need some info on virus removal

bigdog2626 said:

do you think cleaning the registry with ccleaner is ok?
i scanned my registry and there are some issues
should i back it up then fix issues with ccleaner R just fix issues

Let me guess. Those "issues" aren't causing you any problems.

Did I guess right?

The consensus hear is to say no to all registry cleaners, although there are a few notable holdouts who can't help themselves and use CCleaner registry cleaner.

If you are highly obsessive and cannot control yourself, it is the best one to use.

Whether it will do you any good is another question entirely. Well, I guess it will do one good thing---scratch your obsessive itch.

bigdog2626 said:

i want to clean every single file that is unneeded ccleaner doesnt clean C:\Users\bigdog2626\AppData\Local\Temp so it doesnt clean every file so i was wanting to know is that semi tut referring to Index.dat

"Every single file that is unneeded".

That's a tall order. So tall that I am wondering how you would ever know if you had succeeded. What if you hadn't?

Do you have any idea why you want to remove every file you don't think you need? Do you know what MRU's are and can you explain why you think they're a problem? (I recall when a certain anti-spyware vendor added removal of MRU's to the product. The reason for adding detection and removal of MRU's was because in increased the number of objects found which made it appear that the product was much better than its primary competitor because it found/removed more!)

My point is that I don't see an advantage to what you are attempting to accomplish, particularly when it comes to the registry. Ready for my standard "lecture"?

Windows is a closed source system. Developers of registry cleaners do not have the core code of Windows 7 and are not working on definitive information, but rather they are going on past knowledge and experience. Automatic cleaners will usually have to do some guesswork.

Modifying registry keys incorrectly can cause Windows instability, or make Windows unbootable. No registry cleaner is completely safe and the potential is ever present to cause more problems than they claim to fix.

Registry cleaners cannot distinguish between good and bad. If you run a registry cleaner, it will delete all those keys which are obsolete and sitting idle; but in reality, those keys may well be needed by some programs or windows at a later time.

Windows 7 is much more efficient at managing the registry than previous Windows versions. If you run a registry cleaner and do not know precisely what you are doing, you will have problems down the road. There are no gains to be had from using a registry cleaner and the risk is great.

From Microsoft at Increase PC speed: Optimize your computer, help your PC run faster:

Note: This article does not address or recommend tinkering with the registry files. Such activities can be detrimental to your computer and should only be attempted by properly trained professionals.

Also see Are registry cleaners necessary?

Should you at any time tinker with the registry, first create a backup. See Back up the registry

bigdog2626 said:

so your saying dont use the mru blaster any more

I like JavaCool, particularly SpywareBlaster. That said, MRU's are "most recently used"; i.e., the list that you see when you click Start > Recent Items. Unless you are in a situation with a shared computer and privacy is a concern, I wouldn't be concerned about MRU's.

Regarding temp files, there is a tool developed by Old Timer, a member of the security community that does the following:

TFC (Temp File Cleaner) will clear out all temp folders for all user accounts (temp, IE temp, java, FF, Opera, Chrome, Safari), including Administrator, All Users, LocalService, NetworkService, and any other accounts in the user folder. It also cleans out the %systemroot%\temp folder and checks for .tmp files in the %systemdrive% root folder, %systemroot%, and the system32 folder (both 32bit and 64bit on 64bit OSs). It shows the amount removed for each location found (in bytes) and the total removed (in MB).

Before running, it will stop Explorer and all other running applications. When finished, if a reboot is required the user must reboot to finish clearing any in-use temp files.
-- TFC only cleans temp folders.
-- TFC will not clean URL history, prefetch, or cookies. Depending on how often someone cleans their temp folders, their system hardware, and how many accounts are present, it can take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or more. TFC will completely clear all temp files where other temp file cleaners may fail.

Following are the instructions:

Download TFC by Old Timer from here (direct download): http://www.itxassociates.com/OT-Tools/TFC.exe

• First, save any files as TFC will close ALL open programs including your browser!
• Double-click on TFC.exe to run it. If you are using Vista/Windows 7 right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator.
• Click the Start button to begin the cleaning process and let it run uninterrupted to completion.
• Important! If TFC prompts you to reboot, please do so immediately. If not prompted, manually reboot the machine anyway to ensure a complete clean.

TFC requires a reboot immediately after running. Be sure to save any unsaved work before running TFC.