Compacting registry

Hi Bill

Absolutely none as the registry is not that big really, varies in size per PC and what's installed, but in reality its a few hundred MB's at best (mine is 348mb, and just wait as everyone and their cat will post theirs, but it varies and will be different per OS and installed apps, so is a useless figure to post after an initial example), and doesn't suffer as much as some think from fragmentation.

The negatives in messing with de-fragmenting/compacting the registry is apps like those will go into the HIVES like Security that they should really leave alone and remove items, if the app is not good at working out what's needed or not as some blank keys are needed, they you have a dead Windows OS.

Personally I'd leave well alone.

 

Hi Bill

Didnt think you would and as you did ask first anyways. The registry HIVES are scarey places to edit or cleanup if you dont know what the keys do and the Security and SAM ones are not ones I touch at all.

I know I do mention using CCleaners registry cleaner at times, but that ones a quite tame one and doesnt go into those areas, so just removes only app entries basically, but I do worry about apps that compact and defrag the registry as within defragging you are moving data around, so if it gets it wrong and corrupts some keys you are fudged!

The only app I would likely trust is PageDefrag (not working in Win7 x64 but its for XP and 2003, may work for some in other OSes) from Mark Russinovich, but I'd still likely not use is knowing that what you may save in a few hunded KBs or a few MBs is not worth the hassle of rebuilding an OS.