Registry Cleaners

Hello,

I would like input if possible on the best free (and user friendly) registry cleaners.

Thank you for any input or help.

TheSparrow

 

Is there a specific reason that you want to use a registry cleaner?

I am asking because (IMHO) registry cleaning will not achieve much, if anything. It will not repair registry corruption. It will not speed up your computer. It will not free any disk space.

There is, however, always a chance that registry cleaning itself will leave you with a corrupted registry. If you really think you need to clean your registry, be 100% sure to backup your registry before proceeding. A good and well-known (free) registry backup tool is ERUNT.

Since I do not believe in registry cleaning, I cannot give you any advice on specific tools.

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Lexun_RegScrubXP_d2048.html

 

Hello,

And thanks for the reply. Let me clarify - I have been working with the support team with one of the malware detection utilities that I use regarding some issues, and the main one of concern seems to have been clarified with their help. I received extensive help from them (including submitting the Highjack This Log, etc...) Their end suggestion was that I might use a registry cleaner as a next step, however this isn't within their area of support. Thus the question.

Thanks for the suggestion and the information about ERUNT. I have used Eusing's before and have it on my computer. Please keep in mind anyone who responds that I would have to have something that is user friendly as I'm not exactly a computer expert.

Thanks again,
TheSparrow

 

And thanks Lev for your post too, you posted before my last post submitted.

TheSparrow

 

Hate to disagree with pwillener, but cleaning your registry will improve your overall performance, as the CPU looks to the registry each and every clock cycle. I do however agree with pwillener, that "Cleaning" your registry is NOT something to be done lightly, and you must back-up your registry deletions so you can restore them if a problem occurs.

A one that lots here at Major Geeks use is CCleaner, it will clean out your Temp files as well as your registry and will back-up the changes Link http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4191.html use the "Issues" tab to clean the registry and click yes on back-up.

A more powerful tool is Regseeker also available here at Major Geeks only delete the "Green" Items at first, ALWAYS, ALWAYS MAKE A BACK-UPLink http://www.majorgeeks.com/RegSeeker_d2579.html.............Use extreme caution in deleting any "Red" items.

Hope that helps

 

@The Sparrow@

Check out http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=113938 before you try RegScrub.

Lots swear by it, a few swear at it. :cry
Make sure you have a full backup first, IMHO. Bazza

===

 

Hello,

I need some help here with this if possible. No details here, but my computer was initially set up by an ex (a computer programmer) with not so good intentions toward me who I know has remotely accessed my computer. As I said previously, my HJT log is clean and no malware could be detected. The support team that was helping me suggested looking into the registry. I did for the first time look at it (regedit) and there are definitely some things listed on there that look questionable to me. I downloaded and ran RegClean but these programs aren't removing them. Is there anyone who could go through the items listed in my registry?

Any help would be appreciated, thank you
TheSparrow

 

I disagree. I clean my registry regularly. After I started doing this, my performance has been vastly improved. I think a good cleaning will do anyone some good. But I do agree... BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP.

Justin

 

guys sorry to jump on the thread but its pretty interesting but i was just wondeing should i have to do a back up before i do my daily scans with
-spybot s&d
-c cleaner
-ad aware
-cleanup

thanks to anyone who replys
ferg

 

Did someone mention backing up the registry?

ooo..oooops


Studio T

 

I use those 4 daily (plus more) and see no need to backup (daily) first.

Just make sure that your default inclusions, or exclusions, in CCleaner and Cleanup! are set the same otherwise 1 might not wipe it (or save it) and the other do the opposite.

I have used and recommended those 4 for years, with no conflicts (apart from making sure the defaults are the same), and no troubles on my laptop from W98SE to XP Pro.

Bazza

===

 

Wow I thought I was excessive at weekly. But hey, to each his own!

Justin

 

Thanks all for the suggestions, they truly are helpful. I will follow up on the suggestions, but first I want to see if anyone who knows anything about the entries could somehow go through mine with me. I ran RegClean and Eusing's. Please read my last post (above) and it explains what I'm concerned about at this point. These aren't things apparently that registry cleaners do anything about. What I'm concerned with are spy programs or actual programs that allow remote access that don't show up anywhere else other than in the registry. Does anyone here know anything about how to spot these?

