Windows Registry Repair Programs

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any application
that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a bloated
registry, but I have no specific problems.

--
Johnny_B
Go, Johnny - GO!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

If you have no problems, then avoid them.

....Alan

--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/index.html

In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, "Johnny_B"
<Johnny_B@good.net> wrote:

>What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
>Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
>Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
>shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
>programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any application
>that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
>e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a bloated
>registry, but I have no specific problems.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"Johnny_B" <Johnny_B@good.net> wrote in message
news:s0eAe.30802$ro.13345@fed1read02...
> What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
> Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
> Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
> shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
> programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any application
> that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
> e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a bloated
> registry, but I have no specific problems.
>
> --
> Johnny_B
> Go, Johnny - GO!
>
I to have a problem, in that my registry grows by 2 to 10k daily, (with no
new software being added, or changes to system?). PC very slow at startup,
was 56' and is now 90' +. In Jan. 05, after re-install, reg. size was 669k,
and is now 1.5Mb +. I have tried EasyCleaner but that's all. Sorry I cant
answer with help JB, I just thought I'd add this bit and watch for replies.
W98SE.
D.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

The real scoop is that ALL of them can - and most often will - do more
damage than they can benefit you (which is really minor).

I have used many of them, and I always have to be extremely, extremely,
cautious and guarded when playing around with the registry, and I say this
with a fair amount of experience in messing with the registry. I've done
many, many registry restores over the years, with all my tests.

Unless you really truly enjoy living on the razor's edge, I would recommend
you steer away from it.

Dave D wrote:
> "Johnny_B" <Johnny_B@good.net> wrote in message
> news:s0eAe.30802$ro.13345@fed1read02...
>> What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
>> Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
>> Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
>> shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
>> programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any application
>> that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
>> e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a bloated
>> registry, but I have no specific problems.
>>
>> --
>> Johnny_B
>> Go, Johnny - GO!
>>
> I to have a problem, in that my registry grows by 2 to 10k daily, (with no
> new software being added, or changes to system?). PC very slow at startup,
> was 56' and is now 90' +. In Jan. 05, after re-install, reg. size was
669k,
> and is now 1.5Mb +. I have tried EasyCleaner but that's all. Sorry I cant
> answer with help JB, I just thought I'd add this bit and watch for
replies.
> W98SE.
> D.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:52:07 +1000, Alan Edwards

>If you have no problems, then avoid them.

If you have problems, avoid them too - they will just create new
problems and make troubleshooting more difficult.



>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
"If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
killed it myself" (PKD)
>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user) wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:52:07 +1000, Alan Edwards
>
>> If you have no problems, then avoid them.
>
> If you have problems, avoid them too - they will just create new
> problems and make troubleshooting more difficult.

Exactly. And well said. A word to the wise is sufficient, but one has
to be wise enough to know that.

>
>> -------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
> "If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
> killed it myself" (PKD)
>> -------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Amen!

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" <cquirkenews@nospam.mvps.org> wrote
in message news:ibc6d11jcs05eq33skoj4hla07quuhimea@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:52:07 +1000, Alan Edwards
>
>>If you have no problems, then avoid them.
>
> If you have problems, avoid them too - they will just create new
> problems and make troubleshooting more difficult.
>
>
>
>>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
> "If I'd known it was harmless, I'd have
> killed it myself" (PKD)
>>-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Thanks Alan. I'll ignore the 1,437 problems identified by Registry
Mechanic following a scan (scam) of my computer. Probably a lot of
false positives, I surmise AND / OR junk remaining in registry following
program removal.

