Computer Registry Clean Question?

Question

Once the registry clean is on your computer and has found certain specific errors and gives the option to remove or clean an item--how am I to determine which item may be removed without damaging the way the computer runs. my registr scan says I have over 1200 problems! It gives the option to remove any or all of them, but warns that removing them can cause disfunction of my normal wanted programs. Should registry clean only be done by a professional? And how much would that cost?

Answer 1

You have to begin to recognize a registry key and what it belongs to. This is a very, very high amount of registry items to be found in a scan and I have been doing these for years. Some of the answers here are very, very screwball as well. There is no such thing as COM DLL checking. The .dll files are in the Windows Explorer in Windows System 32 - the Dynamic Link Library. In fact there is no check except the actual registry cleaner detecting "orphans" which are left over files or keys without a Parent Directory.

Unless you know what you are looking at DO NOT DARE DELETE ANYTHING IN THE WINDOWS REGISTRY OR YOUR WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM AND / OR OTHER SOFTWARE WILL BE RENDERED INOPERABLE... is the only way to say that.

Okay, let's turn you on to the Windows Registry. How to get there?

Click > Start (lower left) > and click Run (on the menu) > and type in " regedit " in the little box. This automatically opens the Windows Registry.

On the left tree you click the little plus signs ( + ) that spread or collapse the tree. Collapse all the trees to the five sectors -

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_USERS
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Now spread the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key directory open. Skim down and spread open Software. Notice all the names of Folders of your software. These should be very, very recognizable to you by name.

Okay .... shut the Registry (you can return anytime). To close it just click the " X " (means close file) all the way uppermost top right corner.

Well now you've been inside the Windows Registry without touching anything. The area we were looking at is one of the most common places registry items are deleted from and I will show you why....

Now we are going to look at the Files these keys are all attached to.

Right Click > Start (lower left) > on menu click Explore... this will automatically open Windows Explorer were all your Software Files and the Windows Operating System Files are at...

Spread open the tree on the Left -
+My Computer to
+ Local Disk (C:) (The C Disk)
spread open C Disk (where all files are on)....

Skim (scroll) down to "Program Files" and spread that open. Look in the right side. That is the actual Files and don't touch them.

You will notice on the left side - the tree - in Program Files spread open - every sub folder (directory) for your installed software. Each software has its own Folder that occurs automatically when you click "Install".

Now if you remember, over in Windows Registry these look very, very similar. Generally when you uninstall a software - whatever is left over (not removed) then is called an "orphan" meaning a file or key without a parent folder - here the Program Files folder - although many times the empty Program Files Folder is still there. When you uninstall a software - the left over corresponding registry items are then instantly picked up in a registry cleaner scan.

Now this is where quality comes in. Most registry cleaners are not worth 2 cents unfortunately as they find too many "false positives" - meaning they are detecting registry items that belong to valid programs installed and running on the computer. This is another reason you NEVER click Delete in a Registry Cleaner or 'Move to Back Up Folder'.

You must become very, very familiar by going back and forth manually and looking at both sides and are totally positive that a registry key you are going to delete is indeed some left over fragment of an uninstalled software. Otherwise - too bad, you just f*cked your machine and maybe for good. (sorry 'bout the french - but it gets the point accross you need to hear).

If you are using a registry cleaner that does not allow you to double click an item after a scan and it automatically opens right to it in the Windows Registry highlighted - DUMP IT.... it is a piece of crap and you don't wan't to trust the idiot that made that.

If it does not give you the full location listed in the results of each item - DUMP IT - it is a piece of crap and you don't want to trust the idiot who made it. A 30 dollar loss is better than $3,000.00 !!!! worth of computer you can't use.

For now if I were you I would get familiar with things first and just do a lot of dry runs.... scan after certain events and look over the results. See what shows up all of a sudden after uninstalls. You should begin to see a pattern. There is NO HURRY to delete anything. You can let the trash pile up a long time before you have to put it out.

The other thing that is going to help is properly writing the Location of an item in Files and then in Registry - and learning how to locate them when you see this.

Example : Adobe
The Files location is written like this:
C:\ProgramFiles\Adobe ....
which means to go to Windows Explorer and on Local C Disk at Program Files - there, Adobe is a sub folder.

The main Registry Key looks like this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe ....
Which means open the Windows Registry to Local Machine and in Software - Adobe is a sub key.

So Bottom Line is that you MUST locate each and EVERY registry item presented to you for deletion and inspect that. Is it truly a left over orphan belonging to nothing ? Until you can answer that like your life depended on it and you are actually that confident - YOU NEVER DELETE ANYTHING IN THE WINDOWS REGISTRY UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE.

I hope this helped more than answers that may have hurt !

webmaster http://www.BlueCollarPC.Net

Answer 2

i think of the question would desire to be 'that's the least risky'. As you're traditionally conscious the registry is the fundamental factor of homestead windows. in case you corrupt it then homestead windows ought to no longer artwork thoroughly. i exploit CCleaner (subject concerns determination) once you evaluate that it makes a backup of the full keys this is approximately to delete so they are able to without difficulty be restored if issues flow worng.

Answer 3

It would take years of experience to know what is safe to remove. One test is for COM DLL entries for which there is no corresponding file. Many uninstallers leave that crap behind in the registry. Many uninstallers also leave the application files behind.

Answer 4

hit remove... cause if there are problems they will not be working anyway,,,,,

but before you do that make sure you have the restore disk handy you may need it to reinstall window and make sure you have backups of all your important files stored on the hard drive...

Answer 5

go ahead clean them all off,your computer will be fine,you just might have to relog in to a site because your clearing your cookies but seldom happens.Alot of the problems it finds are spyware,so they can e-mail you more junk