Is there a Microsoft licensed registry cleaner? I have heard horror stories about the unlicensed products available out there.

Anonymous

My computer freezes sometimes and it is not as fast as it once was.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:18:07 +0000, sublimus wrote:

ok, but what about a registry cleaner?

Stay away from them all!

Registry cleaning programs are all snake oil. Cleaning of the

registry isn't needed and is dangerous. Leave the registry alone and

don't use any registry cleaner. Despite what many people think, and

what vendors of registry cleaning software try to convince you of,

having unused registry entries doesn't really hurt you.

The risk of a serious problem caused by a registry cleaner erroneously

removing an entry you need is far greater than any potential benefit

it may have.

Read http://www.edbott.com/weblog/archives/000643.html

And also

http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/02/registry-junk-a-windows-fact-of-life.aspx

Let me point out that neither I nor anyone else who warns against the

use of registry cleaners has ever said that they always cause

problems. If they always caused problems, they would disappear from

the market almost immediately. Many people have used a registry

cleaner and never had a problem with it.

Rather, the problem with a registry cleaner is that it carries with it

the substantial risk of having a problem. And since there is no

benefit to using a registry cleaner, running that risk is a very bad

bargain.

Ken Blake

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

The following link is Microsoft recommendations regarding registry cleaners which holds true for all versions of Windows:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Are-registry-cleaners-necessary

Due to the threads age, this thread will be locked. If you are having problems with your computer, please create a new post here on the Answers forums for assistance.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Look to running a check for malware and avoid the use of registry cleaners..

Microsoft Security Essentials

SuperAntispyware - http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html

Windows Defender - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=435BFCE7-DA2B-4A6A-AFA4-F7F14E605A0D&displaylang=en

Malwarebytes - www.malwarebytes.org

WinPatrol.. This utility will warn if something is trying to sneak into start-up without you knowing. It will also allow you to manage start-up items much better than you can with MSCONFIG..

www.winpatrol.com

Mike Hall MVP - Windows Desktop Experience http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

0 comments

53 additional answers

Anonymous

2012-01-12T14:26:29+00:00

Thanks so much for this:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials/onecare

I just don’t know what I would have done without it!
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2012-01-12T02:44:21+00:00

Jan, next time your laptop makes you crazy, follow the light ... go to the light ... that big light with the Apple logo ... there you'll find peace of mind, a simpler existence. Seriously, the Mac was created for you, the end-user who wants everything user-friendly. No driver conflicts, no registry, no hackers, no difficulty loading applications, no wondering what version of Windows to get, there is just one with the Mac, and that cost about $20. How much does Windows cost? And hardware/software conflicts? There really is a 'fix me now' button, it's called On/Off. I'll bet your laptop doesn't last a week before you're screaming again ... no disrespect to your computer geek friend ... it's not his fault. It's your bloated operating system and its failure to maintain its own integrity. It's vulnerable and there's a huge cult out there that can't stop hacking into it, and somewhere along the way there's a site you visit that is sending you garbage, and you'll go there again and without knowing you'll have corrupted your OS again. It's in the stars. I have suggestions, but none of them are user-friendly. Are you aware you don't need Windows to operate your laptop ... ask your geek friend about the 'other' OS options available to you. You can also clean it up, the sell it or give it away to your nephew, niece, brother, sister, enemy etc. Back up all your stuff, something you should have already done (but I bet you don't know how), perform a clean install, wipe off the fingerprints, and there you go. Once that's done, follow the light.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments