(Msg. 1) Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:21 pm
Post subject: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? Archived from groups: microsoft>public>windowsxp>security_admin (more info?)
I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a free
Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry and whatnot a
couple months back but have no recollection where I had the tool.I'm not sure
that anything needs repairing or updating but I wanted to check to make
sure.I'm trying to keep up to date with my drivers and everything but I'm not
sure where that tool is now...
Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me if
anything should be taken care of?
I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to show
themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other ways but I
was curious as to why they started hiding themselves...(not exactly sure
where else I could have placed this paragraph within this site.sorry if it's
in the wrong pace)
Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't want to
mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know about Windows XP..
Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
(Msg. 2) Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:33 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
gurlgonecrazy wrote:
> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a free
> Windows XP registry repair tool?
There are lots of them. But I won't do you the disservice of pointing
them out.
Why would you even think you'd ever need to clean your registry?
What specific *problems* are you actually experiencing (not some
program's bogus listing of imaginary problems) that you think can be
fixed by using a registry "cleaner?"
If you do have a problem that is rooted in the registry, it would
be far better to simply edit (after backing up, of course) only the
specific key(s) and/or value(s) that are causing the problem. After
all, why use a chainsaw when a scalpel will do the job? Additionally,
the manually changing of one or two registry entries is far less likely
to have the dire consequences of allowing an automated product to make
multiple changes simultaneously. The only thing needed to safely clean
your registry is knowledge and Regedit.exe.
The registry contains all of the operating system's "knowledge" of
the computer's hardware devices, installed software, the location of the
device drivers, and the computer's configuration. A misstep in the
registry can have severe consequences. One should not even turning
loose a poorly understood automated "cleaner," unless he is fully
confident that he knows *exactly* what is going to happen as a result of
each and every change.
Having repeatedly seen the results of inexperienced people using
automated registry "cleaners," I can only advise all but the most
experienced computer technicians (and/or hobbyists) to avoid them all.
Experience has shown me that such tools simply are not safe in the hands
of the inexperienced user. If you lack the knowledge and experience to
maintain your registry by yourself, then you also lack the knowledge and
experience to safely configure and use any automated registry cleaner,
no matter how safe they claim to be.
More importantly, no one has ever demonstrated that the use of an
automated registry "cleaner," particularly by an untrained,
inexperienced computer user, does any real good, whatsoever. There's
certainly been no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use
of such products to "clean" WinXP's registry improves a computer's
performance or stability. Given the potential for harm, it's just not
worth the risk.
Granted, most registry "cleaners" won't cause problems each and
every time they're used, but the potential for harm is always there.
And, since no registry "cleaner" has ever been demonstrated to do any
good (think of them like treating the flu with chicken soup - there's no
real medicinal value, but it sometimes provides a warming placebo
effect), I always tell people that the risks far out-weigh the
non-existent benefits.
I will concede that a good registry *scanning* tool, in the hands
of an experienced and knowledgeable technician or hobbyist can be a
useful time-saving diagnostic tool, as long as it's not allowed to make
any changes automatically. But I really don't think that there are any
registry "cleaners" that are truly safe for the general public to use.
Experience has proven just the opposite: such tools simply are not safe
in the hands of the inexperienced user.
> I updated all of my registry and whatnot a
> couple months back but have no recollection where I had the tool.I'm not sure
> that anything needs repairing or updating but I wanted to check to make
> sure.I'm trying to keep up to date with my drivers and everything but I'm not
> sure where that tool is now...
>
None of which explains why you'd think such action might be necessary.
> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me if
> anything should be taken care of?
>
Error messages. And, under computer management, the Event Logs.
(Msg. 3) Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
gurlgonecrazy wrote:
> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a
> free Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry
> and whatnot a couple months back but have no recollection where I
> had the tool.I'm not sure that anything needs repairing or updating
> but I wanted to check to make sure.I'm trying to keep up to date
> with my drivers and everything but I'm not sure where that tool is
> now...
>
> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show
> me if anything should be taken care of?
>
> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to
> show themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them
> other ways but I was curious as to why they started hiding
> themselves...(not exactly sure where else I could have placed this
> paragraph within this site.sorry if it's in the wrong pace)
>
> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't
> want to mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know
> about Windows XP..
