Can you defrag your registry?

Auslogics, publisher of the popular Auslogics Disk Defrag, also makes another defragger: Registry Defrag. Does it actually work? Is it all smoke and mirrors, or does using this free program result in faster clock times?


The empirical, Friday afternoon answer is: it's hard to tell. If that sounds familiar to those of you who've used other registry cleaners and their siblings, it should. It's hard to gauge if these programs are effective because once you're done using it, you'd need more than a mere store-bought machine with store-loaded programs to judge CPU speed by.

Regardless of its effectiveness, the Auslogics Registry Defrag looks and functions much like the Auslogics Disk Defrag. When you run it, it tells you that it will perform a registry analysis, after which you will be able to review its registry report, and once that's done with you can run the registry optimization, requiring a reboot to defrag and compact the registry.

It's a fairly serious program, and once you begin the analysis it won't let you move the mouse outside the program window. It also "strongly recommends" that users close all other programs while it runs, although this is a standard warning for registry cleaning apps.

After having run the program on my main work machine, a Windows XP box that sees an average of four to six programs installed and then uninstalled per day, not to mention having an average of two dozen Firefox tabs open, a registry sweeper should make the computer run faster. Even though I run disk defraggers a couple of times a week and keep a vigilant watch on resources, I expected an empirical yet noticeable change in CPU speed.

That never materialized. Resource-intensive programs like Internet browsers and e-mail clients may be piggish, but they're necessary. They didn't load any faster or slower than normal after running the reg defrag. It may be that I'll only notice after a few days or so, but until a registry defragger or cleaner can demonstrate benchmarkable improvements to a computer, they'll be little more than 21st century snake oil.

Killer Download: Speed up your system by cleaning your registry

As a frequent downloader of new software, I test and review a ton of programs on my PC at work. But after installing and uninstalling so many programs, it doesn't take long for my registry to become a complete mess, which causes errors, sluggishness, and sometimes even crashes. The problem is that not all programs uninstall as easily as they install and often registry entries are left to stagnate in your system and may eventually cause problems.

To keep my registry lean and mean, I run a quick scan of registry entries using software designed to root out the garbage left behind by uninstalled programs. These apps check my registry for rogue entries so I can decide whether I want to delete them. Some programs also give me a description of what specific registry entries were once used for, thereby allowing me to decide whether I still need them.

A word of warning: Be extremely careful when deleting files from your registry. Some entries have strange names that you won't be able to identify, but might be necessary to run your favorite program or even your system software. A good rule of thumb might be that you only delete entries that you are sure are related to programs you no longer use. With that said, here are my three favorites for regular registry maintenance.

FixWinReg Settles Washington Spyware Charges

Company sent bogus 'security alerts' to computer users. Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna has reached a settlement with one of three California-based Internet affiliate advertisers accused of violating the state’s consumer protection and spyware laws.

HoanVinh V. Nguyenphuoc, owner of FixWinReg, sent anonymous “Net Send” messages to consumers’ computers that simulated security warnings but were actually ads for registry-cleaner software, according to documents filed today in King County Superior Court.

“Affiliate marketers and online merchants have enjoyed a certain level of anonymity, but they aren’t out of our reach,” McKenna said. “We’ve repeatedly proven that we will hold Internet companies accountable for violating our consumer protection and spyware laws.

“Internet advertisers must follow the same rules which apply to businesses that promote their products through TV, radio or print,” McKenna continued. “They must be truthful about any claims concerning a product’s cost or performance. Inducing a computer user to download software by falsely claiming the program is necessary for security purposes is unethical and illegal.”

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection High-Tech Unit sued Nguyenphuoc, of Redondo Beach, Calif., and others in February 2007 for allegedly marketing registry-cleaner programs through the use of Net Send messages and deceptive free scans and for transmitting bundled software that changes Internet browser home pages.

Civil charges are still pending against Secure Links Networks LLC and CEO Manuel Corona, Jr., of Brea, and NJC Softwares LCC and company officer Rudy O. Corella, of Lake Elsinore.

The state alleges they worked together to market each other’s products, including Registry Sweeper Pro, Registry Rinse, Registry Doc, Registry Cleaner 32 and Registry Cleaner Pro.

According to court documents, Net Send messages sent by Nguyenphuoc informed computer users that their PCs contained registry errors and immediate attention was necessary to avoid data loss and corruption.

The phony security warnings directed users to a Web site where they were encouraged to download a free trial version of the software that will scan their computer for registry errors.

Assistant Attorney General Katherine Tassi, who led the state’s investigation, said the free scan always identified ‘critical errors.” In order to remove the errors, consumers were instructed to buy the full version of the software.

“Based on the defendants’ deceptive marketing, hundreds of Washington consumers paid $29.95 or more to remove files from their computer that in some cases were harmless,” Tassi said.

Nguyenphuoc will pay $25,000 in attorneys’ costs and fees. He’ll pay an additional $75,000 in civil penalties if he fails to comply with the settlement, which prohibits him from using Net Send messages to promote products or services and making other misrepresentations.

