View Full Version : Computers Registry repair software
siberian khatru
09-22-2009, 09:45 AM
Can somebody please recommend a good, FREE registry repair software?
If none exists, then how about a good not-free one?
Thanks.
Why do you think you need registry repair software? Most of them don't work or could do potential harm to your computer.
What problems are you having?
phisherman
09-22-2009, 09:49 AM
registry repair software is crap. most, if not all, of the products i've seen do nothing beneficial. if anything, they typically do more damage than good.
siberian khatru
09-22-2009, 09:51 AM
It's running slow. REALLY slow bootups. Plus, YouTube videos are really slow and herky jerky now (don't know if that's related, but it's frustrating).
Doesn't appear to be a spyware problem -- I sweep for that regularly.
CCCleaner is the most popular. But like I said, I really wouldn't recommend it. Due to the vast differences in people's registries, it's not possible to make a registry cleaner that will work on any given computer. There are just too many possibilities of stuff in your registry.
Mr. Laz
09-22-2009, 09:57 AM
I go along with the crowd, most Registry software will do as much harm as good.
In fact the only one i've found that works is Registry Mechanic(but it's not free)
To do most everything that CCCleaner would do, simply open up the registry editor, and navigate to the following locations and clean out the crap you don't need. If you're unsure whether anything is legit, post the key here and ask, and one of us will be able to tell you.
Click start, Run, type regedit
Navigate to these locations to remove unwanted startup apps:
RunServiceOnce subkey : designed to start service programs before user logs on and before other registry subkeys start.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce registry key
RunServices subkey : loads immediately after RunServicesOnce and before user logon.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices registry key
Run subkey : The Run subkey in HKLM runs immediately before the Run subkey in HKCU.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key
RunOnce subkey : primarily used by Setup programs. The HKLM subkey version of RunOnce runs programs immediately after logon and before other registry Run entries. The HKCU subkey version of RunOnce runs programs after Run subkeys and after the Startup folder.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce registry key XP also has RunOnceEx:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx registry key
RunOnce\Setup subkey : specifies programs to run after the user logs on
Explorer\Run subkey :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run registry key
Userinit subkey : there is an entry for userinit.exe but subkey can accept multiple comma- separated values. Can't find where program starting? Look here.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit registry key
load subkey :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\load registry key
Also check the startup folders for stuff:
All Users Startup folder : very common place to find autostart programs for whoever logs on
Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder
Startup folder : the most common location for programs to automatically boot from
Documents and Settings\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder If you migrated from NT, the path is Profiles\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Taco John
09-22-2009, 09:58 AM
Registry Mechanic (not free) worked really well for me back on my XP machine.
siberian khatru
09-22-2009, 09:59 AM
Much obliged.
And run Malwarebytes if you haven't already. Just a spyware scanner isn't enough...
http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button
Reinstall Flash player if Youtube videos are funky.
arrowheadnation
09-22-2009, 10:18 AM
I've found the best way to fix it is to back everything up and reformat. It sucks, but it works.
Mr. Laz
09-22-2009, 10:19 AM
reinstall drivers: motherboard, videocard, Lan Card/Modem
Defrag hard drive: http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/defragmentation.shtml
virus scan: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Spyblaster: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
spybot: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/
Malwarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
could be a hardware issue too: memory,video card, hard drive
Otter
09-22-2009, 10:28 AM
Some day when you're sitting around (guessing Sunday would be a good day) backup everything you need off your computer and do a clean install of your operating system.
It will take about 6 hours to get everything back to where it is and unless there's a hardware problem the PC will be like new. Those six hours you invest will benefit you for months down the road.
There's really no simple solution to clean up a messy registry and if the OS has been running for a more than a year it's probably due.
Bearcat
09-22-2009, 10:42 AM
Have you guys tried Microsoft's Live OneCare? The full scan has a registry cleaner, and it does a virus scan.
Trying to clean up the f***ing Vundo trojan from someone else's computer, and ran across it. The trojan and the crap it downloaded killed safe mode, copy/paste, the ability to run programs (msconfig, regedit... anything)... so couldn't get anything off of it. Finally got it back to normal, I think... but will probably end up backing up and reinstalling just to be safe. :banghead:
blazzin311
09-22-2009, 11:30 AM
And run Malwarebytes if you haven't already. Just a spyware scanner isn't enough...
http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button
Malwarebytes is what I always use when my computer is acting up. It's free and it almost always solves any problems i'm having, or have had in the past. So that would be my recommendation.
Some day when you're sitting around (guessing Sunday would be a good day) backup everything you need off your computer and do a clean install of your operating system.
It will take about 6 hours to get everything back to where it is and unless there's a hardware problem the PC will be like new. Those six hours you invest will benefit you for months down the road.
There's really no simple solution to clean up a messy registry and if the OS has been running for a more than a year it's probably due.
This is good advice. A clean install will do wonders for computer performance. It frustrates the hell out of me how much useless unnecessary crap they put on a modern computer these days out of the factory. I would recommend to anyone tech savvy enough, that the first thing you do with a newly purchased computer is format it and do a clean install and avoid the assload of performance draining crap they install. The bullshit partnerships that all these software companies have these days is killing PC performance...
Would you also like to install the Ask toolbar, Google toolbar, McAfee toolbar, Norton toolbar, Yahoo toolbar.... gaaahh... GTFO my computer! HP software bundles these days? Holy crap what a bloated mess.
Bearcat
09-22-2009, 12:35 PM
This is good advice. A clean install will do wonders for computer performance. It frustrates the hell out of me how much useless unnecessary crap they put on a modern computer these days out of the factory. I would recommend to anyone tech savvy enough, that the first thing you do with a newly purchased computer is format it and do a clean install and avoid the assload of performance draining crap they install. The bullshit partnerships that all these software companies have these days is killing PC performance...
Would you also like to install the Ask toolbar, Google toolbar, McAfee toolbar, Norton toolbar, Yahoo toolbar.... gaaahh... GTFO my computer! HP software bundles these days? Holy crap what a bloated mess.
Yep, XP is a fast OS, but you wouldn't know it if you've just dealt with preloaded PCs. At the very least, disabling half the startup programs and services will help quite a bit.
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