>
> Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
Oh good - another flame-war thread. I get to catch it before it goes
a-light.
gurlgonecrazy,
A few will tell you that any tool that claims to clean your registry is just
flat lying (someone will probably respond with the words 'snake oil'.)
Some will tell you that you can clean your registry if you like, but don't
do anything you wouldn't do manually. Research every single item that is
about to be removed and have your backups at the ready and current. Things
can and do go wrong - better to be safe than sorry. In the same category to
me are those who will tell you that you do not *need* to clean your
registry. Any increase in speed you get from it, if you notice it, you are
nano-perceptive - if there is actually any changes at all. In the end it is
your computer, do what you want - but given it is a computer and you have
options for backups that not many other things in life give you - you would
be unwise not to do those things first (backups, image of the entire
machine's hard disk drive, etc.)
Some will tell you that you should clean your registry and likely provide
you with links to tools. Some will even link to old/new applications that
Microsoft themselves provided for the job of cleaning the registry.
Others will not tell you much, but instantly disagree with the the people
that claim that all registry cleaning tools are a lie. (Again - expect
'snake oil' to come up and maybe some synonym of 'close minded'. Then there
will be responses from the first group I mentioned, bickering back and forth
until things will break down into stupidness and your very question will be
lost in the shuffle.
What should you do? That is up to you. Here is what I recommend.
Research it. You can read why you should clean your registry and why you
shouldn't. You can figure out who said what from each group. You can
figure out whose reasons you like more. It's your computer.
No matter what, I think you should act wisely and in an informed manner.
Just because one person told you that you needed to do this - don't take
them at their word. Just because one person told you that doing it would be
harmful, don't take them at their word. Figure out what you need/want to do
and know *why* you are doing it.
If you do not have a backup regime/schedule - get one started. It's the
best single thing you can do for yourself and your computer. Nope - it
won't help make it faster, it won't keep it clear of viruses and malware -
but it gives you something you don't get for most things in life - the
ability to go back to a time when everything was "okay".
If you decide to clean your registry - at least pick some tool that makes a
list of things it finds and you can go through that list choosing what you
want to clean and what you want to ignore and then use search engines or
even these newsgroups to figure out what is safe to remove, what makes no
difference whether or not you remove it and what each thing you are removing
does/did and maybe why it was left. Time consuming? Yep. Worth it - could
be. It is true that if you delete some of the wrong registry entries - your
computer won't necessarily boot into Windows without some work again. Maybe
something like CCleaner and then using Google to figure out what all it
finds. (I am not recommending you do this - just letting you in on a tool
that has benefits to you otherwise and might help you in this endeavor as
well.)
(Msg. 4) Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:56 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
Your registry doesn't need cleaning. So-called "registry cleaners" have
no proven value, but these newsgroups are filled with evidence of the
harm they cause.
[Twayne - our resident curmudgeon - will respond to you shortly.]
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est
gurlgonecrazy wrote:
> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a free
> Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry and whatnot a
> couple months back but have no recollection where I had the tool.I'm not sure
> that anything needs repairing or updating but I wanted to check to make
> sure.I'm trying to keep up to date with my drivers and everything but I'm not
> sure where that tool is now...
>
> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me if
> anything should be taken care of?
>
> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to show
> themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other ways but I
> was curious as to why they started hiding themselves...(not exactly sure
> where else I could have placed this paragraph within this site.sorry if it's
> in the wrong pace)
>
> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't want to
> mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know about Windows XP..
>
> Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
(Msg. 5) Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:33 am
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
gurlgonecrazy wrote:
> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a free
> Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry and whatnot a
> couple months back but have no recollection where I had the tool.I'm not sure
> that anything needs repairing or updating but I wanted to check to make
> sure.I'm trying to keep up to date with my drivers and everything but I'm not
> sure where that tool is now...
>
> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me if
> anything should be taken care of?
>
> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to show
> themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other ways but I
> was curious as to why they started hiding themselves...(not exactly sure
> where else I could have placed this paragraph within this site.sorry if it's
> in the wrong pace)
>
> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't want to
> mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know about Windows XP..
>
> Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
* What is currently wrong or failing with the registry?
* What convinced you that the registry needs to be "cleaned" up?
* What constitutes the "cleaning" actions?
* What do you expect to gain from the cleanup?
* What are you going to do if the registry changes hose over
your computer since a restore may not be possible?
* What is your recovery strategy from the registry changes?