The Attorney General’s Office has brought five lawsuits under the state’s Computer Spyware Act passed in 2005.

to computer users

Vista Moving From Lethargy To Curiosity

Since the release of Vista in January of this year, I have witnessed a lethargy toward this new Microsoft operating system. Recently I have noticed a departure from the lethargy to one of curiosity.
Question: Why Vista?
The answer to this question could take more space than is available in this column. Vista is a new and exciting experience that arouses the spirit of accomplishment. The software has been well prepared in allowing users to tailor it to their own liking. There are four distinct editions with one to fit your individual desires and needs:
1. Home Basic is for those who want a "bare-bones" operating system for Web surfing, e-mail and the sense of security.
2. The Home Premium edition adds more features including the elegant Aero desktop (best choice for laptops), collaborating and sharing documents, extending Vista to secondary displays and sideshows to experience photos and entertainment with Windows Media Center.
3. The Business edition is excellent if that is your desire and need.
4. The Ultimate edition encompasses all of the above plus protection against hardware failure, Windows Fax and Scan, scheduled backup to automatically backup your files, remote desktop connection, network and sharing center, Windows Bitlocker drive encryption, Windows DVD Maker, premium games and Movie Maker in high definition.
For a sample of the choices you have to make Vista your system: Right-click the desktop; a screen will appear that allows you, by clicking Personalization, to change Windows colors and appearance, select a desktop background, select a screensaver, alter the sounds, etc. These are just some of the reasons for you to consider joining the millions who already have an edition of Vista on their PCs. If you have any questions or need assistance you can get them here: RJWhelpful4u@aol.com.
If this sounds like a commercial for Vista, far be it! These are my true feeling for this system, and the longer I work with it the more I enjoy it and welcome the change and challenge. I have in previous columns alluded to some of the pitfalls and things that can be disturbing, but like all new things, it has its bugs to be exterminated.
Question: What are Microsoft Power Toys?
They are tools, but Microsoft calls them toys. They are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released. Microsoft states, "We take great care to ensure that Power Toys work as they should, but they are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft technical support is unable to answer questions about Power Toys." Power Toys are for Windows XP only and will not work on Vista. You can check them out at www.microsoftpowertoys.com. Set a restore point and enjoy.
Question: Can I restore the registry through system restore?
Yes, but bear in mind that when you use system restore, you are losing all of your input after you set the restore point. If your registry is in trouble and you have a suitable restore point, go for it. Check the date of the restore point and you will know how much input you have lost. Another drawback is if the restore point doesn't work, you can try another and another, then your alternative is a full reinstall. I recommend a full and complete backup at the end of each session. Then, if you have an emergency, you only lose one day's input. I also recommend a separate registry backup; then, if a problem occurs, you will be recovering only the registry and not the entire operating system. Problems with the registry that call for a recovery are an indication of an underlying cause. After the recovery, run the Free Registry Cleaner from Eusing, Ccleaner and Advanced Windows Care, Personal Edition - all are freeware. Then run the free registry defrag. If you still have a problem, contact me!
Question: I have taken your advice and backed up. How often do you suggest?
I know, backing up is about as much fun as a root canal, but it's a lot less painful. Think of it like putting a broken arm in a cast, only in this case, the cast never comes off! How often? Every time you use your computer! I know you think I'm paranoid, but weigh a few minutes of back-up time against hours of reinstallation. System restore is an alternative but not as good or dependable as a full backup.
Tweak and Tune (www.tweakandtune.com) is a utility that helps you fashion XP to you own desires. Prior to digging in, set a restore point. Some of the changes can be dangerous.
Question: My hard drive died. What can I do?
If you have a full backup, a hard drive replacement is necessary. That eliminates the trauma of a full system reinstall. The cost of the hard drive depends on what you choose and its capacity. Forget the installation cost and do it yourself. If you can use a screwdriver, you can save upwards of $45 or $50. That way you will have the old drive that is full of your personal information. Have someone else replace it and they have your old drive. All new drives come with a set of instructions for the installation. While you are in the tower, it would be a good time to clean the dust from the fans and/or add additional memory. So, there is always some good that can come from distress.
Here is a situation that I have mentioned on several occasions: the devious manner in which some companies attempt to lure unsuspecting PC owners to become customers and subscribe to their software. Case in point: As part of my tinkering, I recently downloaded RegSweep and ran a scan. It found 144 errors in the registry. Now, I have four of the best registry cleaners around, and I ran them one-at-a-time then I re-ran RegSweep. It came up with 143 errors. Pure scare tactics, since all of these errors would cause my PC to crash. To get rid of all of that bad stuff you have to register (pay for) the software. The alleged errors are part and parcel of their "teaseware." I have also come across the same situation with the Advanced Registry Optimizer. Do not take their stuff as fact. Be very cautious when surfing the Web. Some of these come-on offers can be bringing along "drive-by" malware.
Next week we get back to XP with "tweaks, tips, and tricks" to spruce up the software (sort of like a lube and oil change) and more of your questions like "Why does it take so long for my computer to start up?" Same old, same old, but I shall deal with it. Stay well! - Ray Wilson

Vista Registry Fix - Get the Maximum Efficiency Out of your System

There are various symptoms of registry related problems, some of which may be identified as overall slow performance of your system, untimely error messages while working with your Windows Vista, or sudden crash of your system. In other words, registry problems make your system behave in such a way, which it should not or you do not want it to behave. The remedy for this problem is to go for Vista registry fix.



Now, for fixing the registry, the utmost important thing for your concern is to get a Vista registry cleaner. However, beforehand, you need to understand what exactly is the Windows Registry or simply Vista registry. The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database of settings that is used by Vista to store the information relevant to its configuration, application, hardware and software files. Whenever an application is opened in your system, the registry adds information to it and this process follows for every application that is opened in your system. With the prolonged use of Windows applications, the registry can get cluttered with information, which many a time may no longer be required or becomes irrelevant. Therefore, in such situations you need to perform an instant Vista registry fix, and for this you need to use a Vista registry cleaner.



The registry cleaner enables you to remove the various inconsistencies in the Windows Registry and thereby helps in enhancing the performance of your system. The primary function of the registry cleaner is to scan your Windows Vista efficiently and effectively, and delete the various unnecessary entries in the Windows Registry. A good registry cleaner always offers registry backups before deleting the unused registry entries so that whenever you need any particular registry entry in the near future, you can restore immediately. It also deletes the registry entries made by spyware and adware programs to provide network security to some extent. So, using the Vista registry cleaner, you can perform Vista registry fix to keep your Windows Registry up-to-date and also schedule, backup and restore the registry according to your convenience.

