Registry scanner/cleaner ????

[colinicky]

What is it, what does it do ? are they free/any good ? or any good /cheap ones ?

[MattS]

Originally Posted by colinicky

What is it, what does it do ? are they free/any good ? or any good /cheap ones ?

Your registry is a centralised database which holds 1000s upon 1000s of settings used by Windows and the applications you have installed within it. Over time using the PC will cause various entries in the registry to become obsolete or inaccurate. A registry cleaner attempts to delete, resolve or otherwise correct the inaccuracies. The commercial ones are usually bundled with additional functionality such as, backup, defragmenting the registry files so settings can be looked up faster, searching and replacing values...etc.

A free one which is fairly OK is CCleaner. A commercial one which gets recommended a lot is Registry Mechanic...but I have never felt the need to use it.

Messing with your registry without knowing what you, or the utilities, are doing can seriously harm your Windows. The Registry is not difficult to manipulate, but ignorance is extremely dangerous.

HTH

[Lazlo]

I use CCleaner

It recommends you back up your registry (and shows you how).

Originally Posted by MattS

Messing with your registry without knowing what you, or the utilities, are doing can seriously harm your Windows. The Registry is not difficult to manipulate, but ignorance is extremely dangerous.

I second that.

[Finless]

1. Backup your registry file.

2. The problem is in knowing if you want to, or should, remove stuff or not. In other words, will you understand what you are being asked to make a decision about?

FWIW, I have even used REGEDIT to tinker (Click on the Win Start Button, RUN and type regedit). However, I was looking for a specific word to remove some "sticky spyware".

Have fun.