Best Registry/ file cleaner?

[joshkmartinez]

What registry/ file cleaner do u use? Are there advantages to one another? Should I even use a Cleaner?

 

I am currently using CCleaner.

[Aura]

Registry Cleaners are known to be harmful to the system and should not be used for any reason there is. It's a known fact that using these programs can easily break a Windows installation, to the point where a complete reinstallation might be needed. Here's a few myths about using these programs, and why they are just plainly false.

• "Using a Registry Cleaner will improve a system's performance" - False. The Windows Registry is a big database which contains information on everything present on the system, from the boot settings to how your programs looks when you open them. There's so many entries in it that cleaning even thousands of them isn't enough to boost a system performance. Also, there's no studies, tests, benchmarks, etc. which shows that using Registry Cleaners actually improve a system speed;
• "Using a Registry Cleaner will fix all your errors" - False. Using a Registry Cleaner won't fix any problems at all. In fact, it have more chances to create them if anything. There's no program that can fix every problems in a simple click, and there probably never will. If you have an error, it's better to troubleshoot that error in particuliar by finding what's causing it and fixing it than using a software that might give you more errors;
• "If you don't use a Registry Cleaner, you'll leave a door open for malware" - False. It is rare that malware will actually hijack orpheans keys and keypairs in the Registry to create persistence or install themself. They'll usually create their own keys/keypairs since they have been instructed (coded) to do so, and the creator cannot expect every system he'll infect to have leftover keys. Also, pretty much only Reg Loading Points in the Registry would be of any interest for a malware to hijack, and these are usually occupied already, or quickly deleted when empty;
• Registry Cleaners aren't Registry Defraggers - These are two different kind of software who have two distinct function each.
• On a last note, there's a lot of Registry Cleaners out here that won't create a back-up of your Registry before applying the changes they make. Which means that if you use them and clean entries that prevents Windows to reboot after, locking you out of your computer, you won't be able to restore a precedent Registry back-up via the Recovery PE. This means that if you can't fix the boot issue after that, you'll most likely be forced to reinstall Windows;
  

Registry Cleaners were used back in the days by developers who were using a OLE-schema for their applications. They used these to clean the Registry after uninstalling their programs, just in case there was traces of it left behind that could affect a reinstallation. These were back in the Windows 95 and Windows 98 days and this practice isn't in effect anymore. Therefore, there's no reason for you to use such programs and quite a few to avoid them instead.

Here's more articles on Registry Cleaners that are worth a read if you want to learn more about them and why you shouldn't use them.

• Microsoft support policy for the use of registry cleaning utilities
• Registry Cleaners: Digital Snake Oil - Malwarebytes
• Registry Cleaner FAQ - PC Support
• Speech from Animal, BleepingComputer Site Admin, on Registry Cleaners
• Speech from quietman7, BleepingComputer Staff and Microsoft MVP, on Registry Cleaners
• Why Using a Registry Cleaner Won't Speed Up Your PC or Fix Crashes - HowToGeek
• Microsoft does not support use of Registry Cleaners in Windows - The Windows Club
• Registry Cleaners Pros and Cons on Wikipedia - Notice how there's barely any pro, and multiple cons to Registry Cleaners.
  

[joshkmartinez]

But there is so much left behind in an uninstallation of software, like files and registry entries? Would be using a 3rd party uninstaller software to do this remove them?

[joshkmartinez]

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Hint: Registry cleaners will ALWAYS find errors, even on a freshly installed operating system!

From Registry Cleaners: Digital Snake Oil - Malwarebytes

Since these cleaners will always find errors can you teach me to distinguish the real errors and the 'fake' ones?

[Aura]

Quote

But there is so much left behind in an uninstallation of software, like files and registry entries?

These are negligible. They don't have enough "weight" to actually slow your system down. 

Quote

Would be using a 3rd party uninstaller software to do this remove them?

