safe REGISRTY merge after "crap-cleaner" ?

Hi I downloaded and started using "crap-cleaner" after someone recomended it on my last thread. It's a program that cleans out unused files for performance, it also cleans out the registry. Now i made a back up of the registry and saved it on my desktop before using ccleaner, but i have been using ccleaner several times since then wothout making multiple back ups, only the first one.

My main question is: is it almost always safe to "merge" an old registry copy, even if it's been three months. If you've installed new programs or uninstalled new programs since then , does that make it dangerous?

I think i MAY need to merge the old registry for 2 reasons. #1: I'm getting odd extended pauses/ stalling when going from web-page to web-page ( and yes i've used updated : Norton-Anti-Virus, Spybot Search&Destroy, Ad-Aware, CWshreder and A2 in safemode to see if it was a virus) #2 :At the 'start-up' menu when going into 'safe-mode', after choosing 'safe-mode' it leaves then returns to the menu and then says: " Windows is bypassing your normal start-up files" and below that "HIMEM is testing extended memory" before normally going into safe-mode. I don't remember it ever going beck to menu and saying those things before so i wonder if something is now missing.

I'm pretty sure most of what ccleaner deleted where 'invalid file extensions' and 'missing links' if i remember correctly.

Also, is it safe to install new software for my new scanner if i might be merging an old registry file after?

Thanks for your help , Robert

 

Hi, I am a bit hazy but what you see whle going into Safe mode seems to be correct. It does by pass a lot of your start files anyway.

I fyou install the scanner files and then revert to the old registry andy progrms you intalled since the date of the old registry file would have to be reinstalled. IN other words if you install your scanner software you would have to do it again.

Your internet problem would not be related to cleaning the registry asyour browser is loading and running alright. I have no answer for this and I am not a real geek.

 

Malwar said in the above post that i would have to reinstall any programs intalled after the date the old registry was made. I guess the clarification i would want on that from anyone who would now would be: Would those problems simply not work any more when trying to boot them up? would they no longer even appear on the program list or would the change in registry cause any kind of system failure/blue screen/unable to enter windows/ crashes that wouldn't resolve until i reinstalled the new programs.

I ask because i haven't kept track of wich programs i installed since making the regisrty file.

Also any info on what an actuall regisrty problem actualy looks like would be good because maybe thats not the problem. Any input from anyone familiar with the "crap-cleaner" program whould be good because thats what was deleting things from the registry.

Thanks. Robert

 

Robert, I use CrapCleaner every day with no apparent problems. Under the Windows tab, I simply hit "Run Cleaner" bottom right of screen, then on the "Issues" tab, I run "Scan for Issues". If it finds any Issues, I clean them out. I am wondering if your problem is something other than running CCleaner. What operating system are you using? W98/W98SE/Xp? The reference to himem.sys is the reason I ask. Have you tried on-line scanning for viruses, trojans, etc.?

I would hold off on attempting to restore an old Registry copy, for now. Bazza

 

In response to Bazza:

I have windows 98 SE, and i did an online trojan scan after all the spyware/virus scans listed in my first post ( Norton-Anti-Virus, Spybot Search&Destroy, Ad-Aware, CWshreder and A2 in safemode)

I would also still like to know about what exactly hapens once you merge an old registry copy after installing new programs, the question from my second post on this thread. If anyone knows.

Thanks Robert

 

Hi, When you install a program it puts relevant info onto your computer some of which goes into the registry. If you back date your registry the programs will still be on the hard drive and appear in the menu but when they called onto the info in the registry it would no longer be there because you wiped it when you decided to restore the old registry.

If you do not know what those programs were you would find out when trying to run them as they would not work so you would have to reinstall them to put the info back into the registry which they require.

They would still be in the menu as all you will alter is the registry so everything else will be the same except some would not work.

I think most of your problems are minor and would not muck with the registry and leave it as it is. Sometimes when we mess around we start to notice things that we took no notice of before.

As far as safe mode goes I have hardly used it as maintenance can be done using the normal mode except for possibly deleting some stubborn files. So I would forget about what I have seen when entering safe mode and then the problem becomes "your browser" for which I do not have an answer.

Install the scanner program and carry on from there. I feel that you have become edgy about the computer and are more aware of things that might have been happening all the time.

I said I was not a geek because I have no formal training but I have been using computer since the early days of the TRS80 which is about the first personal computer there was.

 

I Agree with Bazza that CC is very safe and have had not probs with it. If i understand you correctly you want to merge an old copy of registry with the latest after and install. The answer as far as i know is that when you click on the old saved copy of the registry is will install over the top of the new and as far as I am aware will completely obliterate the new registry - that is no merge is possible. Soon as you reboot the old registry is back and there is no sign of anything left in the registry that was done after that old date. Istand corrected of course but thats my understanding. It is not something I would do unless a disaster has occurred.
Cheers
Robert (the other one)