A little Q & A

Q. I am paranoid about doing anything to my XP PC that may cause a problem. You often suggest using a hard disk cleaner called CleanUp and a registry cleaner called Regseeker. Are these programs necessary? What do they do and will they cause me any problems?

A. . CleanUp is relatively safe (99 per cent) as it simply cleans up cookies, internet history, and temporary internet files, etc. I use it daily and apart from freeing up disk space it reduces the risk of getting viruses and spyware from all the rubbish that is downloaded to your system every time you open a web page.

On first use, set the options to Standard and you should be fine. If in doubt, make a backup of valuable data. CleanUp will not greatly improve system speed and, while free, the author does appreciate donations. It works on XP and Vista.

Regseeker is also relatively safe (90 per cent) but it is more invasive as it cleans the registry of unused and obsolete entries. It makes a backup that can be restored if there is a problem. The only issue I have ever had was with a multifunctioning printer that refused to work after running Regseeker. I use it monthly and it typically removes 200-plus obsolete entries. The first time you run it you may be shocked - it will find several hundred items. It will improve system speed. It works with XP and Vista but you need to have administrator privileges (UAC) to run with the latter.

If you want to purchase a commercial program that does what CleanUp and Regseeker do, look at PC Tools Desktop Mechanic (www.pctools.com/desktop-mechanic). Commercial programs have a duty of care not to harm your PC and to provide user support. Free ones generally do not.

Warning: There are hundreds of free programs that all offer to do something marvellous. But Windows performs sufficiently well not to worry about memory and download accelerators, world time checkers, obscure cleaners, smiley faces or anything else. The strongest advice is that no one should load any so-called free program other than ones that I, or readers, have checked out and are pretty sure are OK.

Let ASO spruce up your PC

The care and feeding of your personal computer is a never-ending saga. Sure they are powerful, but don’t be fooled: These temperamental beasts require constant pampering.

There are two ways to approach computer maintenance software. If you’ve got the time to do the research, the best strategy is to build your arsenal of tools piece by piece, selecting only the best applications, regardless of publisher.

It’s a lot like building a computer or stereo system - matching up the best components to get the job done. If price matters, this method is also the most expensive.

The second approach involves minimal time, effort and expense. Instead of piecing together your software, why not just buy an all-in-one package that has everything you need and more? Besides, when all your tools come from the same box, compatibility issues are nonexistent. Good software suites also share a common interface, making it all easier to learn and use.

The all-in-one software package that has my eye these days is Advanced System Optimizer, or ASO, from Systweak Inc. Now at version 2.01, ASO features a stunning array of more than 30 tools for fine-tuning, cleaning and repairing your PC, including more than 200 tweaks to customize Windows and improve its performance.

The program’s main interface gives you instant access to every tool in the suite, divided into nine categories. Here are some highlights from ASO V2:

● System Cleaner tools can help you revive a sluggish system. Here you can find and remove junk that litters your system, hidden in places you’d never find on your own. This tool will locate all duplicate and temporary files from every corner of your hard drive.

You’ll also find tools to back up and clean your Windows registry, as well as manage exactly what loads at Windows startup.

● System Optimizer offers a nice array of tools to defragment and optimize memory - both physical RAM and Windows resources.

You can also defrag and optimize the Window registry, after making a back up and restore point, of course. This section contains that massive collection of 200-plus Windows tweaks, all nicely grouped and easy to understand.

● System Tools includes such items as System Information, which scans your hardware and software and presents a detailed report - extremely useful for tech support and troubleshooting.

The System Analyzer and Advisor take this information and offer tweaks to improve performance. There’s also a tool for viewing detailed information about any of your files and folders.

● Privacy and security tools include a new Spyware Detective that scans your media for bad stuff your firewall or antivirus software might have missed. To secure your data, there’s a data shredder that prevents recovery of deleted files and tools to erase your tracks in all aspects of computer use.

The list of mini-apps and tools just keeps on going. There are tools to repair corrupt .zip files, split and join large files, manage your Windows log-in settings, blacklist and block certain programs from running on your system and encrypt files or folders for security.

There are even some tools here you wouldn’t expect in a system optimizer, like sticky pad reminders, appointment planner, media files organizer and a host of aesthetic options to personalize your operating system.

Absolutely busting with features, Advanced System Optimizer Version 2 is available for Windows XP and Vista, currently discounted to $35.95 at the Systweak Web site, www.systweak.com. Take ASO for a test drive before you buy, and while you’re there, check out the rest of Systweak’s impressive product line.

AppSpout: Recent Reviews from the PCMag.com Software Team

Two big new apps have come across the PC Magazine software team's desk recently: BitDefender Total Security 2008 and Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. The latest version of BitDefender's full-featured security suite has a snazzy new interface with tough-as-nails protection against viruses and spyware. The Firewall and Registry Cleaner could use some work, but it's still worth a look. Check out the full details in this in-depth review.

You can pretty much always count on Adobe to deliver top notch software, and Premiere Pro CS3 is no exception. This expert video editing tool offers an extensive feature set with help from new third party apps like Encore CS3. It was impressive enough to earn our Editor's Choice award. Find out more in this full review. While you're at it, come check out other recent reviews from the software team after the jump.




Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard: Acrobat isn't cheap, but it's the gold standard for PDF editing. It offers flexible, feature-packed PDF creation, editing, commenting, and import-export. Letting you translate an entire Web site into a single multipage PDF and create and embed an index in PDF files for fast searching.

deskPDF Professional: This easy-to-use PDF creator makes turning docs into PDFs as easy as dragging and dropping. It offers straightforward PDF creation through a Microsoft Office toolbar button or a desktop icon, and even converts Office file comments to PDF annotations.

PDF Converter Professional 4: This app lacks the polish of its rival, Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard, but it does have superior OCR and export features. Not to mention a much more appealing price tag.

