[PCWorld]

Post your comments for How Best Do I Clean My Registry? here

[SamCal]

I've used Advanced Registry Doctor (ARD) Pro and it works well. It was a free give away at www.giveawayoftheday.com

[jmanderson1]

I have used Registry Mechanic from PC Tools. It seemed to help substantially. Recently, I read an article comparing several such applications, and Registry Mechanic was NOT among them. I am really wondering why. The top of the evaluation heap in that article was RegCure. I would really like to see a definitive comparison between RegCure and Registry Mechanic. Any ideas?

[Knifeblade]

This is a topic rife with so many things, since it delves deep into anyone's comp. I, myself do do registry sweeps with certain trusted utilities, but I have checked those utilities out x3 before running them. Not only online user reviews, but the site's support for some answers to my questions.

[Cheddarhead]

I've tried several cleaners, including some of those mentioned in the article, and by others joining this discussion.

I have chosen CCleaner precisely for the summary Lincoln stated in his article: "More conservative than EasyCleaner, CC tends to find less and risk less, and backs up its changes into an easy-to-restore .reg file"

I respectfully submit this is "befitting" of the VAST majority of PC users, especially home users.

Unless you're an "expert" PC user, believe me, you do NOT want to "mess-up" your registry - YIKES!

CCleaner won't let you do that!

[Jcstewsr]

Registry cleaners are very diversified, I agree the most important option is to have a backup capability. It seems all of these tools concentrate on different areas.
I use four different cleaners and that seems to cover the gambit.
I use PCTools Registry Mechanic (paid), WinASO Registry Optimizer (paid), Advanced WindowsCare V2 personal (free), and Glary Registry Repair ( also free). These four programs keep my PC as smooth as silk and all have extras built into them that help in a multitude of areas. I have never had trouble with any of them, the important part of any registry tool is the user must understand what the registry is.
Prior to these tools I would have to do manual sweeps of the registry to keep the clutter down, now it's no more manual sweeps.

[dlauber]

After trying a slew of registry cleaners over the years, I've settled on RegistryBooster 2 from Uniblue for all of our computers. It seems to do a solid job -- not too aggressive, but more aggressive than many other cleaners -- and it backs up the entire registry and the parts you change separately. Very smooth. Well worth the $39.95 cost. I believe that a new 2009 version is now available.

[rgreen4]

I too use PC Tools Registry Mechanic. It is not free, but reasonable. I have used on XP as well as Vista. (Version 8, downloaded in Sept).

But I do use it cautiously.

[number6]

I just use CCleaner. It's free, runs fast, cleans up a good deal of other stuff. It also has a startup disabler.

[drachir]

I also use PC Tools Registry Mechanic, and also CCleaner. But I always backup first. I beg to differ with the Lincoln Spector, though. If you install and uninstall as much stuff as I do on a regular basis, it is CRUCIAL that you clean out the all the useless junk that accumulates in the registry. It's like a spring cleaning exercise. Do it at least once a year, and you will see an appreciable performance improvement.

[Cheddarhead]

NUMBER 6: THE PRISONER is also one of my all-time favorite TV shows! Best Regards from another HUGE fan. In fact, I just received (yesterday) my complete series Boxed Set from Amazon (a mere $38 bucks!). I'm having a PRISONER MARATHON at my home this weekend. (I was a little surprised - pleasantly - to find out how many people are "closet" fans of this show.) No chance you live anywhere near La Crosse, WI???!!!

And - yes - CCleaner works great, and can be TRUSTED to work safely!

Take care.

Mark Michener (Real Name) La Crosse, WI, USA [ NO man IS just a number, indeed! ]

PS to everyone else: CCleaner has several other useful tools, not to mention a program uninstaller that functions better than Windows XP or Vista: it was able to get rid of Synantec utilities that came installed on my PC - Windows alone couldn't completely eliminate them!

[number6]

Hey, cheddarhead!

This is exiting! I wish I could come :). I lost a lot of my episodes which were on VHS so I'm dying to get the whole set on DVD.



I've lost track of how many PCs I've used CCleaner on and it's done nothing but speed them up. It's amazing how many features they pack into that tiny program.

[Cheddarhead]

Wish you could join us - you can be here in spirit!

Here's a link to Amazon, wher you can buy from RELIABLE Amazon partners for as little as $37.95 plue $2.98 Shipping. (Amazon price = $51.99)

http://www.amazon.co...00FOQ03C/ref=pdbbssr1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1226509001&sr=8-1]


!https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XP80FTRML.SL160AA115.jpg![http://www.amazon.com/Prisoner-Complete-Megaset-40th-Anniversary/dp/B000FOQ03C/ref=pdbbssr1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1226509001&sr=8-1

Best Regards.

Mark

[number6]

Thanks cheddarhead, I might do that.

[coastie65]

Cheddarhead is dead on with that recommendation ( little off topic though :D ). I get about 99% of my DVD's from there. coastie

[number6]

Thanks for the confirmation, coastie.

[hvac6817]

I have both RegCure & Registry Mechanic.

I run both, No matter whick one I run first, the other one finds things the other did not.

Not real sure if one is better than the other? Have been using the RegCure only for the last 4 months.

Seems to be working ok.

[geo14618]

I used both products and got rid of Reg Cure. It has a tendancy to delete things that should not be deleted. Register Mechanic does a good job and I have not had any problems. If you get their promotions it only costs $ 14.95 a year. I have been using it for about a year.

[coastie65]

I tend to stay away from those things as they can end up causing more problems then they fix. coastie65

[Adama]

I agree with Coastie, Registry things are better left alone, IMO.