needing registry tool guidance

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by snapdragin, Nov 11, 2002.

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  1. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    well, i am still not anywhere near as confident as i'd like to be working in my pc's registry, but i am needing to clean it up a bit after deleting some old unused programs from my Win98se.

    i am still picking out remainng pieces of McAfee (just removed the safe&sound and i have the instructions for removing other pieces of it manually).....but i was looking at RegRun and jv16PowerTools and trying to figure out which one would be best for someone very new to cleaning a registry.

    any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....this is a learning experience....kinda fun! ....kinda scary! but hey..gotta start somewhere! :D

    snap
     
  2. yodafan

    yodafan Guest

    hey snapdragin,

    I use RegCleaner.. might wana give that a try.

    YODA
     
  3. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    hey'ya Yod@!

    i believe RegCleaner is included with jv16 Power Tools...and it's a bit more powerful now than it was when it was a stand-alone program. i did try it once awhile back on the Win98 but it didn't seem to work right....or i wasn't sure how to work it more likely. LOL!

    from what i was reading about jv16 Power Tools, it is better to have the whole bundle....i am just not sure if that would be the best "bundle" for someone not that familiar with dabbling in the registry to use......or would RegRun be easier?

    thank you for your quick reply Yod@ - it is great to see you! :D

    snap
     
  4. Pieter_Arntz

    Pieter_Arntz Spyware Veteran

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    Hi snapdragin,

    This should give you a fair idea of where to look:
    http://www.uvm.edu/cit/antivirus/faqs/manualremoval.html

    Regards,

    Pieter
     
  5. root

    root Registered Member

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    Hi Snap. I think jv16 Power Tools is without a doubt the safest, most powerful reg cleaner around.
    After you take a look at the installed programs that show up when you select registry tool, you can delete any that references a program that is no longer installed.
    Then select tools, registry cleaner, and check I want to manually verify.... and show why each item...and disable screensaver if it interferes.
    Hit continue and check all. Hit continue and wait.
    It is safe to delete all the entries it finds (except the ignored one, but that should not have been checked anyway.)
    I have never had a problem with this program. Make sure you always have the latest version.
    I also use the registry cleaner in System suite, but you need to be a little careful with that one. Both programs backup the changes, so they can be undone.
    I always reboot immediately after cleaning the registry and log on to make sure everything still seems ok.
     
  6. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    root - thank you very much! i was leaning more towards using jv16 Power Tools since it seemed more what i am really needing. RegRun looks to be an awesome program too but i think it has more features than i really need right now. i use ERS 9x as my backup utility on my Win98se and i want to be careful that i don't d/l another program that would possibily conflict with that, and RegRun does has a backup utility in it.

    i will d/l jv16 Power Tools and use that one. :D

    Pieter - thank you for the link!
    i had McAfee's Virus Scan 4, 5 and then the on-line 6 on the Win98 up until last March - then removed it using the Add/Remove feature (replaced it with NOD32) but i know there are still many pieces of it still in laying around in the registry. i just don't trust my mouse-clicking to go in there and remove ALL those li'l pieces, so manybe jv16 Power Tools will help me remove most of them. ;)

    snap
     
  7. Pieter_Arntz

    Pieter_Arntz Spyware Veteran

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    There´s always the possibility of making a backup of your regsitry, but you´re right: if you don´t feel confident in tinkering with the registry, don´t do it.
    The link I gave also names some files, that could have stayed behind. You might want to look for those.

    Regards,

    Pieter
     
  8. FanJ

    FanJ Guest

    Hi Snap,

    As we both know ERS9X is a very nice tool, and it back-ups your registry too; as far as I know it is in the WinSys-backup.
    I have also RegRun, that also lets you back-up your registry (of course!); as far as I know they both do not interfer. That means simply: if you let one restore your registry, it will do that; in case you let the other one do a restore some time later, well then that back-up of your registry will be restored.
    But since you have ERS9X, I tend to advice to use that one for a restore cause it back-ups more things than only the registry.

    Just my 2 cents.....
     
