Re: Registry Cleanup Software

Lars-Erik Østerud wrote:
Bruce Chambers wrote:

You've been very, very lucky, or else know better than to let such products have free rein. Norton WinDoctor, in particular, causes far

Of course I review all the things they find before letting them delete
anything. And with 12 years of Windows knowledge I (hope that I) can
see if they suggest to remove anything important :-) And backup :-)



That *IS* the only way to do it. Unfortunately, the average home computer user doesn't care to invest the time to acquire the requisite knowledge to use such things safely, or to make the precautionary back ups. That's why I always everyone but experienced technicians to avoid such products.


subsequently trying to install the same or a newer version of the removed application. Using an automated "cleaner" to remove them is a

Appliction data is easily removed manually under the "Software" keys


Very true. Then why do you recommend the use of automated products to accomplish this simple chore?

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 provides a warming placebo effect), I generally 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.


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Bruce Chambers

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