2014, 01:57 PM
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Ned Seagoon Ned Seagoon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AshleyP View Post
i have used Cccleaner for several years with no problem. it has never gooded up my PC.
Why on earth should anyone accept the word of a new one post user when an experienced forum moderator with over 15 thousand posts to his name advises against the use of this product?

Be aware that saying you have used it and it never broke your computer, is no recommendation. Why did you use it? What silly things are you doing with your computer?

I know of a number of people who haven driven their car while drunk without killing anyone, but that does not prove that drink driving is OK.
  #11  
Old October 17th, 2014, 04:12 PM
lufbra lufbra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpywareDr View Post
Random registry “cleaning”, especially by a novice, is inviting disaster.
Where does it say that the new member is a novice?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ned Seagoon View Post
Why on earth should anyone accept the word of a new one post user when an experienced forum moderator with over 15 thousand posts to his name advises against the use of this product?
So let's say the member had 2,473 posts here, would that make the post more "credible"? How many posts does ANYONE have to make here, before they can be classed as "believable"?

Last time I looked the saying "EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion" hasn't been altered, just like the fact we ALL don't have to agree with everything we are told or read.
  #12  
Old October 17th, 2014, 04:30 PM
SpywareDr SpywareDr is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post

Where does it say that the new member is a novice?
It doesn't, I did.


Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post

"EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion"
And that's exactly what we're doing, sharing our opinions.
  #13  
Old October 18th, 2014, 01:45 AM
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Ned Seagoon Ned Seagoon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post
How many posts does ANYONE have to make here, before they can be classed as "believable"?
I don't know, however experience tells me that a one post member who is pushing a particular product is probably a spammer or has some undeclared vested interest in that product.

The fact that there are several versions of this product is also a concern, a free very cut down version that requires registration with an e-mail address and two more comprehensive versions that have to be paid for is even a greater concern.

(scenario 1 - lots of spam urging purchase of paid version)

(scenario 2 - free version breaks registry- paid version repairs it)

If the new poster were to come back and post something more substantial than the statement like "I have been using this for years" as a recommendation, perhaps the post would have a little credibility.

However, on the face of it, I would be prepared to wage my left knacker that this poster is one of those SEOE from the Philippines or India who just makes pointless posts containing the name of a product, so that search engine crawlers will pick it up and elevate the ranking of the products search results.

Come on back new member, prove me wrong!!
  #14  
Old October 18th, 2014, 02:04 AM
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renegade600 renegade600 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ned Seagoon View Post
Why on earth should anyone accept the word of a new one post user when an experienced forum moderator with over 15 thousand posts to his name advises against the use of this product?

Be aware that saying you have used it and it never broke your computer, is no recommendation. Why did you use it? What silly things are you doing with your computer?

I know of a number of people who haven driven their car while drunk without killing anyone, but that does not prove that drink driving is OK.

why on earth would you want to slam someone just because you THINK a they are spamming? Do they not have the right to express their opinion on something? Not everyone who visits posts. The person who posted may just been searching for a solution about something. They could have ran across this thread and decided to comment about something they use. at least that is the way I took it. Don't be scaring new members off.
  #15  
Old October 18th, 2014, 02:07 AM
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renegade600 renegade600 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AshleyP View Post
i have used Cccleaner for several years with no problem. it has never gooded up my PC.
It is actually a good little utility that I install on all of my windows computers. It comes in handy. I personally do not put it in the same category as some of the other registry cleaners because it only does a basic cleaning - nothing major as some of the ones mentioned. It shines when it comes to deleting temporary files - it is one of the best ones there is.
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