EasyBib.com: This site makes creating bibliographies quick and painless. No more hunting down your own references and figuring out how to arrange the information. EasyBib takes the info and puts it into MLA format for you--a huge help for students or researchers.

SpaceTime beta 0.9: SpaceTime will introduce you to a new way of searching and browsing the Web--if you have a PC with enough oomph. SpaceTime features a beautiful interface that lets you surf the web in 3D.

Cozi.com: If you're looking to make sense of your busy family life, Cozi can help. This free service provides a family calendar, a shopping list, and messaging online or via a downloadable program. It's low on features, but the ones it has are excellent and easy to use.

Eyejot: A terrific little service, Eyejot lets you record and send a video message with the same speed and ease as composing an e-mail.

WinUtilities 5.72: WinUtilities is a highly useful set of Windows utilities, particularly when it comes to system-cleaning tasks. But it's not cheap, and it doesn't do everything.

BitDefender Total Security 2008

BitDefender vows to "secure your every bit," and BitDefender Total Security 2008 works hard to keep that promise. It includes the essential firewall, antivirus, and antispyware modules as well spam protection and parental control. This version adds a backup module and system tune-up tools, putting it head-to-head with Symantec's Norton 360 and Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare. A completely new user interface makes the product much easier to use, even for those without an advanced degree in computer security. The price looks a little high, but it covers three installations for two years: Most suite prices cover just one year. And you get unlimited 24/7 tech support by phone, e-mail, or live chat.

Wise Registry Cleaner

Wise Registry Cleaner scans Windows registry for incorrect or obsolete information in the registry. By fixing this obsolete information, your system will become quick and can work better.

After Wise Registry Cleaner analyzes your system for problems, you can individually view each of the problems found and call for a detailed description. If you wish, you can also have all problems corrected automatically.

All changes to your system are monitored by Wise Registry Cleaner and can be undone with a few mouse clicks.

Old laptops and too many cups of coffee

What should you do with an old laptop that is so slow you have time to down a cup of coffee while it gets ready?

A reader wrote to me recently: "I would be very grateful for your advice on how to make my very old (1999?) Toshiba Satellite 2545CDS laptop work faster and less erratically."

His symptoms may be familiar to you: "Composing this message in Yahoo Mail becomes a hardship. The cursor moves slowly or disappears, to suddenly reappear. The computer is always doing something other than what I want it to do -- the hard disk drive light is flickering madly, the drive is whirring, but the cursor won't move.

"Using the Delete or Back Space key is particularly exciting: you press the key many times and nothing happens until the machine wakes up and wipes out your whole sentence. Appending files to messages takes hours, and when you leave to go to the bathroom the computer has put itself on standby.

"It takes me a whole cup of coffee to wait for the laptop to get ready to do two things simultaneously like proofreading a document in PDF format while listening to AccuRadio Classical."

The reader goes in a similar vein for several pages in the best description of a computer past its sell-by date I've come across. He concludes: "Other friends have told me it is time to buy a new laptop, and I now have a much faster Toshiba Portege."

But understandably, he's reluctant to let go of this piece of hardware, with plenty of hard disk space remaining, and better inboard speakers than its successor. So what to do?

This reader has done the first thing right -- clean the Registry. The Registry on Windows machines is the place where all the information about your programs and settings is stored. Windows refers to this file a lot, so the bigger it is and the more messy it is, the slower your computer runs (and the bigger the chance of errors.) So you should keep it clean.

The easiest way to do this is via a program called CCleaner (no, that's not a typo; the first C stands for something a family paper like this can't mention.) CCleaner is free from here: http://www.ccleaner.com/. Download it.

Then, just to be on the safe side, create a Restore Point in your system in case you don't like what CCleaner does (you'll find System Restore under your Accessories/System Tools menu. CCleaner will also let you save a backup of your registry before making any changes).

When you've created a Restore Point, run the "Scan for Issues" on CCleaner's Issues tab (it may take some time). Then click on the Fix Selected Issues button. When this is finished your Registry should be a lot cleaner -- meaning the computer will be faster. A bit.

Next stop is to defragment the hard drive. This tidies up the files on your hard drive so they will load more quickly and new files can find a place for themselves without having to split into smaller bits. Think of it as cleaning up after a raunchy party: the files are the wine glasses and plates piled up in the sink, the kitchen cupboards are your hard drive where they all need to go.

Windows has a pretty good defragmentation tool called Disk Defragmenter in the same menu as the System Restore program. Run that -- and drink another cup of coffee or six while it's doing it. It could take some time.

This should speed up your computer. But it may not be enough. There could be several reasons for this. One is that the hard drive is overloaded. (If so, delete the big files until at least half the hard drive is empty.)

My reader is clearly not having this problem: He reports using only 1.5 gigabytes of the 4 GB hard disk. In this case, you may be better off cleaning the hard drive of everything and starting again.

This is not a step to be taken lightly: It involves backing up all your data, collecting all your serial numbers and installation disks for software you have, and then canceling all hot dates for a few days as you laboriously reformat your hard drive and install the operating system, the drivers for your external devices, software programs and settings, and then the files you saved from before.

It's like war: boring and scary in equal measure. Boring because watching a progress bar move slowly from left to right isn't fun, and scary because you occasionally get heart-stopping moments where you think you've lost an important file forever, or the whole process stops for no apparent reason.

I wouldn't recommend it, but neither would I recommend you outsource it -- at least until you're absolutely sure you've backed up every single file, e-mail, photo and password you might need again. But if your computer is not responding to lesser measures, this might be the best way to go.

Another tip: If your computer is an old one, don't try to force fancier operating systems onto it. If your computer was made in 1999, for example, chances are it won't like Windows XP very much, for the good reason that XP came out in 2001 and was designed for faster chips than were available back then. Your computer won't like it and will rebel.