That's a solution some people use. Uninstallers like GeekUninstaller, Revo, etc. works well.

Quote

Since these cleaners will always find errors can you teach me to distinguish the real errors and the 'fake' ones?

You would need to have some kind of in-depth knowledge of Windows. It's just easier to not use them at all.

I'm an IT technician, and so are many helpers here, and we'll all tell you the same thing: we don't see the use of such software, they are completely worthless and can even be harmful in some situations. Staying away from them is the best thing to do.

 

[joshkmartinez]

Got it. Thanks so much again Aura. You really are a great help.

[Tarun]

Mark Russinovich (works with Microsoft, former Systernals - did things like Autoruns, Process Explorer, etc.) has also said to avoid registry cleaners. If you try to clean the registry you're worrying about a minuscule amount of data cleanup.

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/markrussinovich/2005/10/02/registry-junk-a-windows-fact-of-life/

[exile360]

23 hours ago, joshkmartinez said:

But there is so much left behind in an uninstallation of software, like files and registry entries? Would be using a 3rd party uninstaller software to do this remove them?

Sure, tools like Revo etc. can typically do that, but it's really unnecessary the vast majority of the time.  What I myself will do on occasion is go through the HKLM and HKCU Software keys and look for entries from software/companies that I've removed from my computer which I don't intend to reinstall and delete those keys if found.  They're typically the ones used for storing application-specific settings and data and usually contain the most entries that a piece of software might leave behind on your system.  It does no harm to leave them there and it's not something I do too often, but it can be useful for tidying up if you go into the registry a lot to look for/modify a program's settings by hand (something I have to do on occasion, especially when some settings aren't included in the software's UI).

As for "fixing" anything, the only "errors" I know of ever even possibly fixed by a registry cleaner are the occasional "file not found" errors that occur when an application's component is configured to load into another module/process on boot and the file no longer exists resulting in a "file not found" or "cannot find file" error from Windows on startup, but honestly if you have one of those it's typically not too difficult to track it down by hand either via searching the registry for the loading point mentioning the file or using a tool like Autoruns which in all likelihood will show the entry and have it highlighted because the file does not exist in the location specified by the registry loading point, in which case you can then delete or simply disable it (an advantage to Autoruns is that you don't have to permanently remove anything if you don't want to and you can instead uncheck an entry to disable it which automatically creates a backup of the entry so that you may later re-enable it should you discover that disabling it causes problems; a function many registry cleaners lack).  Typically though, modern installers/uninstallers are really good about not leaving such entries behind and it's been years since I encountered such an error on my own or any user's system here on the forums or elsewhere (I used to be a PC repair tech, and even then I very seldom came across such errors and not once did I need to use a registry cleaner to find/fix the orphaned loading point/registry entry in the rare cases where I did encounter such an error).

And as for performance, a registry defragmentation/compression tool has far more chance of actually improving performance, but even then, it's typically only noticeable in extreme cases where the system has been running on the same Windows installation for several years (typically 3 or more) and has had an abundance of changes and software installed/removed over that time period.  Even then, in newer Windows versions (Vista+) Microsoft actually handles defragmenting those files so doing so manually via a third party tool is typically unnecessary.  There's also a certain level of risk in doing so (as with registry cleaners) that if something goes catastrophically wrong during the process it can leave the system in worse condition than it was before running the tool, even to the point of rendering it unbootable, necessitating a system restore, startup repair or repair install in worse case scenarios.

