Suggestions For a Good Registry Cleaner

Originally Posted by gerardwil

I am using APK registry cleaner. Never anything went wrong on XP. A full scan however forces you to walk the dog because it takes about 25 minutes. Dog happy and you happy.
It is free and you can download it from here:
http://www.ntcompatible.com/story29005.html

Well, Glad you like it!

(I wrote it guys!)

Found you on GOOGLE while searching for links on it & where it's being downloaded/displayed online & what shareware-freeware CD-Rom distros its been put onto etc.



* Enjoy!

IF YOU LIKE THAT TOOL? THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECKOUT MY ENTIRE FREE & FULLY FUNCTIONAL/NO NAGS or TIMEOUTS UTILITIES SUITE ALSO HERE AT THIS URL (updated 09/18/2004):

http://www.ntcompatible.com/thread27593-1.html

APK

P.S.=> Any questions? Don't hesitate to ask/feel free to write me @:

apk4776239@hotmail.com

... apk

[jag1967]

Another vote for RegSupreme Professional.
It's fast, thorough, and never had a problem with it. Excellent at picking up stuff left after uninstalling progs.

CCleaner looks good too. Though never tried the registry cleaning function as leave this to regsupreme. Usually if i can get things via freeware, I do so. But regsupreme IMHO, is worth it

jag

[stalker]

Originally Posted by mismis29

I am curious about what registry cleaner program would be the easiest to use.

Hey !!


There were already many threads opened here on Wilders, about cleaning registry left-overs.


Like for example:

Registry cleaners: Do they really work?



Well, I would recommend Registry First Aid though. Here I post (a bit modified) text from my post on some other similar topic on Winforums (see the bottom of post)



1. One very good and powerful, because it doesn't "clean" automaticly, but just finds invalid/orphaned entries, and scans disk for possible solutions, then you must decide what to "fix" (or if you are in doubts, just choose "Regedit Jump-to", and check and/or fix value manually


Again, it is called Registry First Aid (shortly Reg1Aid), from KsL Software and Published by RoseCitySoftware, and you can get it here:

www.RoseCitySoftware.com/Reg1Aid


It offers this options after scan:

"Fix entry" (to the value that you choose manually)
"Leave entry without change"
"Delete entry"
"Cut Invalid Substring" (for more complicated values).



2. There is also other, freeware, called RegCleaner (or shortened to RegCleanr, cause of Microsoft's similar name for some in-built app on 9x systems)

It was developed by/under Macecraft Software (Macecraft Inc.), their site is:

www.jv16.org


You get RegCleaner here:

www.worldstart.com/weekly-download/archives/reg-cleaner4.3.htm



Here are the links to this other "registry cleaners" related thread (my nick on Winforums is satyr:


Winforums.org > OS & Software Support > Windows Software & Utilities
http://forums.winforums.org/showthre...gistry cleaner
http://forums.winforums.org/showthre...eaner - page 1
http://forums.winforums.org/showthre...eaner - page 2



HTH

[Robyn]

I fully agree that Registry First Aid is a very good registry cleaner. I have been using this for some time now and have recommended it to a lot of people who are all using it now.

Stalker has posted the reasons for voting for this one. It is powerful and will prompt you to make a Restore point (or back up the reg. if used with Windows 98se) and then also make its own backup. When you really get used to using it the Advanced 'string' search mode can be really good especially when trying to 'root' out after an uninstall of a program such as Norton.
Money well spent and this is one program I have continued to use from the date of purchase. HTH

I KNOW ITS MY FAULT BUT I NEED YOUR HELP GUYS. I used ccleaner's issue but I didn't make a backup because nothing was suspicious really. Now I'm in trouble: some exe files-like HijackThis-wont open.Also some functions on real player won’t respond, and when I use CDRW disk the drive shows the old previously burned stuff not the newly recorded even if I erase it before use. Any help please

[chew]

Did you create a restore point before you delete anything? If so have you tried restoring to previous date?

