Is Registry Cleaning Software Safe To Use?

Then you have a few options:
1.) Easiest is to use Winternals ERD Commander (2005) and use the MS System Restore. But you must make sure you made a recoverpoint before the catastrophic registry editing. You can also run RegEdit within ERD. This is really good stuff, the BEST Boot CD for dead systems I know of. The Boot CD loads a Windows-like interface. You can even use the included Firefox to browse the internet, while the system is dead.
2.) You can use the MS Boot floppy you made within Windows, this opens commandprompt and you can edit the registry through commandprompt. I never even used this because I am not good in commandprompt.
3.) Use the ''Last Known Good Configuration'' by pressing F8. (Only if the cause lies in faulty configuration of the registry; not to be used if you deleted keys from the registry).
4.) You can restore the registry via your Backup utility's emergency/recovery/boot cd (or other medium), which gives you access to the backup media and allows for restore.

There are probably more possibilities, but these are the basic that came to mind. You can also always try if you can still boot in Safe Mode. Maybe it's possible, because Safe Mode loads a minimum amount of drivers/loads only the critical elements.

 

You have to be careful when choosing a registry cleaner. Sometimes just using any product may result in more problems. I would careful check reviews of the various products available on the market and make sure that the company distributing the product is reliable and offers customer support too.

 

Hi, Uniblue:

Welcome to Wilders,

I am using Registry Booster 2, may I ask you one quick question?

Your app seems to me (for the moment) is the only registry cleaner that requires a window reboot after each cleaning. Why ? Is it really necessary ?

Thanks in advanced.

 

Hi Mrk. For sure these are convenient tools to restore i too used some in the past,but nowadays with instant recovery applications like FDISR,Returnil and the like,and also the fast and reliable imaging softwares at our disposal, these tools will eventually fade into oblivion.But must admit,like Eric used to say, these stuff keeps you stupid !!

 

These ISR-softwares keep me indeed stupid, but they also save me alot of time :

1. I don't have to solve problems anymore : no research, no readings, no bothering of other people, ... instead of that I have now a computer that repairs itself automatically during reboot.
2. I don't have to run scanners, registry cleaners, history cleaners, junk cleaners or manual cleanings anymore.

If I compare that with the past, an ENORMOUS improvement, it changed everything.

 

crap! I cant edit my previous post anymore. The info is misleading. Because I just read on the internet that indeed even Ashampoo Uninstaller Platinum lefts behind some remnants (registry key's). Some moderator please remove my post?

 

I don't think it really matters. You corrected your previous post with your latest post. A good reader reads all posts of a thread, not just one.

 

don't bother we are just human ! Both with Revo and Totall uninstaller ,i found after uninstall with these many registered stuff left behind after perusing manually the registry so nothing in the world is perfect.

The question is : Have these remnants in any way a negative impact on your system ?

 

I think that such corollary is the rule of thumb. We need to be realistic - we aren't talking of PC's virtual environment. The true is: there are registry entries that can't be removed easily by applications, even manually. I use ZSoft Uninstaller; their anlayze feature does a very good work; I see that some entries aren't removed - because to remove them it isn't enough to have Administrator permissions, so the app. can't do anything about. Why? Because is needed System permissions - I saw that with e.g. with app. that installed services to work; when I uninstall it some services'registry entries can't be removed. None annoyance. The Windows System must to protect itself - it seems good to me that it likes to care itself.

And with files something else similar: when a installer modify a file what happen after? The uninstaller remove it? Dangerous... because the file was there yet - the installer modified it only. So the file remain in the PC - but off course isn't the same - it's the original with aditional info. Did you think that the trial software (to know if user is installing again), works with registry only? I don't think so...

Is this sad? No, it's the reality - we are living in the real environment. The virtual is good - but is... virtual!

The best way to uninstall and keep the registry - and files - cleansed (I'm not talking about virtual cleaner...) is to use app. that did a before/after analyze. And the problem isn't only with registry - it's with files also (as important or more than somebody think). When we use a computer we have a... used computer; if it is used it isn't new never - so, it isn't clean and new. If you need that - please buy a new computer or format it - like with a car.

 

Not true with FDISR on board, I always boot and reboot in the same fresh clean installed system partition (Windows and Applications).

 

Crucial info.

It seems to me that we were talking about cleaning process in a dynamic System (past - > present). Yes, of course in a static, closed System (past -> past) such cleaning process is unnecessary, just senseless. It will be a paradox even.


Pere rerum naturam.
In extremis.

 

Yes that is the general idea users usually have regarding a static system.
I'm as dynamic as in the past, I just don't have the consequences anymore of being dynamic : a dirty system.

 

Hi Perman,

Thanks for the welcome! Since many registry keys are loaded in memory, a system reboot ensures that any changes in the registry file are refreshed/loaded in the memory and come into affect.

Best regards

 

Does it matter when you uninstall via your snapshot-based uninstall prog in safe mode? Is the reason that not all reg keys are removed the permissions of those keys? Or that those keys are in use in memory?