Thanks again,
TheSparrow

 

I'd suggest TweakNow, Simple, user friendly, it's Quick, works Great and it's free http://majorgeeks.com/TweakNow_RegCleaner_Standard_d4134.html





I suggest you run a registry cleaner after installing or uninstalling any program/utility or update

 

By the Way
TweakNow automaticly make's a Back up

I've never had to use a backup!
I run on expert settings and delete everything Tweaknow finds

 

Sparrow if you are running a good Firewall and Anti-virus and are still concerned that someone has placed something on you Computer, may I suggest that you use an Online scanner such as Bit Defender to check your system link http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

I do this every month just to affirm that nothing has sneaked past my defence. Online scanners always check the "registry" as this is usually a common hiding spot. Hope that helps

 

Thank you BC for your reply. I've run BitDefender online scanner before, but I will run it again, it seems that it was a good thorough scanner. What I think might have happened is an actual program was put on here (one that wouldn't be detected as anything) remember he's a programmer. I was harassed by him - he repeated things back to me that I had said in communication to someone else who I was discussing some things with about the situation online.

Also, there is a pattern of a certain zone alarm alert that pops up 3 times in a row when I start my computer from the country he lives in. This particular alert pops up regularly, and it's usually 3 of them right in a row. These particular ports may not be allowing access but I'm 100 percent sure that he's been hacking.

Does anyone have any idea what I should look for in particular in the registry? What programs or types of things to look for?

Thanks,
TheSparrow

 

Seems to me that you are putting more effort into saving a sinking ship than it's worth.

Why not just save your data and do a CLEAN install??

You may have noticed the thread that BlackViper is back in town. If you look at his website you will note the assertion that the ONLY way to be rid of malware for certain is a clean reinstall. Now that Mark Russinovich has sold out to Microsoft you will find the same advice there.

If your 'mate' has added a rootkit or perhaps worse an alternate data stream program tinkering at the edges will not suffice. Go for the throat.


Studio T

 

Thank you studiot. You're probably right about just needing to do a clean install. I don't have a clue what to look for in the registry other than the fact that I see several things that I'm sure shouldn't be there and that I didn't put on my computer.

I'll probably need the help of a major geek lol when I do it since I also don't have a clue how to save the things that I want to save and do a clean install. I know I would definitely have greater peace of mind though if I could manage to do this, so I'll probably be asking some questions here again in the future.

Thank you all for your responses,
TheSparrow

 

It doesn't really take very long to run them, and I like to keep on top of anything nasty before it has a chance to spread havoc. Bazza

===

 

I have a question that is probably obvious...

I have been using CCleaner happily for about a month (since I became aware of this great site) and I always backup the registry when I run the utility. I am wondering, however, should an issue arise, how do you restore one of the backups to the registry?

I have had no issues but I want to know how to remedy the situation if I do.

Thanks all!

Drew

 

The CCleaner registry is NOT a full backup.
It only backs up the changes.
I've never had to use the CCleaner backup in years of use.

I use ERUNT as it makes a full Registry backup each time you start your PC (or at least the first daily boot up).

Erunt 1.1j
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1267.html
ERUNT - The Emergency Recovery Utility NT will help you Backup, restore and optimize your NT/2000/XP registry.

That will at least save your bacon, back to your last starting bootup.:cool Bazza

===

 

That's good information Bazza, I appreciate it. I had heard (read) that the CCleaner backup was not a full backup, but just a backup of what it removes "fixes" at the time. How would that particular information (in the CCLeaner backup file) get restored should it need to be?

Drew

(And sorry for the thread hijack, but I thought it somewhat on point.)

 

I've never had to use one, :major but I GUESS it is a script, or something similar, and only changes back that portion of the Registry previously altered (and saved).

Any Registry geek out there, please step in. Bazza

===