Registry 'Cleaners'

[Dch48]

I still say that my statement is correct. I said "over time" meaning that if somebody has let those things pile up for a long period, years maybe, removing them can improve boot times.

Haven't cleaned this registry since I bought the computer 4 years ago. Can't really say it's slow to boot.
But, if it makes you happy, clean your registry

It probably doesn't seem slow and cleaning things out may only show a very slight improvement. I'm not saying it will make the system crawl, but if the clutter is bad enough, you can notice a difference after cleaning it out. It may only be seconds and only noticeable if you actually time it with a watch but it can produce an improvement.

[bob3160]

And that slight improvement justifies possible not being able to start because
something that shouldn't have been remove was removed
Not in my book but, that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to clean your registry. I just choose not to. 

[Dch48]

And that slight improvement justifies possible not being able to start because
something that shouldn't have been remove was removed
Not in my book but, that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to clean your registry. I just choose not to. 

If you back up the changes, you should be able to fix any potential problems.

[Hard_ROCKER]

Absolute rubbish. I repeat, the size of the registry hives or the amount of entries in them has no performance impact. Mr. Mark Russinovich agrees. 

Fragmented registry hives, yes, just like any other fragmented file will get loaded a mili-second faster if they are in a single fragment but that's it when it comes to performance. As Chris Thomas mentioned, what you are noticing is placebo, you simply want it to be faster and believe it to be faster, so for your mind it is faster. But actually it is not. Now i am done with this topic as this is like talking to a small child, arguing without any proof to back up your claims. That is just silly.

@Bob: Let it go. 

[Dch48]

Does the registry load into memory, in it's entirety, at boot up or does it not? Does a smaller file load faster?

[Hard_ROCKER]

<snip>Now i am done with this topic<snip>

[Dch48]

Absolute rubbish. I repeat, the size of the registry hives or the amount of entries in them has no performance impact. Mr. Mark Russinovich agrees.  

Fragmented registry hives, yes, just like any other fragmented file will get loaded a mili-second faster if they are in a single fragment but that's it when it comes to performance. As Chris Thomas mentioned, what you are noticing is placebo, you simply want it to be faster and believe it to be faster, so for your mind it is faster. But actually it is not. Now i am done with this topic as this is like talking to a small child, arguing without any proof to back up your claims. That is just silly.

@Bob: Let it go.  

I have as much proof as those who say it makes no difference. They have no actual time measurements before and after either but logic is on my side. A smaller file always loads faster than a larger one and I have observed a difference on computers I have cleaned the very cluttered registry on where they have measurably faster boot times (I did time them but I can't say exactly what the differences were now). Like I said, it's  a matter of a few seconds but it is there.

It also can make a difference in the Icons that show in the system tray in XP. Windows XP is notorious for having system tray problems. When I was using Comodo, up to v 3.14, everything was fine. After the next update and in every successive one after that, the Comodo Icon would never show in the system tray and I had to click on the desktop icon to get it to show. I was able to work around the problem by using a utility called startup delayer and making the Comodo gui load after everything else. Then it would show. Even now, the icon for my sound volume control practically never shows up, but sometimes, after cleaning and compacting the registry, it will show at the next boot and for a while afterwards, then it disappears again.

[DarkMasters]

I can't say much of how cleaning registry would improve system performance or resulting in faster boot time since I always keep my registry as clean as possible by deleting any orphan key or unneeded entry in registry every time I installing or uninstalling any software, if there really is any improvement I wouldn't notice it anyway.

One good reason to keep your registry clean is sometimes any leftover entry from previous or old version of software can cause you slight problem or glitch with the software when you updating or installing the new version of that software.

Sometimes you need to remove or edit items in your registry to repair problems in Windows OS itself (e.g. problem caused by Windows Update, malware infections).

Keeping your registry clean is necessary, either doing it manually or using decent third party registry cleaner. However, it's prudent to make a backup of your registry and having a knowledge about what you're doing in the first place.

[bob3160]

However, it's prudent to make a backup of your registry and having a knowledge about what you're doing in the first place.

Since most users aren't knowledgeable, their safest thing to do is to leave the registry alone.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[DarkMasters]

Since most users aren't knowledgeable, their safest thing to do is to leave the registry alone.

You're right. That's why I said you've got to know what you're doing in the first place.

[CraigB]

Since most users aren't knowledgeable, their safest thing to do is to leave the registry alone.

You're right. That's why I said you've got to know what you're doing in the first place.

We ended where we started, i believe i said something along those lines in reply one 

[msgreyberry]

I used to have Advanced Registry Optimizer (somehow, although I searched for drawing graphic program) but it was USELESS. It said it "cleaned" some registry, and the rest you have to pay for it. It really was useless. I wanted to get rid of it, but somehow my mind told me not to.
Then I got Avast! on this laptop when it got repaired (I didn't have it for a year or so, so there was no AV) and ARO was gone. Without me touching anything. Magically.
Then I found out that ARO was infected by a Trojan, and the whole ARO.exe went to Avast quarantine. For once, I got actual happy when a virus infected that useless program.
Dunno about other cleaners, probobaly as useless,(they modify or erase something they shouldn't!) since mine modified something (something to do with audio driver - now it's just gone and I can't play a sound on my laptop!)
Registry cleaners are in my bad book.

[RejZoR]

When in doubt, use CCleaner. In fact, just use CCleaner.

[DarkMasters]

You're right. That's why I said you've got to know what you're doing in the first place.

We ended where we started, i believe i said something along those lines in reply one 

Ah... Right. You've said that in the first reply. 

[Para-Noid]

When in doubt, use CCleaner. In fact, just use CCleaner.

+1 CCleaner is simple enough foe the novice and won't screw up the registry.
I also use WinUtilities Free but this is not for the novice.