How to Clean Your Windows Registry and Speed Up Your PC

[dbarrow]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/149951/how_to_clean_your_windows_registry_and_speed_up_yo ur_pc.html

A cluttered Registry can slow Windows to a crawl, but cleaning it up effectively isn't easy. Steve Bass reviews some of the leading Registry cleaners, and offers tips to help you get your Registry down to size and improve your PC's performance.

Steve Bass, PC World



...To find out which Registry cleaner catches the most errors, is the safest and easiest to use, and (just as important) creates the fewest hassles, I tested five of the most popular Registry cleaners and defraggers. Many came recommended by PC World readers. I examined two free products (Advanced Windows Care and RegSeeker) and three commercial ones (jv16 PowerTools, Registry First Aid, and RegSupreme). After all that testing, my Registry is squeaky clean--the absolute envy of my PC World colleagues. Jump to page 3 (http://www.pcworld.com/article/149951-3/article.html) for my verdict on each application....

[Seth]

A cluttered Registry can slow Windows to a crawl

BS.

...and the rest of the article isn't much better.

I'll elaborate when I have more time.

[Dan18960]

I can't recall EVER having a computer at a complete crawl because of a HUGE registry.

Most slow machines has been the result of trojans, spyware, LOW memory, a gazillion programs running in the startup, NORTON, McAfee, completely misconfigured firewall applications, fragmented file system up to the ears, and OLD AGE:cool:

But NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER from a dirty registry - even when programs were removed and their legacy HKeys were still in the registry.

[mommalina]

As Rich always advises, if you want to clean something, clean out a closet ....
leave the registry alone! .. :eek:

[Seth]

Agreed on all counts.

The other major factor of a slow computer is a failing hard drive, but in most cases system degradation is due to exactly what Dan said.

A registry key that has no corresponding information is ignored in almost all cases. The process takes about a nano second, so even if you have thousands of them, you won't see any relevant difference in performance.

Add to this the danger of using a registry cleaner, and it's easy to see that they should only be used by an experienced user who has a specific need to do so.

[allheart55 (Cindy)]

The Tools of the Trade :

Don’t Use Tools Where They’re Not Necessary. :smash:


Don't Use Tools If You Are Not In The Trade. :frusty:


Registry cleaners are the bane of my existence, a constant irritant for me and the source of many a users misery. :frown:

[Rich-M]

Well I see you guys beat me to it, and that is partly whey I don't put much stock in those magazines as I have always believed they are subject to their clients advertising budgets to a certain extent.
No one who knows anything believes that a registry ever needs cleaning. There is little or nothing to be gained but an awful lot to lose as most who have used these products can attest to.