  9. the Tester

    the Tester Registered Member

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    Hi Snapdragin.I was in the same situation you are in now.And not that long ago.jv16 Power Tools was recommended to me by some experienced computer users.I have been using it since before it came out as a final realease.It does have an automatic back-up feature.I have it set up so that I don't see the ignored entries,only the "safe" ones.I haven't had any problems with it so far.It does a good job of finding traces of un-installed programs.I had jv16 Reg Cleaner prior to this,I prefer Power Tools.It also has a start up programs list,and you can manually configure it to clean temp internet files.I don't use those two features,but they are available.I haven't used the registry fixer,just the registry cleaner.I had to remove McAfee Virus scan before I had this tool.That was not a fun time!!!Power tools should make cleaning that out of your registry a lot easier.
     
  10. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    Hi Pieter - i backed up my system with ERS9x (after i installed the update for it)....did all the other necessary housecleaning and installed and uninstalled a few more things i've been putting off.....but i had to get back into the Registry sooner or later...i just didn't wanna go in there alone and unarmed! ;)

    Jan - i LOVE your 2 cents! You were the one who suggested to me to give ERS9x a try----thank you Thank You! i think i installed the update for it correctly....it's still showed as registered to me and it's working. i even went through all the instructions again just in case i messed up with the Registry...what a good feeling to know that ERS9x is there, just in case.

    Tester - it looks like i am repeating what you went through. it's nice to know there are other's here that have taken those first steps so us late one's can get great advice from you....i mean them!

    i had to uninstall SpybotS&D ver 1, since it didn't seem to want to work on my Win98se, and i was just a bit nervous about how the system was going to handle uninstalling that and the bits of McAfee too...but it uninstalled great and i only have a few "useless keys" (ok...many useless keys) left to go...but i'll do them slowly, cause i've been at it most of the day, and i don't wanna look at the registry anymore. LOL!

    thanks everyone for all your help!
    it's been a fun day! :)

    snap

    reason for edit because i should say which program i used to clean the registry----jv16 Power Tools! and i LOVE IT!! ~yeah!~
     
  11. snowy

    snowy Guest

    Have never seen this mention anywhere....but it happaned to me.......
    on my os I have removed numerous programs from the os.....by way of windows setup...........an the first time I used a registry cleaner.....I cleaned EVERYTHING that it said could safely be removed.....well later I went to re-install a few of the programs......needless to say....I could not...had to reformat....
    so it may not be a bad idea to check windows setup to see if any of your programs are not installed.........
    every now and then after making new installations or removing installations........I go to windows setup an re-install everything that is listed there.....re-boot a couple of times....then clean out everything the registry cleaner reveals.......really not that time consuming....less time that a reformat.......

    just my 1 cents

    snowman
     
  12. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    wise words Snowman! and your 1 cent is just as precious to me as Jan's!

    i am going very slow in removing everything. there are a few things there i am uncertain of so i will need to go to the jv16 Forum and see if other's have removed similiar items safely before i'll remove anymore.

    it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be though, but a reformat i will avoid at all costs (mainly because i have never done one and i don't wanna either!) LOL!

    but if i ever do...i will look for your 1 and 2 cents for sure! ;)

    ((hugz))
    snap
     
  13. snowy

    snowy Guest

    Sadly..a reformat may no longer be a complete answer for winME users now that M$ dropped support.......I would just do without the patches.......no choice it seems


    but got a nice cd burner LOL


    snowman
     
  14. Smokey

    Smokey Registered Member

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    Hi Root!

    I've tried so many regcleaners, and till yet they cause ALL meatloaf of my registry.

    Especially deleting empty keys was in most of the regceaners the cause of the problems.

    JV16 Powertools/Regcleaner finds, just like the other regcleaners, a lot of empty keys and mark them all "green - safe to remove".

    Is it really a regcleaner I can trust and delete all "green" empty keys JV16-Regcleaner finds safe?
     