Better to have an operating system that's older than the computer. Even better, if the computer is not going to be your main device, ditch Windows altogether and install Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com), an Open Source (meaning free) operating system that looks a lot like Windows, but will run quite happily on older machines.

You could still play music files, write documents and e-mails or surf the Web on it, and you'll be considered very cool by your friends.

There's always another option: Ditch the laptop and just use the hard drive as external storage for your other computers. But that's for another day.

What is your biggest frustration with technology? An autographed copy of my book for the best or funniest e-mail. Please write to me at jeremy@loose-wire.com .

Jeremy Wagstaff writes a weekly technology column for The Wall Street Journal Asia. His guide to technology, Loose Wire, is available in bookshops or on Amazon. He can be found online at www.loosewireblog.com or via e-mail at jeremy@loose-wire.com.

Words about registry cleaning

The Registry is a scary place; like Dante's underworld, it should have a sign over it reading "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." TweakNow RegCleaner Standard is your virtual Virgil, a guide into the depths of the Registry. It automatically scans your Registry, roots out problems, and shows you what it has found. After you examine the changes and tell the software to do its magic, it cleans out the Registry for you.
--Preston Gralla

Download Windows Registry Cleaner Software For The Best Performance Of PC

Does your PC crash? Is your PC running slow? Do you have error messages popping up? Do you have programs that you just can't get off your computer?

If you answer is YES to any of these questions, you need to take serious steps to prevent the pathetic situation. I’ve recently installed a program on my PC, decided I didn't want it, and uninstalled it. But there are still bits and pieces of it all over my computer. Thus the performance of PC got adversely affected. This kind of situation happens to everyone of us.

You could have brought a brand new PC so that you could enjoy the benefits of a fast, easy machine that would make your life easier, comfortable and more enjoyable. Unfortunately, after continual use, all PC’s suffer the effects of a corrupt and ineffective Windows registry, causing error messages to appear, slow loading, and system crashes. Eventually, that machine that was supposed to make your life easier is now the source of your greatest frustration.

Truly it’s not your fault. Over the time with regular use computers tend to lose their performance. This is due to registry errors, spyware and adware, especially if you have a regular internet access. If you are trying to remove them manually it’s either hard to get rid of or never uninstall completely, leaving unused entries in your Windows registry which slows down the performance of the PC.

The technical reason for the registry errors is as follows: Computers perform at the best when they receive a regular and professional maintenance. The installation and un-installation of software, hardware, and drivers often leave remnants behind in your registry, resulting in a tangle of unused applications, broken drivers, and incomplete and empty command signals. This ultimately slows down your PC and if not addressed promptly can lead to serious problems such as computer freezing, programs not responding, and system crashes.


The Windows Registry is a massive database representing your PC's unique configuration. Windows Registry is the component that governs the operation of Windows. Whenever you make a change to the Control Panel settings, file associations, system policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the registry. Without a clean and well organized registry, your Windows operating system is vulnerable to corruption, freezing, and crashing. Taking preventative measures will ensure the optimal performance of the PC. It’s very simple to fix the registry problems with just a few clicks.

You can notice that the larger your Windows Registry, the longer the OS will take to boot. When the Windows registry becomes very large, the PC’s performance can also decrease. Only a well versed technically sound person can manually edit the registry. In fact it’s very risky to do that. Most computer users find this task sensitive and time consuming and those who are not advanced computer experts run the risk of permanently damaging their system by trying to fix their windows registry manually.

In order to clean your computer correctly and thoroughly, a comprehensive analysis of your registry is necessary. Using the Registry Cleaner Software is the most highly developed method in fixing the problems of windows registry. While there are a number of registry repair applications available, few offer a comprehensive set of features that enable you to completely clean your registry safely. It is very crucial that you choose a Windows registry cleaner software that you can trust.

A Registry Cleaner scans all types of problems such as invalid paths, file types, CLSID's DLL's Sound files, Fonts, extensions and class keys. The registry cleaner will have these features in a place where they are easy to access and well organized. The registry cleaner will be easy to use.

The unique advantage of using a windows registry cleaner software is its : 1)ability to provide your computer a free scan before purchasing, 2)ability to backup current registry and set a restore point before any change is made to the registry, and 3) a Windows startup manager. Moreover it’s user-friendly software and does not require complicated steps to setup and use.

Regular registry cleaning is very necessary. Without the registry cleaner, your PC is definitely going to crash attracting a very high bill from the technician not to mention the data that could be lost which could be your life changing information.