*_Why the uneducated or lazy should never use registry cleaners_*
If YOU are not adept at *manually* editing the registry, don't use a
tool that you don't understand regarding its proposed changes.
Regardless of relinquishing the task to software, YOU are the final
authority in allowing it to make the changes. Any registry cleaner that
does not request for YOU to give permission to make its proposed changes
along with listing each proposed change should be discarded.
Do you have a backup & restore plan in place? When (and not if) the
registry cleaner corrupts your registry and when you can no longer boot
into Windows, just how are you going to restore that OS partition so it
is usable again? Even if you use a registry cleaner that provides for
backups of its changes so you can revert back to the prior state, how
are you going to perform that restore if you cannot boot the OS after
hosing over its registry? What about entries in the registry that look
to be orphaned under the current OS load instance but are used under a
different OS environment? You delete what looks orphaned only to find
out that they are required under a different environment.
Say there was an unusually high amount of orphaned entries in your
registry, like 4MB. By deleting the orphaned entries, you would speed
up how long it takes Windows to load the registry's files when it starts
up - by all of maybe 1 second. Oooh, aaah. All that risk of modifying
the registry to save maybe a second, or less, during the Windows
startup. Most folks that clean the registry end up deleting only 10KB,
or less. They are doing nothing to improve their Windows load time.
Since the registry is only read from the memory copy of it, and since
memory is random access, there is no difference to read one byte of the
registry (in memory) from the another byte in the registry (also in
memory). The extra data in memory for orphaned entries has no effect on
the time to retrieve items from the memory copy of the registry because
orphaned entries are never retrieved (if they were, they aren't
orphaned).
Cleaning the registry will NOT improve performance in reading from the
memory copy of the registry. The reduced size of the registry's .dat
files might reduce the load time of Windows by all of a second and
probably much less. And you want to risk the stability of your OS for
inconsequential changes to its registry? The same boobs that get
suckered into these registry cleanup "tools" are the same ones that get
suckered into the memory defragment "tools".
A registry cleaner should only be used if you by yourself can correctly
cleanup the registry. The cleaner is just a tool to automate the same
process but you should know every change that it intends to make and
understand each of those changes. After all, and regardless of the
stagnant expertise that is hard coded into the utility, *YOU* are the
final authority in what registry changes are performed whether you do it
manually or with a utility. If YOU do not understand the proposed
change (which requires the product actually divulge the proposed change
before committing that change), how will you know whether or not to
allow that change?
(Msg. 6) Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
lol, no, but I'll respond to you, who spreads the misinformation.
Registry cleaners are no more likely to cause any harm to a computer
than any other program and usually subsntantially less likely than, say,
MS applications.
You're always saying "these newsgroups are filled with ... " but there
are very few of them and what ones do come up are not known, and often
suspected to be, something other than the registry that caused the
problem. If these groups are "filled ... " they're posting messages only
you can see. Hmm, I guess that's a possibility.
Just last week I installed an app, than had to remove it, and the
removal created a registry problem. Guess what found the problem in
mere seconds and repaired it? A registry cleaner!
PROVE your claims! Find verifiable evidence that details the mechanism
by which they "damage" a computer. Reputable registry cleaners just
don't do it and if a situation should arise where something does go
awry, they can always back out the changes that were made. How do you
get that head through doorways?
BTW, notice that you asked for this.
Easiest place for the OP to start would probably be with CCleaner. That
said, it may well be a process of elimination and simply eliminate the
registry as the cause, but even that is good information. Beware the
closed minds here; they're easy to spot.
Twayne`
"Leonard Grey" <l.grey.TakeThisOut@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:%23oFl8%23JQKHA.2092@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl
> Your registry doesn't need cleaning. So-called "registry cleaners"
> have no proven value, but these newsgroups are filled with evidence
> of the harm they cause.
>
> [Twayne - our resident curmudgeon - will respond to you shortly.]
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>
> gurlgonecrazy wrote:
>> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a
>> free Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry
>> and whatnot a couple months back but have no recollection where I
>> had the tool.I'm not sure that anything needs repairing or updating
>> but I wanted to check to make sure.I'm trying to keep up to date
>> with my drivers and everything but I'm not sure where that tool is
>> now... Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would
>> show me
>> if anything should be taken care of?
