[redoak]

I have been comparing the following Registry cleaners/maintainers, some of which are trial versions and others I have permanently installed: Advanced System Optimizer; CleanMyPC; RegistryFix; TuneUpUtilities' "One Click Maintenance;" and RegistryFirstAid.

I find it interesting that no matter which one I run first or what features I select, where applicable, the others almost always find "problems" of their own. It appears that none of them do a completely thorough job. Consequently, is there one of these or a combination thereof that would be best? Of course, I recognize that a reply would be "one man's opinion." [Advanced System Optimizer is rated tops by "WUGNET."]

Footnote: I DO establish a “Restore Point” BEFORE running my ‘experiments.’

{redoak}

[md2lgyk]

I think you'll get as many opinions on this as there are responders. Some swear by registry cleaning; others insist it does no good at all and may actually do harm. It can definitely do harm if you don't know what you're doing and just start deleting stuff.

That said, I do run a cleaner called RegSeeker and have also tried a few others in the past. Each has its own level of "aggressiveness" as far as what it finds and removes. In any case, I would never pay for a registry cleaner. If I would, I'd probably go with jV16 Power Tools. I used it a lot when it used to be free.

[TOGG]

I second md2lgyk's point about the value (or not) of Registry cleaning.

I happen to be a 'believer' and have used various types, so far without any harm, but who knows what good it did me?

I currently use RegSupreme, which is not free, but which does use an updated version of the jv16 registry cleaner. The free trial is a fully working version if you feel like trying it out;http://www.jv16.org/

[blues_harp28]

Hi, used just two in the past, now use Easy Cleaner.
The question raised by TOGG is no doubt the important one."Who knows what good it did me?"
Is there any real need to clean the Registry? Id say yes with caution.
What effect on your system, if you never cleaned the Registry? Any thoughts..

[TOGG]

Now I come to think about it, I can remember one example of a positive result from registry cleaning.

We had the game 'Black & White' and decided to uninstall it. Later, we tried to reinstall, but every attempt failed with an error message we could not find any help with. Eventually, I ran the registry cleaner included with Spybot and it found one entry that mentioned Black & White which, when removed, allowed the reinstall.

There are a couple of other things to bear in mind in trialling any software, but registry cleaners in particular;

1. Be wary of programs that 'find' stuff but won't deal with it until you pay. It can be a legitimate approach, but it is also used to sell bad products.

2. A good cleaner will backup any changes it makes. If you use a trial version it will probably take the backups with it when the trial period expires, so don't use it towards the end of that period.

[dai]

Advanced System Optimizer
unless they have fixed it,this one gradually corrupts the registry each time you use it

[redoak]

I sure appreciate the comments. The last one by "dai" is disturbing. As I mentioned, the program received top billing by what appeared to be unbiased reviewers and comparers.

ASO does automatically create "Restore Points" (plural) at various times as it does its processing. They are all listed in the 'calendar' for choosing a restore point. I don't see how they can take them back at the end of the trial period of 30 days. Furthermore, ASO during the trial period does seem to function as a complete program.

As for cleaning making any difference, I definitely noticed an increase in operating speed of my computer. This was not imagined. [I properly run multiple 'malware' programs and a firewall; my computer is 'clean.'

{redoak}

[TOGG]

I may have made the point badly but, what I meant was, if the backups are stored within the program that is on trial (and I think they usually are), when the trial expires and the program stops working, the backups may not be accessable. This would not be a problem as long as a cleaning made just before expiry hasn't caused your computer to misbehave.

There is one program, CCleaner, that checks the Registry but doesn't automatically make backups. You are asked if you want one and, if you say 'Yes', are told to choose where the backup is stored. Obviously, there is no trial expiry issue with a free program.

I routinely delete my RegSupreme backups once they they are replaced by a newer one, so that there is no chance of my accidentally restoring the wrong one.

One of the claims I have seen for the benefits of registry cleaning is that it could speed up some processes because your OS does not waste time 'reading' loads of useless, empty, or broken entries. It's interesting that, with your lightning fast computer (compared to mine!), you can still definitely see a difference after cleaning.

[dai]

there were a few posts about it,lose track of time probably about 18mths ago

[redoak]

Review from ‘C/Net’-
“Download.com Review of Advanced System Optimizer

With its comprehensive suite of utilities and attractive interface, Advanced System Optimizer makes it easy to regularly clean and optimize your system for better performance. In one of our tests, the optimizer cut down the registry size by 15 percent. The system-optimizer toolset handles sensitive areas such as registry files, as well as less critical data such as junk files and cookies. Privacy and security features clean Web files left in Internet Explorer, Opera, and Netscape, as well as finding and removing spyware. Encryption and secure erasing protect sensitive data. You can even make Windows more attractive by changing icons and wallpaper. More tools can organize your appointments, create sticky notes, and even manage media files. The XP-style interface clearly explains all the program's functions without flooding you with details. Sometimes more details would be nice, though, such as which invalid keys are completely safe to remove and which you might want to examine before deleting. However, you can back up system files and even create a boot disk to use in the event of a full-system crash. The easy-to-use interface makes Advanced System Optimizer perfect for beginners.”

Review of ‘ASO’ at “WUGNET”: http://www.wugnet.com/shareware/spow.asp?ID=561

Review of ‘ASO’ at “Snap Files”- http://www.snapfiles.com/get/advancedsystem.html

Review of ‘ASO’ at “Top Ten Reviews”- http://pc-system-utilities-software-...er-review.html

[Elvandil]

Though I use RegistryFirstAid usually, it makes all kinds of mistakes with its intended "repairs" and I need to edit most of them. But they all do, and the wisdom of using these "cleaners" at all is debatable.

But JV16 Power Tools now has a net function whereby it updates its "ignore" list on the basis of problems that other users have had with mistakenly removed entries. That is really the primary purpose of updates to all the registry cleaners---to prevent the damage that the previous versions have wreaked, and sometimes to increase cleaning efficiency which automatically also increases risk. So this approach at least has the advantage of up-to-date corrections to the cleaning engine as new applications appear that the registry cleaner could well cause damage to.

It also periodically caches the registry configuration so that changes are examined for correction or deletion and the more stable and necessary unchanging entries required by the operating system and previously installed applications are left untouched.

So, it is technically far superior to anything else I've seen for registry maintenance, with the loss of total user control that is needed with this approach.

You'll notice that Microsoft makes no registry cleaners. They are too unreliable and cause too much overall damage, and they a have negligible effect on registry access time no matter how large a number of dead entries it seems are being removed.

A good registry compactor will improve speed more than a cleaner.

[md2lgyk]

Actually, Microsoft does (did?) have a registry cleaner called RegClean. I seem to recall trying it a long time ago. I don't think it was very good.

Elvandil's comment about a registry compactor reminded me I used to have one of those installed but can't recall which one. On my old HP Pentium II 400 MHz pc I have a program called Hare, which includes a registry compaction feature.

I think the value (or not) of registry cleaning depends on what you do with your pc. Some folks install/uninstall lots of different software to try it out or whatever, and many programs (particularly shareware and freeware) don't have very good uninstallers. As a result, lots of orphan registry entries get left behind.

[Money Pit]

And I was just going to post a question as to who makes an easy to understand and operate "Registry Cleaner"? THANKS Never mind Dave

[dai]

i am always installing and uninstalling,i like know what the programs are about and are any good before recommending them,but i only clean the registry spareingly haave not tried a reg. compactor yet

[redoak]

Someone please give names(s), etc. of "compactor(s)."
Thanks. {redoak}