Bringing Sensibility To Web Searches

The reason we purchased our computer was to have an entrance to the Internet and World Wide Web, to open the universe for us right here on our desktop.
We can even take it with us and hold it in our hands. By using Google, or another search engine, the knowledge of all ages unfolds right before our eyes. With a few keystrokes we can be in China, England, the North Pole or outer space. We can keep in touch with friends and relatives like never before. We can seek and find answers to anything that tweaks our imagination. We are transported to another country or planet in our solar system. We view pictures of stellar events millions of light years away. We can share our knowledge and know-how with others, as is done in this column. Unfortunately, greed raises its ugly head and challenges our safety and security. It is through this column that I hope to solve a lot of these problems and bring your computing experience to an area of sensibility.
Any time you are surfing online you run into, or are diverted to, many and various advertisements for software that will "revolutionize" the way your computer operates and responds. The come on is a FREE download and/or FREE scan. "Make your computer act the way it did right out of the box! Why put up with a slow computer?" "In just five minutes, your computer will act like new!"
If you believe these statements, you are only two steps from being brain dead. When is the last time you had to pay for a download or scan? "If you buy this, you will receive this absolutely FREE." Sound familiar? If they said, "included in the price," there would be no appeal to our greed.
Here is the scenario that is supposed to lure you to part with your money under the guise of cleaning up and speeding up your computer. "Click here for a FREE scan - make your computer run like new!" You know there is no single program that can keep your machine running safely. There is no program that can stop all of the ITDs (Internet transmitted diseases) that are taking a shot at your equipment. "Our software is different! This is the 'magic bullet' that can solve any and all of your problems." "Hey it's FREE! Download the program and run it!" As it runs you can see a counter adding up the errors that are being found. Up and up the counter goes until it is finally finished and you have over x errors in your software. Click the "fix now" button and you get this message: "This will only fix x number of your errors! To avoid a crash, register now" to clear all of the errors in your machine. If that were true, it would be well worth the price, but all you will see are the number of errors, not the categories of major errors that must be fixed. But these are not your errors; this program has brought them along to further lure you to buy their software. I have never found any more than a few of the errors they claim are there. Some of the top-rated security programs are using this tactic.
This in answer to a couple of readers: "Do you make house calls?" Yes and no. If I can be of assistance to someone not too far away, I will. At 83 my life is like a song title, "Don't Get Around Much Any More." If you ever get really bogged down, e-mail your phone number and I will call you on Saturday or Sunday (days of free cell calls). With God as my witness, I will never disclose your e-mail address, phone number or name to anyone for any reason.
I went computer shopping to determine which versions of Vista were being included with a new computer purchase. At my favorite electronics outlet I found many different brands all with the "Vista ready" sticker attached. The lowest priced machines, with only one CD/DVD drive and necessary Vista system requirements, included Home Basic software, the middle-priced units Home Premium Vista version and the top of the line Vista Ultimate. They do not carry the Vista Business Software - fascinating, with all of the businesses in the area - but no reason was offered, nor was there any mention made regarding updates to a better version.
Another reader asks, "I know it has been covered before but I am still a little confused about the registry." The registry (or "no man's land," as I refer to it) is a huge database that holds the complete inventory and location of every file, folder, program and process that your computer needs to operate. This information is used to tell programs how to run and locate the files needed to perform a certain task when files are added or removed. When these tasks are performed they modify the registry to make note of the changes. Over time, this normal use can make the registry become bloated, disorganized and cluttered with useless junk. This can slow down and lead to poor PC performance.
Like any well-running machine, your registry needs a tune up. This is accomplished by programs designed for that purpose. Ccleaner (Crap Cleaner - actual name) and Eusing Free Registry cleaner are two very good programs and they are both free and have safeguards just in case. Like anti-spyware, it takes at least two or three programs to get all of the nasty stuff out. WinAso is another reliable quasi-free program. It will repair 10 items at a time; with 50 errors you run it five times. I suggest you use this program but not until you have run the others, lest you view results that boggle your mind. A program that has not been given to much positive notice is one I use constantly: Advanced Windows Care V2 Personal. It is freeware. To round out a quintet of registry maintaining programs here is one you should have: REG CURE. It is not free but moderately priced, and it does an excellent job.
This is a treatise I wrote some time ago that bodes well in today's scheme of things:
Hoaxes, Chain Letters, Urban Myths And Other Bogus Information
Never a day goes by that my spam folder does not contain one, or more, of the above. That is where it belongs, but you will also get them in your regular e-mail.
Bill Gates is not giving away money to people for forwarding e-mails. ("I am an attorney and you can believe me I received $4,325.00 due to Bill Gates' offer.") Applebee's is not paying to have e-mails sent to spread their name. Pepsi is not putting out a new can with the words "In God We Trust." "This chain has been going for a number of years. If you break this chain terrible events will happen to you."
The foregoing hoaxes do have an ulterior motive: They are the bait for a full-fledged "phishing" expedition. These are just a few of the thousands of bait e-mails that are being sent out daily along with the thousands of viruses and spyware probes. Go to http://Hoaxbusters.ciac.org site but not unless you have a spare hour or two. You will be either shocked or amazed.
We are still spending time in the exploration of Vista Ultimate and have found a few areas that we feel must be corrected. One is the system of Automatic Downloads, which has the habit of jumping right in, no matter what you are doing, to organize the downloads and restart the computer. This makes the loss of data an unwanted possibility. We are now doing manual downloads until this oversight is corrected.
Those of you who would be rid of the splash screen and the welcome screen in Vista, do not use guiboot in the boot section of Msconfig. It stopped my Welcome screen, but Vista went into a loop; it needs the Welcome screen to start. Vista has a system of security that displays a pop-up asking if you want to do what you are doing (or words of that sort). This is one feature of the increased security that is a part of this new system. Our attitude toward this new system is very positive. We do know, that in time, it will mature into a worthwhile venture.
Until next week, with answers to your questions. Stay well! If you have missed any of the recent columns go to www.thebulletin.us and in the left pane click on "technology." By the way, if you are in dire need of help, go to "Geeks-A-Minute." It's only $1.99 per minute (plus tax). I understand they are very long-winded. Hmmm?
Mr. Helpful was raised in Upper Darby and has lived in Hershey's Mill, Chester?County for the past 14 years. ?He has over 45 years experience in computing and he has been testing virus and Spyware programs for the last three years. His "The Helpful Neighbor" column will appear once a week in The Bulletin. He can be reached at mrhelpful4u@aol.com.

Slow Computer? Clean Your Registry by Roni Ell

What is a registry? A computer's registry is it's method of storing the different software and hardware components you have installed on the computer. For example, all the software programs you have in your computer are organized based on user profiles - this info is stored in the registry. The registry also contains references to settings and values for the operating system you're using, the programs you've installed, document types, property sheet settings, system hardware and ports. In a nutshell, the registry is the place that stores what goes in or comes out of your computer.

Why clean out your registry? Is your computer running slow? Are you constantly having to reboot? Receiving frequent system error messages? It's probably time to clean the registry. Since not all programs will remove themselves cleanly and completely from the registry, regularly cleaning your registry will limit or completely resolve these type of problems.

