Registry Cleaning utils....

Why is it that different reg cleaners find TOTALLY different things in the registry that need repair or deletion?? One app finds 6 things, one finds 14,
another finds 144, yet another finds 292, and yet another finds over 400!!!
I'm a bit sketched out on deleting over 400 entries from my registry. Can anyone offer advice? Like what's always safe to clean, which reg keys commonly require cleaning, etc... I'll go thru the list of 'problems' and see references to programs installed on my PC that I use regularly and the reg cleaner says it's an 'invalid entry' or lists a .dll as an 'unused extension'.
I'm confused! How can a program I use daily be an invalid entry or contain unused extension, esp. a .DLL????
H E L P !
Thanx!
hopperdave2000

 

what progs do you use for scaning your registry?

 

The first thing you should do is run the specific app and note how many reg entries it finds. Then run it again, noting the no. and again. If it generates the same number each time then you can fell a bit more confident with it's integrity. This process was undertaken by "Fred Langa" in comparing 10 different "market" products and any that did not produce the exact same results each and every time STAY AWAY FROM. There are some dubious software out there that will try to goad you into "purchasing" by apparent amazing results but all the generate are "False positives".

I use Lexun RegScrub XP which saves a restore point each time in case things go pear shape:

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

Excellent app imho after trying many.

 

The apps I've used (that I can remember) are : Advanced Window Care v2, TweakNow Reg Cleaner, and WTRegClean. I think I used a 4th program also but I don't remember which it is. After I ran AWCv2, my PC wouldn't shutdown or restart, I'd click on the Restart or Shut Down button and nothing would happen. So I hit Reset, rebooted, and still the shut down wasn't working. Luckily, a restore point was created by AWCv2 right before this happened, so I just rolled back about 30min and everything was OK. I've used AWCv2 successfully in the past numerous times and NEVER had a problem with it... I'd just let it do it's thing and I'd click repair or optimize or whatever and it'd be OK. TweakNow says only 6 problems were found; WT found 144, and AWC found over 400. I downloaded Lexun last nite at 3am but was so bleary-eyed that I went bed. I'll try it tonite after work and see what happens; I'll also try JV16 and EasyCleaner (ToniArts version) and probably CCleaner and report the findings just because I think the results would be interesting. I'll try to save and post any records or log files generated by the various reg cleaners....
-hopperdave2000

 

Hmmm JV16 (the recent copy I tried) had a memory leak so keep your eye on this. It exhausted my memeroy and froze the system but EasyCleaner is good (Same guy as for JV16).

Just remeber at least 3 runs for each app (more would substantiate your finds greater) interested to hear how you go.

 

OK- here we go: I installed and ran 7 reg cleaners (all downloaded from here) and here are the results: WT RegCleaner=19 problems - RegSeeker=328 - EasyCleaner=49 - Lexun=77 - CCleaner=40 - AdvWindowsCare(AWC)=171 - TN RegCleaner=3safe, 1unknown. EasyCleaner and CCleaner had very similar results and seemed to be the most 'accurate'. WT also seemed OK but it mostly listed MRU items. TN seemed to find too few items, but that's probably a good thing. I don't remember much about the Lexun scan but it found 77 items... RegSeeker's list was loaded with items labeled as 'Unused Open With Entries' and 'Extension Not Used'. The extension not used label is wierd as it showed extensions I DO use (.ico for one). And the AWC list was mostly populated with strings of seemingly random characters in the key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssistance\{750487..
...}. AWC was the only app to mention this key and the random strings.
Well, there's the results. I didn't clean anything with any of the scans just for comparison. I'll probably be up to 3am again running scan after scan and comparing the results. I need a good safe regcleaner!!!! Looks like EasyCleaner or CCleaner will take the spot..... Any ideas? Suggestions? Comments?
hopperdave2000
BTW: I also ran JV16 but it's more of an interactive cleaner and not so much 'intuitive' or automatic and relies on user input and user choices much more so than any other reg cleaners. I liked it! It listed some software that I had uninstalled awhile back that had left some crap-ola in the reg. I sinmply checked the items and it cleaned 'em out. JV16 is a great app, but not really a reg cleaner; more of a reg maintenance type of thing....