Registry cleaner for Windows Vista or just a con?

There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol curisoty i
tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not exactly
sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap i
would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if so
why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there even
a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
comments,thankyou.

Carlos
Tue Mar 25 13:13:03 PDT 2008

Hi,
You learnt it the "hard" way.
None of the regulars in this NG endorses the use of registry cleaners.
They are of no good, period.
MSFT has never updated its old and trusty "regclean" to support the newer
OS's.
Carlos

"todd198126" wrote:

> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol curisoty i
> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not exactly
> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap i
> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if so
> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there even
> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
> comments,thankyou.

Tony
Tue Mar 25 13:22:08 PDT 2008

This is precisely the problem - automated scanners WILL find masses of
potential irregularities, that are probably just regular information that it
don't know what it is. The next problem is IF it finds a real problem, would
you like this automated routine to try and FIX it, or maybe fail and ban
access to your machine?

Hmmm? Most of the regulars here I think prefer the hard way and try and
learn a bit of how the Registry is working and about the way it is doing
it's 'stuff'.


Tony. . .


"todd198126" <todd198126@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AE7E1579-02C1-451F-B038-D11383437DB8@microsoft.com...
> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
curisoty i
> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not exactly
> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap
i
> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if
so
> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there
even
> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
> comments,thankyou.

Colin
Tue Mar 25 13:25:37 PDT 2008

Except for the one in the online version of Windows Live Onecare Safety Scan
at
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm

"Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E85E7BAD-1E49-4A05-8234-C676D95F31CA@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
> You learnt it the "hard" way.
> None of the regulars in this NG endorses the use of registry cleaners.
> They are of no good, period.
> MSFT has never updated its old and trusty "regclean" to support the newer
> OS's.
> Carlos
>
> "todd198126" wrote:
>
>> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
>> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
>> curisoty i
>> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
>> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
>> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
>> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not
>> exactly
>> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
>> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
>> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap
>> i
>> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if
>> so
>> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
>> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there
>> even
>> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
>> comments,thankyou.

Colin
Tue Mar 25 13:27:50 PDT 2008

I recommend that you only clean registry entries that you know to be causing
you a problem. If you feel compelled to do a general one anyway (old habits
die hard) then at least use the free Microsoft one for Vista at
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm

"todd198126" <todd198126@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AE7E1579-02C1-451F-B038-D11383437DB8@microsoft.com...
> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
> curisoty i
> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not exactly
> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap
> i
> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if
> so
> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there
> even
> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
> comments,thankyou.

Charlie
Tue Mar 25 13:39:04 PDT 2008

Which I still don't recommend and never will. A "solution" in search of a
problem.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:0A7AF4B8-4079-4F43-A43C-8B94312FE391@microsoft.com...
> Except for the one in the online version of Windows Live Onecare Safety
> Scan at
> http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm
>
> "Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:E85E7BAD-1E49-4A05-8234-C676D95F31CA@microsoft.com...
>> Hi,
>> You learnt it the "hard" way.
>> None of the regulars in this NG endorses the use of registry cleaners.
>> They are of no good, period.
>> MSFT has never updated its old and trusty "regclean" to support the newer
>> OS's.
>> Carlos
>>
>> "todd198126" wrote:
>>
>>> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any
>>> good?I
>>> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
>>> curisoty i
>>> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
>>> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
>>> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
>>> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not
>>> exactly
>>> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
>>> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
>>> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To
>>> recap i
>>> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and
>>> if so
>>> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is
>>> a
>>> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there
>>> even
>>> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
>>> comments,thankyou.
>

Colin
Tue Mar 25 14:31:13 PDT 2008

I don't recommend it either. The WLOC beta testers clamored for a registry
cleaner so MS finally gave in and developed one for the Safety Scanner. I
remember the long, long, long threads in which the team kept asking the
testers why they believed they needed a cleaner. The team went back and
forth with the testers for weeks before finally giving in. I figured "be
careful what you ask for" and never used it. But I didn't read any negative
feedback to speak of so I shut up. I still don't recommend using the
things. They are holdovers from Win95 days and most of that stuff is just
pablum to make money off of lazy users who don't even know about Disk
Cleanup.

"Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message
news:4E394D7E-A8F9-4F25-A822-6F72572874B5@microsoft.com...
> Which I still don't recommend and never will. A "solution" in search of a
> problem.
>
> --
> Charlie.
> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>
>
> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:0A7AF4B8-4079-4F43-A43C-8B94312FE391@microsoft.com...
>> Except for the one in the online version of Windows Live Onecare Safety
>> Scan at
>> http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm
>>
>> "Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:E85E7BAD-1E49-4A05-8234-C676D95F31CA@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi,
>>> You learnt it the "hard" way.
>>> None of the regulars in this NG endorses the use of registry cleaners.
>>> They are of no good, period.
>>> MSFT has never updated its old and trusty "regclean" to support the
>>> newer
>>> OS's.
>>> Carlos
>>>
>>> "todd198126" wrote:
>>>
>>>> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any
>>>> good?I
>>>> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
>>>> curisoty i
>>>> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had
>>>> finished
>>>> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
>>>> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they
>>>> actual
>>>> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not
>>>> exactly
>>>> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
>>>> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
>>>> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To
>>>> recap i
>>>> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and
>>>> if so
>>>> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is
>>>> a
>>>> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is
>>>> there even
>>>> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
>>>> comments,thankyou.
>>
>

