Computer Clean Up

If i do one, will i have to reinstall the OS(xp) and what will the "backup" keep? (files) or will i just plainly loose everything, even though i do a backup?

thanks in advance

 

Well, what do you mean by a "cleanup?" If you mean running Disk Cleanup, getting rid of temp files, removing unneeded programs, and stuff like that, you won't lose anything or have to reinstall XP.

 

Good list Blues however, in that order of course reg cleanup should go but i also beleive that you should check for drive errors after doing everything that involves deleteing files. Also i would just defrag at the very last as if you do it earlier in the list when you work on the machine will just fragment again as you go along cleaning up. This way you defrag and then backup if you have a backup solution and you are done.

 

just use ccleaner i've been using it for years with no problems

 

But don't use "Issues" in the left column- it is a Registry cleaner.

{redoak}

 

never had a prob using issues either but each to their own choice

 

What follows below may be of interest. Regret that I can not credit the well informed TSG posters I am quoting.

{redoak}

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://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys...on/Regmon.mspx

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.