Thread: Utility suites?

Tune up Utilities 2008 works fine.

That's about the only utility suite I have installed so far.

Originally Posted by reghakr

Tune up Utilities 2008 works fine.

That's about the only utility suite I have installed so far.

Not a complete utility suite but Registry Mechanic works fine 2

I should have realized this as I used to work for them.

I have both PCTools Internet Security and Registry Mechanic in the notification area and didn't even think about them.

They however do not work on the 64-bit edition.

I use Ccleaner and , like the OP, AWC. I have used them with there unaltered defaults for some years and so far have had no screw ups. I do not care to have them on automatic so do a periodic manual scan.
But the subject of cleaning the registry is still being debated, as it has since XP. I am a customising and cleaning nerd, so I will go on using them whatever the "expert" advice. But Microsoft and users with more knowledge than I, assure me that cleaning the registry does not improve the performance of the OS in any way. The only reason to clean would be if something was hanging there which needed to be removed. This could be done manually with a registry search.
However, as I stated I will continue.......

davehc,

CCleaner is a very good program.

Don't you use it in Registry Mode to clean the registry?

No offense, but I have to disagree that they are still debating whether registry cleaning is a good idea.

Keeping the registry size down by eliminating references to programs that have been uninstalled and are leftover in the registry helps Windows boot faster. This could amount to hundreds of keys and thousands of values, especially under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID branch.

30-day trials and other shareware are notorious for adding cryptic keys in the registry, so you can't re-install the program after the 30 days are up. You'll receive an error message stating you time period has expired.

I have been using Registry Mechanic since around the year 2000 and it has never removed any keys that prevent any programs from running.

When I install anything, I use a program called Regshot to capture all the keys and values modified or added by the install. If I don't want to keep the program, I use Revouninstaller to remove it, then run a program called Regseeker to search for name or manufacturer in the registry and eliminate those that even Revouninstaller didn't remove. You do have to be careful and have some knowledge of the registry when using RegSeeker.

I then usually use Registry Mechanic about once a week.

So I guess I'm one of those cleaning nerds as well

If you open Regedit and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE branch, I can almost guarantee you that you will find references to programs you no longer have on your computer. I've done it myself...couldn't believe they were still there after using all 3 programs.

reghakr=registry hacker

I've been manually editting the registry since 1995

I'm sure I've probbaly missed some points in this post, but if other posts are made, I can clarify or provide links to the programs I've mentioned.

Not me M8 - clean as a whistle. But don't forget HKEY_Current_User \Software- There is usually left over gear there also.
Yes I do use Ccleaners reg cleaning option. But after AWC it normally finds nothing.

However, before this thread gets too long. For all members. Remember, if you are going to play with the registry, make a backup first. Even a small error can cause a software malfunction.
In regedit that would be Open the "File" tab and select export.

Clean as a whistle,

You are obviously keeping it clean,

Yes the Current user key contains most of that info as well as the your own GUID under HKEY_USERS\************\software.

Yep, you're also right about backing up, totally forgot about that one.

"No offense, but I have to disagree that they are still debating whether registry cleaning is a good idea.

Keeping the registry size down by eliminating references to programs that have been uninstalled and are leftover in the registry helps Windows boot faster. This could amount to hundreds of keys and thousands of values, especially under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID branch."

As I say, it is still debatable. I don't think you will find a Microsoft reccomendation for cleaning the registry. Pctools may well be different, but most registry cleaners actually do a very superficial task when cleaning. Few would touch the branch you have indicated. I would not deny, however, that if you are in the habit of installing and uninstalling programs, it is beneficial to clean out superfluous program periodically. But the overall result of this task alone, is a small improvement in startup time, if this is a major consideration.
This is what the consumers association has to say, for example.
"The Windows registry is a massive database of almost every setting imaginable for every application on your system. Does it make sense that cleaning it out would improve performance? Sadly it's just a marketing gimmick designed to sell registry cleaner products, as the reality is quite different... registry cleaners only remove a very small number of unused keys, which won't help performance when you consider the hundreds of thousands of keys in the registry.
This isn't to say they are completely useless, of course. Cleaning the registry when you are trying to troubleshoot a problem caused by uninstalling buggy software that leaves entries behind, for example. Even so, most cleaners leave behind the main entries in the "software" sections of the registry. To go a step further: Don’t run registry cleaner programs, period. We won’t go so far as to call them snake oil, but what possible performance benefits can you get from “cleaning up” unneeded registry entries and eliminating a few stray DLL files? good registry cleaners, by the way, do not delete .dat files and other system designated handles."

As I said, In spite of the several advices such as this, I will go on cleaning my own!!

By the way, have you noticed that, after a clean install and your own brief personal customisation, how many reg entries are marked for deletion? I filed this, tongue nin cheeck, as feedback with Vista and, subsequently with Windows 7, but got no answer other than the usal acknowledgement