Charlie
Tue Mar 25 21:16:26 PDT 2008

Dangerous at best, fatal at worst. And useless at all times. I've NEVER
understood the need.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ED834523-F095-443E-9A97-16C0CA620E3E@microsoft.com...
>I don't recommend it either. The WLOC beta testers clamored for a registry
>cleaner so MS finally gave in and developed one for the Safety Scanner. I
>remember the long, long, long threads in which the team kept asking the
>testers why they believed they needed a cleaner. The team went back and
>forth with the testers for weeks before finally giving in. I figured "be
>careful what you ask for" and never used it. But I didn't read any
>negative feedback to speak of so I shut up. I still don't recommend using
>the things. They are holdovers from Win95 days and most of that stuff is
>just pablum to make money off of lazy users who don't even know about Disk
>Cleanup.
>
> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message
> news:4E394D7E-A8F9-4F25-A822-6F72572874B5@microsoft.com...
>> Which I still don't recommend and never will. A "solution" in search of a
>> problem.
>>
>> --
>> Charlie.
>> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>
>>
>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:0A7AF4B8-4079-4F43-A43C-8B94312FE391@microsoft.com...
>>> Except for the one in the online version of Windows Live Onecare Safety
>>> Scan at
>>> http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm
>>>
>>> "Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:E85E7BAD-1E49-4A05-8234-C676D95F31CA@microsoft.com...
>>>> Hi,
>>>> You learnt it the "hard" way.
>>>> None of the regulars in this NG endorses the use of registry cleaners.
>>>> They are of no good, period.
>>>> MSFT has never updated its old and trusty "regclean" to support the
>>>> newer
>>>> OS's.
>>>> Carlos
>>>>
>>>> "todd198126" wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any
>>>>> good?I
>>>>> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
>>>>> curisoty i
>>>>> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had
>>>>> finished
>>>>> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just
>>>>> re
>>>>> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they
>>>>> actual
>>>>> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not
>>>>> exactly
>>>>> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
>>>>> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as
>>>>> a
>>>>> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To
>>>>> recap i
>>>>> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and
>>>>> if so
>>>>> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there
>>>>> is a
>>>>> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is
>>>>> there even
>>>>> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
>>>>> comments,thankyou.
>>>
>>
>

Howard
Wed Mar 26 05:02:17 PDT 2008

I can't speak for any cleaner in particular. However, I can provide some
insight on how they might work. There are various services that the
operating system provides that require a registration or data to be placed
in the registry. For example registering COM components is a big one. There
is a specification for what entries are required. However, the specification
is fairly loose. There are certain registry entries that are needed, some
that are not, and a particular piece of software may only use part of these.
Cleaners will search the registry to see if these things exist and erase
entries that don't meet the specification. Many times an application will
write these entries and not realize they aren't needed, in which case it is
OK to clean them. Uninstallation procedures will neglect to remove old
entries, also OK to clean. However, software may be using this data in a way
that is not understood by the cleaner and erasing an item will cause the
software not to function. In the end the registry is just a global database
that can be accessed by software. The operating system uses the registry to
coordinate a lot of functions. A particular cleaner would have to understand
how every possible piece of software ever written by anyone uses this
database in order to be 100 percent accurate. So your always taking a chance
by using one of these.

I just ran the Norton cleaner to see what it came up with. It came up with a
good number. I have not told it to fix any of them. If I really want to fix
some of them, I will need to examine each one individually and will probably
only remove entries from software I know that is no longer present.

"todd198126" <todd198126@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AE7E1579-02C1-451F-B038-D11383437DB8@microsoft.com...
> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?I
> have just had to do a complete re install of Vista and out of idol
> curisoty i
> tried scanning my drive with 'Registry genius' Now after it had finished
> scanning it told me i had 1000's of errors!How can this be if i just re
> installed the same day?Are these things a complete con or do they actual
> work??I'm intrested as i have just had a big error with Vista (not exactly
> sure what) and i wonder if it could have been fixed with one of these
> programs?Or maybe avoided by using the program every now and again as a
> preventary measure??That is what a lot of these programs suggest.To recap
> i
> would like to know if you think there any good/if they work at all and if
> so
> why the 1000's of errors also what i really want to know is if there is a
> registry program that Microsoft recommends more than another?Or is there
> even
> a Microsoft Registry fixer program?I appreciate all your answers and
> comments,thankyou.

Tom
Wed Mar 26 05:13:33 PDT 2008


"todd198126" <todd198126@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AE7E1579-02C1-451F-B038-D11383437DB8@microsoft.com...
> There are a lot of registry cleaners out there,are any of them any good?

Although most folks disagree with me, I like CleanMyPC. I've uninstalled programs
with the intention of reinstalling or upgrading them (they wouldn't allow an version
change
until the old version was uninstalled) and couldn't until I cleaned the registry.
That tells
me that the registry cleaner actually did clean out old garbage. I have no stake in
CleanMyPC other than being a satisfied customer. Version 4.01 works with Vista 32
and 64 as well.

http://www.registry-cleaner.net/

Tom Lake