Registry Cleaners

seavixen32 said:

You mention that Windows 7 appears to be far more stable than any previous operating system and I wouldn't disagree with that.

I've been using Windows 7 for three years with nary a registry cleaner in sight.




In my view, if you:

1. Create a system image backup on a regular basis.
2. Use System Restore as and when necessary.
3. Use Previous Versions when needed.
4. Take advantage of Last Known Good Configuration.
5. Keep away from dodgy websites.
6. Be meticulous in what you download.
7. Use Microsoft Security Essentials.

you should have no need of a registry cleaner, although many people do put a high value on CCleaner.

Registry cleaner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As ever, it's a personal choice, but an informed debate on the matter will do no harm at all.

Without a shadow of doubt though, a registry cleaner in inexperienced hands can mess up a computer very quickly.

All that needs saying was in 1. and 2. above.
If you can feel confident deleting registry keys, you should feel confident imaging and restoring.
My registry cleaner is a restore of an image.
My virus killer is a restore of an image.
My last known good configuration is a restore of an image.
Blah and blah.
The "trick" is always having a good image.
The key to that is always restoring the good image, updating as you see fit, then
immediately making a new image.
Always keep a couple of the prior images "just in case."
Maybe I read it on this forum, but you can get about 4GB by clearing the files SP1
leaves behind. But then you can't uninstall SP1 if it gives you "issues."
So you want the pre-SP1 image for a while.
Imaging is really the simplest and safest "clean system" and registry cleaner in town.
To make it easy and fast, keep your system partition size small.
Fast image/restore, and low disk space usage.
Once I could image the OS, I never used a reg cleaner again, not that I ever noticed any improvement from using a reg cleaner.
Just liked horsing around with them.
I like CCleaner for other cleanup, like temp files.
I use it as the last step before creating a new clean image.
Makes that "clean" image as clean as possible.
Sorry if I sound too "up" on imaging.
It's only because it's the best thing since sliced bread.

There is no way in the world I would advise using a registry cleaner to an inexperienced Windows user.

The potential to create havoc in unexperienced hands is undeniable.

To be brutally honest, the best 'registry cleaner' anyone can have is an up-to-date system image backup.

wanchoo said:

the OS does perk up. I am saying this from personal experience.

How can you document this other than by simply alleging that it is so?

I'll freely admit that I have very selectively cleaned the registry perhaps 8 or 10 times in the last 3 years, using Ccleaner.

Not because I was having issues, but because I could not restrain myself. The mere knowledge that my registry was "unclean" was too much to bear. So I "cleaned" it.

I felt better and no longer "unclean", as I might have felt after washing my face.

I have no evidence at all that my PC was the better for it. But I personally felt better as my anxiety was reduced.

Perfectly silly. I can't recommend others do what I did, but I certainly understand why they might.

"I wonder if you ever found the time to read Fred Langa's Letter (article) on Registry Cleaners (Langa Letter: Testing 10 Windows 'Registry Cleaning' Software Packs - - - Informationweek). It was written long back in the heyday of Windows XP but it is just as relevant to Windows 7."

I did read the article when it was first released and thought then that its conclusions had some merit, but not now.

The bottom line is this: Windows 7 is far removed from Windows XP and does a far better job of taking care of business.

If I clean my car, it doesn't drive any faster. If I take a shower and dry clean my clothes I can't walk or run any faster.

Windows 7 just doesn't need a cleaner and that's borne out by the millions of Win 7 operating systems properly and legally installed that run flawlessly.

I'm gonna play the devil's advocate here!

If I clean my car, it doesn't drive any faster. (race car sector will argue that point)
Quite correct but tuneups, oil changes and good maintainence will.

If I take a shower and dry clean my clothes I can't walk or run any faster.
Again correct but it is the inner body tuning and maintainence that will make you run/walk faster not the dusting off of the exterior.

seavixen32, I'm not busting your chops as I could not agree more as to imaging, backups and restore points which I am totally OCD about. I readily admit that reg cleaners have been a mainstay of my past but also admit that I am seeing a much different OS than in the past but it is also sometimes hard to break old habits that may no longer be needed.

A Guy said:

The issue really isn't could a registry cleaner be used without any problems. The issue is, recommending one most certainly can cause issues. Even if 99 people had no issue, the 100th could. And since the posts here may be read by 1000's, there is no way to say which reader might have a problem, have no backups, and need their PC for work, etc.

If everyone took the advice to make regular, reliable system images, for the most part they can jump in and try all kinds of things. But the truth is, we very often see replies that they didn't even have System Restore points, much less images. One must assume the lowest level of skill/experience. And one must consider while the OP may have high levels of both, another searching on Google, and stumbling upon the post may not.

A Guy

Excellent points. All of them.
Maybe somebody here will take on the task on writing a tutorial on system configuration geared toward imaging. Might help some.
In my personal experience, it's almost impossible to "train" most users to image, a main reason being their system configuration.
They get sold a computer with one hard drive, or a computer with a massive system partition, making imaging impractical or too time-consuming.
Some just don't want to image. They like trouble.
I'm starting to think my son is a lost cause.
He's an overclocker with probably 6 or 7 systems running at any given time.
Does water cooling, liquid hydrogen, the whole shot.
I've repeatedly preached to him the value of imaging, and he doesn't lack in software skills, and he agrees. I've given him stand-alone imaging CD's.
All you have to do is insert the darn thing, and go.
He was over here when I loaded a sysprepped image to an entirely different computer, and commented "Man, I can really use that."
But every single time he tells me he's reinstalling some version of Windows, and I ask, "Don't you have an image?" he says "No, didn't get around to it."
Probably too busy welding a box to hold hydrogen around the CPU.
You can lead a horse to water.......
True enough.