I too use Ccleaner but I have the followings 3 items unchecked in Issues (registry part) because I don't know what they are ... if I were to delete them.

1. Active X and Class issues.
2. Application paths
3. Installer

Try to save a backup copy if Ccleaner asks you to do so. I tried the Ccleaner backup and it works. It will restore it to the registry key.

Could anyone help please. I too want to know what to do if I accidently delete the registry keys.

Cheers

Chew

[Paranoid2000]

I've found that caution needs to be exercised with many registry cleaners since they tend to pick up on "program plus parameter" keys as not matching an existing filename (e.g. if you have CursorXP, there will be a key value "cursorxp -u" for the uninstaller - which then gets flagged by all the cleaners). I have seen this with both jv16 and CCleaner.

Another approach is to ensure that registry additions are properly tracked in the first place - I have found Total Uninstall very useful for this. You need to run it while installing the software (and you need to run the software afterwards since many do make further Registry modifications at this point). It can even detect changes if a reboot is needed. Unfortunately, Windows itself makes a stack of changes at this point, so you have to spend some time trimming them out (things like Plug and Play enumeration, hardware settings, etc). Nevertheless, it does do an excellent job of tracking file/registry changes which can then be removed when the corresponding programs are uninstalled.

Originally Posted by gerardwil

I am using APK registry cleaner. Never anything went wrong on XP.

Before using any of APK's utilities, you would be well advised to check his posts on The Memory-Optimization Hoax (long thread, where he starts by accusing the author Mark Russinovich of being a thief and goes downhill from there) or the APK Ultimate Collection post at ArsTechnica.

[steve1955]

Two of the best reg-cleaners are RegScrup XP and JV16 Power Tools the 1st being free the 2nd being free if you use older version stll available from :- www.oldversion.com

[iceni60]

Originally Posted by dober

I KNOW ITS MY FAULT BUT I NEED YOUR HELP GUYS. I used ccleaner's issue but I didn't make a backup because nothing was suspicious really. Now I'm in trouble: some exe files-like HijackThis-wont open.Also some functions on real player won’t respond, and when I use CDRW disk the drive shows the old previously burned stuff not the newly recorded even if I erase it before use. Any help please

you can download this run it and restore any .reg files that it finds on the day you ran ccleaner. theres a chance that it has been over-written by your system, so you may not find it.

[steve1955]

Originally Posted by dober

I KNOW ITS MY FAULT BUT I NEED YOUR HELP GUYS. I used ccleaner's issue but I didn't make a backup because nothing was suspicious really. Now I'm in trouble: some exe files-like HijackThis-wont open.Also some functions on real player won’t respond, and when I use CDRW disk the drive shows the old previously burned stuff not the newly recorded even if I erase it before use. Any help please

Have you tried running system restore:-should be able to put reg back to before you had mishap!
If by any chance using W98 boot into dos type in:-scanreg/restore you'll then get a a "list" of dates you can take your PC back to

[stalker]

Originally Posted by Paranoid2000

Before using any of APK's utilities, you would be well advised to check his posts on ... The Memory-Optimization Hoax (long thread, where he starts by accusing the author Mark Russinovich of being a thief and goes downhill from there) or the post at ... ArsTechnica.

Well Paranoid2000, I've read his replies on Memory-Optimization Hoax article long time ago, and I thought it is just some guy, that had been working with Mark in the past (and had some argue with him at that time, or something), but now after reading the other posts ...

The guy is just insane ... dunno, first time, I see such anger, narcissism, and his atitude in general.


/EDIT:
Many thanks for this link to his ArsTechnica's posts. I have so much fun now, reading them.



Anyway. I didn't like its utilities on "first-sight", though I actually didn't use them, so I cannot tell.

[gerardwil]

Originally Posted by Paranoid2000

Before using any of APK's utilities, you would be well advised to check his posts on The Memory-Optimization Hoax (long thread, where he starts by accusing the author Mark Russinovich of being a thief and goes downhill from there) or the APK Ultimate Collection post at ArsTechnica.