How do you clean the registry? Do you have a lot of time on your hands? Are you a computer technician? Then you can manually delete unneeded files from your registry but be forewarned, software programs can cease to function correctly if important registry entries are removed! Before working with the registry, make sure that you back it up to avoid losing any information. If you make a mistake while altering the registry and it isn't backed up, you may lose information vital to the proper functioning of your computer. Manually deleting unnecessary registry files is like brain surgery on your computer - not to be entered into lightly and not for the faint of heart.

Unless you really ARE very computer savvy, using a registry cleaner will be your best bet. Registry cleaners will automatically clear the registry of your computer and allow it to run smoothly without any errors or speed problem.

The way the cleaners work is to scan your registry and remove errors such as missing references to files. The cleaner then presents you with a list of files that it deems should be deleted including some type of notation advising you of what entries are safe or not safe to delete. If you agree with the programs recommendations, hit delete and you're done. Once again, make sure you have created a back up of your registry in case of problems - many cleaners have a backup capability already installed in the program to easily allow this all important step.

Extra Features Some registry cleaners offer extra features such as **Registry compression **Virus removal **Task scheduler **Back up and restore ...and many others

Don't hassle with a slow, poor functioning computer any longer; clean that registry!


About the Author
Roni Ell has solved her computer woes by keeping a clean registry. You can end your computer hassles too by using a great Registry Cleaner

How to Fix a Slow Computer" by Edie Matern

Please Don't Read This!!! ..Since you're here, "Thanks for letting us come into live. Without your PC we would have no place to live. Let us tell you about ourselves so we can get acquainted......My name is Spy-ware and my buddy's name is Ad-ware. I come in and poke around and if I see anything I like I'll pass it on to my friends on the other side. My buddy Ad-ware, he helps give you advertisements you want to see. We can be sneaky at times while we come in and watch what you're doing on your PC, but we promise to be quiet. I promise, if you let us stay we'll try not to multiply too much. Just because your program activity is slowing down or your connections take forever, don't blame us, it's the age of your computer. (You better know it is!) So go out and buy another PC! Oh and please, don't try those new fangled programs that claim to get rid of us, we don't like them. Especially, don't try anything like Netcom3 Registry Cleaner and Spyware Remover because we won't get to see you anymore." ... Do you realize that it is estimated that 9 out of 10 personal computers are infected with some sort of Spy-ware or Ad-ware! Your PC while slowing down is saying "Help me, I feel sick." So check out this site-- http://truly06.netwire.hop.clickbank.net --I believe, these people can rescue and give new life to your PC.


About the Author
If your PC has ever been bitten by the slow bugs called Spyware or Adware, I belive, this article will help you. If these villians have ever haunted you, read this article. If you have anymore questions, contact the website.

If You Have Vista,You Need a Registry Cleaner by Richard Lewis

If you upgraded from XP to Vista you especially need registry cleaning software. Here's why. You had obsolete software that was deleted before upgrading to Vista. And you have obsolete hardware that you had to discard before upgrading to Vista. You have obsolete software that was deleted after you upgraded to Vista. And you have all the changes the installation made when you upgraded. So all that deleting and upgrading leaves invalid entries and registry errors in your registry and because of this you need to run registry cleaning software. This is because this is the same registry you had in XP. And the same registry has been transformed to become the new registry in Vista. Vista just added to the old registry to take advantage of the new operating system. So after you upgrade you have programs you might have uninstalled that leaves entries in your registry. And you have registry entries that were leftover from XP. That is why if you upgraded to Vista you need registry cleaning software.

If you are having problems with your computer, you are not alone. Problems with the Registry are a common cause of crashes and error messages. Your Computer's registry is likely to be infected with registry errors if it has shown symptoms of any of the following problems:

* Your computer runs much slower than when you first bought it. This could mean slow processing applications and download time. * Your Computer keeps crashing when you are in the middle of something without an explanation * Your Internet service starts acting like there is something wrong with it and leaves you wondering if you have a virus * You see constant error messages stating that such and such program will not open * You see programs or files in your add/remove program's list that you really can't identify * Your computer does not start correctly

* Your Computer does not shutdown correctly

* Your Computer needs frequent rebooting

* Your Computer is not able to remove software using the add/remove dialog

* You are getting the "Blue Screen of Death" on computer boot-up

Don't you think for a minute that just because you have a new operating system that you have escaped registry problems. As a matter of fact any registry can get clogged up and start to have registry problems. Just because you upgraded to Vista doesn't mean you are immune to the problem. Just give your use of your computer some time and wear and tear and you will experience diminished speed and performance over time. Even if you did a clean install or you bought a preloaded computer with Vista, you are going to need a registry cleaner for preventive maintenance purposes. Don't wait until your registry clogs up or has errors. It takes just once a month use of a registry cleaner to keep your registry clean.

What is the registry anyway? And why is it important to keep it in top notch shape? The registry is the catalog or reference source for your computer. Every Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 to Windows Vista has a system registry. The registry is a huge database that keeps track of the programs on your computer. This database is used to store system information, which is necessary to configure the operating system for the different users that will log on and use the system. It also stores all the information that is needed to configure the hardware and the various programs or applications that will run along with the operating system. This information is constantly referenced during the operation of the computer. Every install you do and every uninstall you do clogs up a computer's registry with invalid entries and errors and can slow your computer down. Your registry is constantly put to use, regulating and organizing the storage and execution of data, drivers, and software applications. With continued use, the registry becomes bloated and disorganized with invalid shortcuts, broken drivers and obsolete applications. And spyware can leave behind incomplete entries, corrupt files, disabled drivers and undesirable entries. Any malware threat that loads on your computer also gets added to the registry. Malware opens up security leaks which will make your computer vulnerable to attack. Not paying attention to your registry could mean that one day when you are in the midst of doing important work, your computer could suddenly crash or the system could get stalled all of sudden. If your computer crashes this means costly computer repair bills and losing your data. With regular use of a registry cleaner, your computer's speed is greatly increased. It calls up programs much faster. Keeping your registry clean is very important if you want it to run efficiently all the time.