The best things one can do to improve performance on a modern system (i.e. any PC made within the last 8 years or so) is to ensure that it has enough RAM, a sufficiently speedy CPU for the tasks being thrown at it (including multi-core and multi-threaded for more intensive tasks as well as multi-tasking), sufficient drive space, remove/disable any unnecessary programs, especially those which run in the background/at startup (i.e. your video game loading software, like Steam, probably doesn't need to start on boot unless all you ever do is play Steam games, and your DVD/multimedia software probably doesn't need to run on boot either unless you're only using your system for a multimedia/video playback device, and the same goes for email, instant messaging apps and anything else you don't use every time your computer boots), and finally installing a fast SSD to run your OS and programs from (assuming you don't have one already).  That last one definitely makes the biggest difference, especially on modern hardware running a modern OS (Windows 7 or later; though it still will improve things for older operating systems; it's just that newer versions of Windows are optimized to better take advantage of such technologies).  Also keep in mind that when I say "enough RAM", I don't mean so much RAM that you never even use half of it no matter which of your programs you're using or how much you may be multi-tasking; I just mean enough that you don't max out your RAM, forcing the OS to start using virtual memory (the paging file) from your hard drive, as that will slow things down significantly, but actually using lots of RAM doesn't hurt anything/slow anything down as long as you have enough to go around.

Edited May 28, 2017 by exile360

[joshkmartinez]

12 hours ago, exile360 said:

What I myself will do on occasion is go through the HKLM and HKCU Software keys and look for entries from software/companies that I've removed from my computer which I don't intend to reinstall and delete those keys if found

Could You give me steps on how to do this? I would like to learn.

[sman]

check this.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry 

use regedit..

A quick way to access Regedit that applies to Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.x, and 10 is the following:

1. Open the Run box with the keyboard combination Windows key + r.
2. In the Run line, enter “regedit” (without quotes)
3. Click “OK”
4. Say “Yes” to User Account Control (Windows Vista/7/8.x/10)

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Regedit

Do your backup  and if anything have your OS kit on hand to re-install OS..

[exile360]

While it is generally not a good idea to mess with the registry if you aren't comfortable with it/familiar with it, I can offer some basic instructions.  The first thing to do prior to making any changes to the Windows Registry is create a backup:

Here's how to create a restore point.

1. Click the Start  button, then select Control Panel > System and Maintenance > System.
2. In the left pane, select System protection.
3. Select the System Protection tab, and then select Create.
4. In the System Protection dialog box, type a description, and then select Create.

To restore your system, including the registry using System Restore simply open System Protection again by following steps 1-2 above and clicking the System Restore button to launch the System Restore wizard.  Follow the onscreen instructions and select the most recent restore point that you created to restore your system and settings from that restore point.

If your PC will not start you may use System Restore offline from the repair settings menu which you should be presented with during boot once the system fails to start.  Again, once the System Restore wizard starts simply select the most recent restore point you created to roll your system back to that restore point.

Backup your Registry using Tweaking.com Registry Backup

• Download Registry Backup from here and save it to your desktop
• Right-click on the ZIP file you downloaded and select Extract All...
• Follow the onscreen instructions to extract the files to a convenient location such as your desktop, leaving the checkbox next to Show extracted files when complete checked
• Once it finishes and you're viewing the extracted files, open TweakingRegistryBackup.exe and click Yes if prompted by User Account Control
• Once it opens, click Backup Now at the bottom

If you need to restore the registry later on simply run the program again and this time select the Restore Registry tab and use the drop-down menu next to where it says Select Backup To Restore (#).  You can either restore the entire registry from your backup(s) or you may select specific registry files (hives) to restore; if you aren't sure what to choose simply use the default option to restore all of it.  Once you're ready, click Restore Now at the bottom.  Once you restart your PC your registry will be restored.

As for how to do what I was referring to, you must open regedit.exe and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and look for folders for programs you've already uninstalled from your PC.  I can't really help you out on this part as I have no way of knowing what software you've removed from your computer in the past so the only advice I can give is to be extremely careful to make certain that the only folders you remove belong to software that you no longer have installed on your PC.

Once you're done there you may do the same for the folders under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE.

A good basic tutorial on getting started with the registry can be found here (you'll notice that at the bottom of that article they share a very familiar opinion of registry cleaners ).  Microsoft also has good resources here as well as here and here.  While some of those Microsoft resources are for Windows XP, they still apply to newer Windows versions as well.

