[sez123]

Hey. I have a problem with my laptop and ive been told I need to clean up my registry. There are many different registry cleaners or CC CLeaners online, can anyone reccommend any specific one?
Also, once I download it, is it pretty self explanatory?

Many thanks.

[Stoner]

Common thought at this web site is that registry cleaners too often do more harm than good.
My own experience in the past was negative.

[redoak]

The advice you have received is bad advice. See below.

Post in detail what your problem(s) are in the appropriate Forum. The TSG folks will attempt to be of help.

{redoak}

Advice and Info re Registry 'cleaners'- excerpts from TSG:

The main reason they are apt to cause problems is because the cleaners do NOT just clean up stuff left over from uninstalls. They also "guess" that other items need to be deleted, many times incorrectly. They also attempt to "fix" references to files that no longer exist.

As a result, you can end up with programs that no longer work, functions that no longer work and in some cases a PC that will no longer boot.

There is no performance gains to be had by running these things. Windows does not read the entire registry when it is looking for something. It uses the keys which allow them to go straight to the item that they are looking for.

References:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643
http://www.computerhope.com/registry.htm


If you really want to see how active the registry is in your normal running environment, download and run Regmon.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/s.../bb896652.aspx

As you will see, the registry is constantly being accessed. If, for each of these, the entire file was being searched, your PC would be amazingly slow and not responsive.

Advice and Info re Registry 'cleaners'- excerpts from TSG, 10-07

The main reason they are apt to cause problems is because the cleaners do NOT just clean up stuff left over from uninstalls. They also "guess" that other items need to be deleted, many times incorrectly. They also attempt to "fix" references to files that no longer exist.

As a result, you can end up with programs that no longer work, functions that no longer work and in some cases a PC that will no longer boot.

There is no performance gains to be had by running these things. Windows does not read the entire registry when it is looking for something. It uses the keys which allow them to go straight to the item that they are looking for.

References:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643
http://www.computerhope.com/registry.htm


If you really want to see how active the registry is in your normal running environment, download and run Regmon.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/s.../bb896652.aspx

As you will see, the registry is constantly being accessed. If, for each of these, the entire file was being searched, your PC would be amazingly slow and not responsive.

And, to repeat this again, they make no difference in the machine's performance because they are based on a false premiss about how the registry is accessed. Unused entries do not slow it down.
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Another reference: http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099