If you think you can save money by editing the registry manually to clean your registry, think again. Microsoft has a handy tool called regedit which is included in every edition of Windows since Windows 95. In Vista it is called the Registry Editor. I have used regedit before and used it under the direction of technical support people or someone who knows what they are doing. Regedit is a tool intended for advanced users. Ordinarily, you do not need to make changes to the registry. However, a corrupt registry file could require making changes. Going into the registry without knowing what you are doing is a little bit like going under the hood of your car without knowing how to fix the engine of your car. If you don't know what you are doing, you'll damage the car where it will not work. The same thing is true using regedit. Working on a system's registry manually requires a comprehensive knowledge of computers. The registry contains complex system information that is vital to your computer. Thus for someone who doesn't know what they are doing, one wrong move could result in serious damage. Thus, manual editing of the registry is not advised unless you are instructed to change a key by authorized personnel or if you have an understanding of what to change. Otherwise, manual editing of the registry is not advised for ordinary computer users. Editing the registry manually should be left to authorized personnel who know how to fine-tune the registry .But what will happen is that you will be formatting your hard disk and reinstalling the operating system and all the programs you installed over time if you edit the registry manually and tweak the wrong key or keys. If you don't know what you're doing, just leave it alone and let Registry Cleaning software do the work. The Pros say that the registry is too delicate to put a registry cleaner to work. Most of these pros have seen registry cleaners go to work on registry cleaners and delete registry keys that were critical to a computer. The pros have a point. There are several registry cleaners to stay away from. The problem is that most average Joes who have a computer do not know when to stop. And some of these other registry cleaners don't really tell them when to stop. The best registry cleaner is the one when run repeatedly will tell you that they have zero errors and will not dig in any further. It is regrettable that the best registry cleaner is judged by how many errors they get. But what they don't tell you is that when repeated after the scan and removal that when you run these again to confirm that there are no errors that you seemingly find that these registry cleaners dug up some more errors. What has happened is the registry cleaner dug deeper and found a whole new list with 40 or 50 more registry errors. Or even errors that the registry cleaner tried to delete but were back after the cleaner was run again. These programs will not tell you when you are done. If you check these you will find when you run these to confirm you are done that they will dig deeper. When you run these repeatedly you run the risk of deleting vital registry keys and that will ruin your computer. This is not what you want when you buy a Registry Cleaner. Before you use a registry cleaner Microsoft recommends you create a restore point so that in addition to the registry cleaners backup feature that comes with the registry cleaner you have a backstop just in case restoring the registry with the Registry Cleaner does not completely restores the registry.

One of the best registry cleaners is Registry Fix. Cleaning your registry could be the best thing you can do for your computer. You can now experience the same kind of speed and performance that you knew when your PC was new. Don't waste your time spending countless hours searching the web for instructions on how to solve PC errors. Don't spend time on the line to technical support or spend money on costly repairs when you can fix it yourself. Regular use of Registry Fix helps avoid costly repair bills and countless hours on the phone with technical support. And Registry Fix works with Windows Vista.

The ideal Registry cleaner is one that you can run once and then you can repeat it afterwards and find it got all the errors. Unlike some of its competitors, Registry Fix will fix the errors and clean the unused registry errors and will get it done without digging deeper into the registry. And when you check to see that it got all the errors, it will tell you that it got zero errors.

In the span of a mouse click, Registry Fix scans the registry and locates the problem entries and informs the user where the entries are. In one mouse click, it will proceed to fix the registry errors. It scans every inch of your pc registry in a little more than 2 minutes.

It fixes these types of registry errors related to:

* ActiveX controls * dll errors * Window explorer errors * System32 errors * Runtime errors * Outlook and Outlook Express errors * Exe errors * Svchost errors

And a whole host of other errors.

The program has an easy to follow and uncomplicated interface. It removes registry errors and invalid entries in a flash.

Registry Fix backs up everything it removes so if you have problems after your registry is cleaned you can restore the registry to what it was before. Not only that, but Registry Fix has a utility that will back up your whole registry. So if you want a whole backup of your registry, Registry Fix will do it with ease. And it can restore your registry just as easily as it backed the registry up.

Also, Registry Fix comes with a startup manager. The startup manager in Registry Fix displays everything in your startup menu. So if you are having trouble with programs that are in the startup menu, you can delete them with ease. This is especially useful for Windows Vista users because if you upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista you will find that you have programs that Vista blocks because some of those obsolete programs are still active but obsolete. Consequently, you will need to either fix these programs or delete them in some way. So that is where the startup manager comes in.

Get a free scan with Registry Fix and discover the invalid entries and registry errors left behind in your registry. The free version of the software will only test your system for errors. This way you can get a feel of the software so you can decide whether it is right for you. Please note that even though the free version will only scan your system, when you buy and install the registration key and register your copy of Registry Fix, it will let you scan and remove all suspect registry entries.

If you buy Registry Fix, you have 8 weeks from the purchase date to decide if the full version of the software is for you. If not, you may contact them by e-mail and they will refund your money no questions asked. They also have an extended warranty on the software so that you need a copy of the software for any reason they will keep a copy of the software available for you to download for three years after you purchase Registry Fix. It costs a little more but if your computer crashes you can find the program if you need it.




About the Author
Richard Lewis is a average computer user. His web site is windows-registry-cleaner.net


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Richard Lewis is a average computer user. His web site is windows-registry-cleaner.net

Registry Cleaner

Welcome to registry cleaner! We plan to find and evaluate registry cleaners so you dont have to.

Check back often for updates!