Anyway, I hope you find this information helpful, and just remember to use caution.  It isn't worth breaking any of your software or rendering your system unbootable for the sake of removing a few orphaned registry keys/values, but if you really want to learn, this information should give you a good foundation.  Just be cautious and take it slow, and even better, if you have an older system or a virtual machine you can practice on that you don't care about, that would be most excellent as that would take the pressure off and give you the chance to really dig in.

Edited May 28, 2017 by exile360

[ipkpjersi]

It's generally not worth using "cleaners" as sometimes they can be malware, but if you are going to use one, CCleaner is a pretty well-known and trusted one.

[joshkmartinez]

That is what I currently use. It's AMAZING! It has got such neat tools!

[AdvancedSetup]

Registry cleaning from ccleaner is Snake Oil too. It's more than obvious you've not taken the time to read these articles. Please do yourself a favor and read all of these articles from top to bottom.

 

A few recommended articles to read on registry cleaners:

Registry cleaners are not supported by Microsoft

• Microsoft is not responsible for issues caused by using a registry cleaning utility. We strongly recommend that you only change values in the registry that you understand or have been instructed to change by a source you trust, and that you back up the registry before making any changes.
• Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the use of a registry cleaning utility can be solved. Issues caused by these utilities may not be repairable and lost data may not be recoverable. 

• Microsoft support policy for the use of registry cleaning utilities
• An often posted and quoted article, Ed Bott's Why I don't use registry cleaners
• Older article quoting two MVPS's, but relevant still is Do I need a Registry Cleaner?
• miekiemoes' Blog Registry Cleaners and System Tweaking Tools
• Registry cleaner - From Wikipedia
• Are Registry Cleaners Safe to Use?

In most cases regardless of which Registry Cleaning tool you use it's not going to outright break Windows from booting or running. Normally the damage done is rarely seen or even attributed to the cleaning. How it can sometimes manifest itself is with an application simply not behaving as it used to, a program feature that no longer launches. In some cases on a computer with detailed auditing enabled it can show errors that were not there prior to the cleaning, but again these are typically things that would be nearly impossible to know after the fact what caused it.

Bottom line is WHY are you cleaning the Registry? The system can typically read through the entire Registry in under a minute, but that is not how software reads, writes to the Registry. It makes a specific call to a location where it expects its configuration to be or where it needs to possibly interface with other COM objects to complete an operation and can typically make that read in milliseconds. Reading all the keys for my HKCU hive took 249 ms with a total of 21047 keys. So how is removing a dozen or a few dozen going to really help speed up my computer?

If you can show proof positive 100% that some value in the Registry is actually causing an issue then change or remove THAT entry. Not hundreds or dozens of entries because someone that has been programming for a few years now somehow feels they or their team know the Billions of possible values and every single one that is good or bad and can automate fixing it. Sorry but I call BS, no one knows every single entry and what it means let alone if its good or bad.

 

While you're reading about Registry Cleaners you might also want to read the following article

The complexity of finding, preventing, and cleanup from malware

[Staticguy]

I won't even think about using any type of cleaner and not even CClearn or any other uninstall utility. If you want to remove file(s) remaining after uninstallation i will just use it's uninstall utility/removal tool by the developer. This same comment applies here too

some 4-5 years ago and to be straight up and honest I was a dump idiot person who just ran ccleaner and other utility that will make my computer fast and thinking to myself that it will really make my computer fast. It was the baddest idea of my life and as I kept using these "so called" utility and cleaners it made my previous laptop to be unusable. So DON'T RUN these programs. If you are experiencing technical difficulties seek help not like me before where i just kept on going and using it and thinking it will automatically do it for me.

[Cleatus]

leaves a s-ton of files and registry items?  oh, you mean like Micro$oft software after "uninstall"...?

[joshkmartinez]

Tell me about it. Oh my god.