If you cant delete particular registry key's you may use this prog I found on softpedia:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Registry-Tweak/RegASSASSIN.shtml

You may also use this utility to check the permissions of the filesystem, registry database, etc:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/AccessEnum.shtml

 

Hiya rolarocka,

Could you please tell me which 3 registry cleaning programs ??

I just can't trust the ones I'm trying :

I'm now using TRIALS of MaceCraft (BOTH RegSupreme & jv16). Each REGISTRY
CLEANER has different results by over 130 items !!! Yes, I tried them TWICE and with
RE-STARTS -- both on NORMAL mode (NOT agressive) ...

The RegSupreme gets 43 KEYS & 141 ENTRIES -- jv16 gets 0 KEYS & 6 ENTRIES.
This is on the SAME registry, with identical settings.

And, the jv16 keeps STICKING, requiring numerous re-SEARCHES with small numbers
of entries deleted (old UN-installed software items) each time until done !!

THANKS fer yer trouble here.

 

I would say, ditch them all,they're more dangerous then beneficial.

most leftovers do no harm nor do they impede a registers working.

 

Registry cleaners may do damage that only becomes apparent much later !
Backups may not help you in that case.

Tinkering with the registry should generally be avoided. I would only consider it if the only alternative is a full Windows reinstall. (A rule, with very few exceptions).

 

When I hit upon this thread I was looking for something different than just the impact of Registry Cleaning Software on the sanity or integrity of the system (since I am German I am not quite sure of the adequacy of these terms).

I use use Microsoft's RegClean on a regular basis, which finds errors every few days. I feel it is beneficial to my rather unstable Windows Me. (Apart from that I use the RegFixer Module of my Ontrack System Suite every few weeks after having done a lot of layout work using graphic programs and shifting about files and folders thereby creating a lot of invalid paths. I find also RegSeeker to be a very useful tool for certain tasks.)

Now back on RegClean. Recently I had "a-squared free" make an on-demand scan of my WinME partition and was quite surprised that it reported RegClean to be malware of medium threat. Spybot told me the same. I have been using RegClean for many years now in different WinME partitions and for a few months in two WinXP partitions and have never had such findings before.

Is it possible that some malware could have infected this Microsoft utility? Has anybody heard of similar experience with this tool? I have not found anything in this respect with Google.

 

Everything is possible. But just upload it to: http://www.virustotal.com/ and look at the results.

 

An old read, but still a good one in my humble opinion.

http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643

As far as I'm concerned, most registry "cleaners" should be outlawed.

(Forgive me folks, people got tired of hearing from me about registry cleaners in other forums, so I figured (while I had the chance), I'd give my unwelcome opinion here too.

FWIW, I've seen the blind use of Registry "Cleaners" trash many a Computer.

Take from it what you will.

 

Some programs that require a really 'clean' uninstall - for that I have found
registry cleaners very useful. Comodo firewall v.3 for instance. See here:-
http://forums.comodo.com/help_for_v...ving_comodo_firewall_pro_3_info-t17220.0.html
I use Regseeker, and sometimes jv16 often and have only had one serious
mishap which I could fortunately remedy with ERUNT via the Recovery Console.
Rule of thumb is to always make backups and not to delete
clsid/Invalid activeX com entries willy nilly. I also tend not to
remove unused file extensions unless 100% sure. I suppose I am addicted to cleaning the
registry, despite having Zsoft uninstaller (similar to Total Uninstall and Revo)
The latter 3 all gave me a few problems.

 

its amasing what Regseeker find after uninstall with even Revo or Totalluninstall !

 

And sometimes the user stay over startled when after use RegSeeker a bluescreen comes out... Check green itens only, if you want to use it!...

I use MV RegClean and Eusing Registry Cleaner - they do a good and safe work.

 

Maybe Eusing and My Regclean are good but your remarks about RegSeeker is not about RegSeeker at all,but a different application !!

RegSeeker is a search application,it has no opinions about the finds such as regular registrycleaners use to have[safe/not safe to delete]but just find the leftovers after uninstall.
So at least with Regseeker there are no green exclamation marks.

 

I'm talking RegSeeker about (ScreenShot below). This app. is a search registry like you said well - but it's a registry cleaner also.

Many common users use it like a cleaner mainly. Because it is highly recommended by "registry'experts" that there are a myriad in the internet...

What I say is: if anyone want to use it - it's advisable (very much) to "Select all Green itens". Because... annoyances can comes out many times ... Like a bluescreen, between others... And the user don't understand even that the culprit is the very good RegSeeker (like the experts like to say about)... E.g.: Link1 - Link2 - Link3:"I received one comment in which the reader indicated he had suffered a complete meltdown of his computer after having run this application".

Like someone said "Do not try to use any of the other functions on RegSeeker, it is a powerful program with the potential to damage your PC if used incorrectly".

To the common user is judicious to use Registry Cleaners like CCleaner, MV RegClean and Eusing Registry Cleaner. All freeware. These cleaners are trustworthy and no-agressive.

With the Windows Registry to clean too much is to have big troubles.

http://xs225.xs.to/xs225/08135/regseeker1423.png