.....Johnny_B

"Alan Edwards" <edwards@southcom.com.au> wrote in message
news:70v2d1d0ugc4en52uot3l4cobfjs1ou55c@4ax.com...
| If you have no problems, then avoid them.
|
| ...Alan
|
| --
| Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
| http://dts-l.org/index.html
|
| In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, "Johnny_B"
| <Johnny_B@good.net> wrote:
|
| >What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
| >Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
| >Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
| >shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
| >programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any
application
| >that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
| >e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a
bloated
| >registry, but I have no specific problems.
|

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 19:44:41 +0100, "Dave D"

>I too have a problem, in that my registry grows by 2 to 10k daily, (with no
>new software being added, or changes to system?). PC very slow at startup,
>was 56' and is now 90' +. In Jan. 05, after re-install, reg. size was 669k,
>and is now 1.5Mb +. I have tried EasyCleaner but that's all. Sorry I cant
>answer with help JB, I just thought I'd add this bit and watch for replies.

Before you think, do "the prelim"...

http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/bthink.htm

....but in this case, I'd jump directly to a formal virus check...

http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/virtest.htm

....and then a scan with AdAware, Spybot etc.

Usage info gets added to registry, but on a FIFO basis; old stuff
falls off the MRU lists as quickly as new stuff is added. ScanReg
with the /opt parameter should compact the registry so that left-over
dead space will be removed.

If you still find the registry is growing after it's been compacted,
and you found nil on formal virus scan (or you skipped that step and
are still fixated on the registry), then do this...

Every day, run Regedit and export each hive, e.g. HKLM, HKCR, HKCU,
etc. See which of these is growing, then drill down within that hive,
exporting each sub-chunk in a separate file, so that you can see which
of those is growing, then you can etc.

You may get no pattern, i.e. everything grows diffusely. Or you may
find one particular spot is growing - if so, biopsy something that
looks unique but invariant, and Google on that.

If you find hits suggestive of a malware problem, then go back and
follow my advice from the top ;-)


>-- Risk Management is the clue that asks:
"Why do I keep open buckets of petrol next to all the
ashtrays in the lounge, when I don't even have a car?"
>----------------------- ------ ---- --- -- - - - -

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Johnny_B wrote:
> What is the real scoop on these Windows Registry Repair programs e.g.
> Registry Mechanic 5.0, Windows Registry Repair SE 2.0.0.1, WinASO
> Registry Optimizer 2.0.5, Free Registry Fix 3.0 ... ? They are
> shareware programs costing $29.95 or more. Has anyone used these
> programs? I'm suspicious -- ok, paranoid ; ) -- about any application
> that claims to fix registry problems in ALL Windows operating systems
> e.g. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP. I'm still running Win98SE with a bloated
> registry, but I have no specific problems.
>
The only program that I use on a semi-regular basis is the
Registry Cleaner that's a part of TuneUp Utilities.
Unlike some of the other cleaners which will show that there are
errors and then clean them all or cancel RC is completely
interactive.
It shows all the errors by category and you can easily see
which errors you want to have fixed. You can uncheck any or all
if you feel wary.

One lightweight example is it'll show start menu errors, something
you'll get when after installing a program you decide to move the
entries to your own categories. The original locations are still
in the registry and of course not needed. If you have a lot of
programs that have been moved around then all the old start menu
locations are still in the registry. Fine to have them cleaned
out.
On the other end I'll use the registry cleaner not to fix anything
but help me find some things I can fix manually 'cause the program's
author had a typo.
One game for instance, Abuse, had a shortcut where the author
forgot a space between the exe and a parm (Abuse.exe-Full instead
of Abuse.exe -Full [for fullscreen]).
If I had let the cleaner blindly fix it, flagged as an unknown
program, it would've just wiped out the whole registry entry and
my shortcut from the start menu.

Since TU is a suite there's a connection between some programs
so if there's certain errors you want to fix manually Registry
Cleaner will have a hyperlink to the registry. Clicking on that
brings up its registry editor and takes you to the registry
entry where you can have a closer look.

So yeah, be wary of registry cleaners in general but it's
possible to use some as help aids in tracking down some registry
problems.
Definitely stay away from those that fix/clean with no interaction
from the user other than clicking OK-Fix-It-All-For-Me.

--
>>ANIME SENSHI<<
Marc D. Williams
marcdw@charter.net
http://tvdog.shacknet.nu/ -- DOS Internet & Tandy 1000
http://www.geocities.com/wilmarcdw/ -- Win3.x Makeover