>>
>> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to
>> show themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other
>> ways but I was curious as to why they started hiding
>> themselves...(not exactly sure where else I could have placed this
>> paragraph within this site.sorry if it's in the wrong pace)
>>
>> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't
>> want to mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know
>> about Windows XP.. Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate
>> it.
(Msg. 7) Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:05 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
"VanguardLH" <V RemoveThis @nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:h9s67f$fi6$1@news.albasani.net
> gurlgonecrazy wrote:
>
>> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a
>> free Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry
>> and whatnot a couple months back but have no recollection where I
>> had the tool.I'm not sure that anything needs repairing or updating
>> but I wanted to check to make sure.I'm trying to keep up to date
>> with my drivers and everything but I'm not sure where that tool is
>> now...
>>
>> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me
>> if anything should be taken care of?
>>
>> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to
>> show themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other
>> ways but I was curious as to why they started hiding
>> themselves...(not exactly sure where else I could have placed this
>> paragraph within this site.sorry if it's in the wrong pace)
>>
>> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't
>> want to mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know
>> about Windows XP..
>>
>> Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
>
> * What is currently wrong or failing with the registry?
> * What convinced you that the registry needs to be "cleaned" up?
> * What constitutes the "cleaning" actions?
> * What do you expect to gain from the cleanup?
> * What are you going to do if the registry changes hose over
> your computer since a restore may not be possible?
> * What is your recovery strategy from the registry changes?
It'd be nice if you really were interested in those answers, but you
aren't. All you would have done before my post here is put the OP down
with your condescending, copycat attitude as you enjoy the hand stuck up
your ... .
>
> *_Why the uneducated or lazy should never use registry cleaners_*
>
My responses to the king of misinformaiton also apply to you, his
puppet. You come off like a miserable old man who has no power in the
world and tries to get it back this way.
It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't actually know better.
(Msg. 8) Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:29 pm
Post subject: Re: Registry repair tool for Windows XP? [Login to view extended thread Info.] Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
Twayne wrote:
> "VanguardLH" <V.DeleteThis@nguard.LH> wrote in message
> news:h9s67f$fi6$1@news.albasani.net
>> gurlgonecrazy wrote:
>>
>>> I have been cleaning my computer and I was wondering if there is a
>>> free Windows XP registry repair tool?I updated all of my registry
>>> and whatnot a couple months back but have no recollection where I
>>> had the tool.I'm not sure that anything needs repairing or updating
>>> but I wanted to check to make sure.I'm trying to keep up to date
>>> with my drivers and everything but I'm not sure where that tool is
>>> now...
>>>
>>> Is there a Windows XP program within my computer that would show me
>>> if anything should be taken care of?
>>>
>>> I'm also having a problem with my cookies.I have the cookies set to
>>> show themselves and they still won't.I know how to delete them other
>>> ways but I was curious as to why they started hiding
>>> themselves...(not exactly sure where else I could have placed this
>>> paragraph within this site.sorry if it's in the wrong pace)
>>>
>>> Sorry to be such a hassle.I'm not the best at computers and I don't
>>> want to mess anything up.I've yet to master all their is to know
>>> about Windows XP..
>>>
>>> Thank you to those that try to help.I appreciate it.
>>
>> * What is currently wrong or failing with the registry?
>> * What convinced you that the registry needs to be "cleaned" up?
>> * What constitutes the "cleaning" actions?
>> * What do you expect to gain from the cleanup?
>> * What are you going to do if the registry changes hose over
>> your computer since a restore may not be possible?
>> * What is your recovery strategy from the registry changes?
>
> It'd be nice if you really were interested in those answers, but you
> aren't. All you would have done before my post here is put the OP down
> with your condescending, copycat attitude as you enjoy the hand stuck up
> your ... .
>
>>
>> *_Why the uneducated or lazy should never use registry cleaners_*
>>
> My responses to the king of misinformaiton also apply to you, his
> puppet. You come off like a miserable old man who has no power in the
> world and tries to get it back this way.
>
> It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't actually know better.
>
> Twayne`
You could take each of my points and present a counterpoint but you're
not willing to expend that effort. And considering your childish
attitude and how it has degenerated over time in these newsgroups, I
have no interest in debating the merits, hazards, and worthlessness of
registry cleanup with you.
When you hear that alarm, it is to remind you that it is time to take
your medications, all 17 of them.
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