Hi Paranoid2000,

Thanks for info and the links. I didnt know all about these soapy stories
Cheers,

Gerard

[Paranoid2000]

Originally Posted by stalker

Many thanks for this link to his ArsTechnica's posts. I have so much fun now, reading them.

Originally Posted by gerardwil

Thanks for info and the links. I didnt know all about these soapy stories

I have to confess, I was caught between laughing and crying on some of those posts - there's someone begging out for a Darwin Award in there...

Thanks every one
@chew
@steve1955
I have many restore points but couldn't execute any of them, system restore bounces back. Also to uninstall any program from add/remove I have to do this
1-delete the program folder to recycle bin
2-click uninstall from add/remove, then I'll be prompted
3-restore the folder from recycle bin
4-click uninstall

I think it will be better for me to re install XP again because I'm too illiterate when it comes to editing registry
I like ccleaner and continue to use it to clean the system automatically BUT I'LL NEVER TOUCH ISSUES AGAIN AND NEVER EVER USE ANY REG CLEANER AGAIN
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks

before I reinstall I decided to test as much programs as possible including regcleaners. while running "ccleaner" shows "no issues" another one called "regsupreme 1.2" found 726 issues
CAN THIS BE TRUE

[crash79`]

I use System Mechanic which seems to me to do a good all-round job. I've used it for years.
John

[wildman]

RegSeeker, which can be obtained from majorgeeks.com, is a ZIP download (Free) and quiet good. Plus it is very easy to use and has backup ability.

Thanks
Wildman

[iceni60]

when you use most reg cleaners, in the results theres normally items which are marked in red and items that are green. i only ever delete the green enteries, after making a backup, and never have any problems

[iceni60]

Originally Posted by luv2bsecure

I have always had luck with RegVac. There is an advanced mode and a novice mode and you will be shocked at what all it finds in its various modes. Wow. Great tool.
http://www.superwin.com/regvac.htm

John
Luv2BSecure

.

hello, John . i just tried RegVac and it found and removed over 100 .reg enteries, which i was very pleased with.

now i have to admit that i did go into expert mode, but i was very careful so what im about to say may, or may not have been my fault .

when i next tried to open a jpeg, the open association had disappeared from my menu option, so when i double-clicked on a picture to view it, as "preview" was no longer at the top of the list of the menu option, (shown in screenshot) it scanned for the jpeg expliot. when i remerged the .reg enteries which regvac had removed the "preview" association returned to the top of the list. so double-clicking it opened it, and no longer scanned for the exploit

i suppose the moral of the story is backup, backup, backup and theres a small chance i removed the association in expert mode

bit long winded, so i hope it makes sense



i want to try regseeker now, but im not sure if most people remve all the enteries, or just the ones which are green, and not red

[iceni60]

heres a screenshot after remerging the .reg's

[rdsu]

I suggestion the Ace Utilities and RegSupreme Pro

[NetTraveler]

Originally Posted by Rasheed187

I also heard of stories where people really messed up their system because of these tools, that's why I'm very careful with them, I did let RegCleaner (free version) automaticly clean my reg one time by mistake, I was really scared, but it didn't break anything.

I like RegCleaner as well.. Good program. If you delete anything by accident, you can always restore it. I never had problems with it at all.
What also seem to be a great proggie is a Supercleaner.. I never used it tho, but heard lot of positve stories about it..

[JRCATES]

Even though it is not freeware, a good pay application to consider is Fix-It Utilities. I am using Fix-It Utilities 5, and they have just released Fix-It Utilties 6. Here is a review of Fix-It via toptenreviews.com, and one of the main things they focus on is safety:

Fix-It Utilities Review

Once scanning of the registry is complete, they offer each entry with the specified path that it points to, as well as their recommendation as to whether or not is is "safe" or "recommended" to delete an item. They also use a stoplight approach when identifying each entry, like "Green" means completely safe, "Yellow" means research a little more, and "Red" means use caution.

http://img197.echo.cx/img197/9185/fixitutilities4rf.png