  15. Douglas

    Douglas Guest

    Hi Smokey,
    Check out this thread:
    http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=5976

    Regards,
    Douglas
     
  16. Phil

    Phil Registered Member

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    Snap,

    I'm a little late to the party on this one but thought I would throw this one out for you to look at. This is, bar none, the BEST reg editing tool I have ever used. I do a fair amount of beta testing and trialing software plus trying various reg tweaks to increase performance so I'm alwany digging around in there for one reason or the other. It wasn't *that* long ago I treated the reg just like that monster under the bed. I knew he was there -- I didn't mess with him. :D

    Anyway, this tool is awesome. The registered version is a little expensive (but was worth it to me) but they do have a "Lite" freeware version. Like I said, it is a powerful editor but it does have features VERY useful to a reg newb. Those would be the backup, export/save, and the search function. You can back the reg with one click so you can restore if you do a no-no. Then, you could do a search for, say, McAfee and find all instances. You could highlight and export all found to a reg file or text file then delete them. If something acts a little goofy after the delete, just dbl-clk on the exported file and -- presto -- they are back.

    Once again, it *is* a powerful tool and will let you trash your reg if you go in there like a crazy person, but if you used it in the beginning like I mentioned above and in conjunction with JV16, you will be OK. Funny thing happens after you use it for a while -- you find the reg is not something to fear and it becomes just another way to get things done. Here 'tis if you want to take a look. Just ignore the name -- what can I say, they're furriners. :D

    http://www.resplendence.com/registry/registrar.htm

    Phil
     
  17. root

    root Registered Member

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    Hi Smokey. I only use the registry cleaner part of it, so I won't speak for the rest. I have used it regularly ever since it first came out and it has never done me wrong.
    Make sure "don't create any backups" is NOT CHECKED.
    One time I told it to delete a red item and I should have known I still used that key, and it caused one of my programs to throw up an error message, but I went to the backups and restored that key and it worked fine.
    When you run the cleaner, look at the entries and what they say they are leading to. If its green, I would bet it is safe. A lot of it is obvious there is no major risk involved.
    Nothing is 100%, but I really trust this one. I have ditched all my other reg cleaners and use this one exclusively now.
    Messing with the registry can lead to serious trouble as you know. But a cluttered registry can lead to trouble also. In the end, it boils down to Bill Gates didn't do us any favors when he chose this design. IMHO. :D
    Phil, that is a powerful tool, but I would hesitate to recommend it to people unfamiliar with the registry.
    Seems like we all have different experiences with the various utilities available. I think thats the important thing to remember. If I say I have never had a problem with a certain program, that doesn't mean its going to work for everyone the same way. Sure wish it did. :D
     
  18. snapdragin

    snapdragin Registered Member

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    ROFL!! Love it!! (we could always try the vacuum cleaner! One sweep and well get both the dust-bunnies AND the monster! :D

    i checked out the link, Phil, and it IS a powerful tool! Wooooo! i was going to take their Tour but i couldn't get past the first page for some reason, so i bookmarked it so i can go back later and look at it again. i really like the interface the program has though!

    never have to worry about me using anything like a crazy person....it usually takes me a few months before i get past the easiest features...and a couple re-views of the Help file before i get brave enough to actually hit that "apply" button. ;)

    Thank you Phil for the link and for the post! (and it is never to late to post about something like this - housework's gotta be done...one just has to decide with what and how (i'd add a "who" here but i don't think i'm gonna get any volunteers) :rolleyes:

    Root - i must confess, i have not been back into the registry to do anymore cleaning since the last time. i really like jv16PowerTools Registry Cleaner (not touching the other features there yet)...but i only deleted a few of those "green" marked keys....everything look and worked ok afterwards, so i counted my blessings and didn't push my luck! i'll try it again later when i'm in a challenging mood. :D

    thank you guys!!

    warm regards,
    snap
     
  19. Smokey

    Smokey Registered Member

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    Hi Root!

    Thanks for the answer, it tells me exactly what I want to know.

    After your statement JV16 concerning I tried the JV16 regcleaner, and, what a miracle, this time no meatloaf-registry! :D

    That is positive, negative fact is I can throw away the regcleaner that I bought for a lot of bucks! :mad:
     
  20. root

    root Registered Member

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    Glad to hear that Smokey. The registry really does need cleaning from time to time, and it's nice to have a decent tool. ;)
     
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