regcure, ccleaner

Topic

New Reply

Hi

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner. Regcure came with the computer and is now asking me to upgrade. Can I just uninstall it and get ccleaner or should I just not bother.

Cheers John

Reply | Quote

Replies

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner. Regcure came with the computer and is now asking me to upgrade. Can I just uninstall it and get ccleaner or should I just not bother.

I think you’ll find that most here would recommend NO registry cleaner. There are numerous instances where a system has been hosed by the use of a registry cleaner, but there doesn’t seem to be much (if any) objective evidence to indicate that the use of these “optimizers” actually generate increased performance.

If you do decide to use one however, CCleaner is probably the safest and most reliable of those that are available.

Reply | Quote

Hi

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner. Regcure came with the computer and is now asking me to upgrade. Can I just uninstall it and get ccleaner or should I just not bother.

Cheers John

I’m coming from the “other side of the fence” and I have and do use reg cleaners. Among them CCleaner which I agree is one of the gentler (read safer ) programs. I also use System Mechanic which does a lot of other things beside reg cleaning.
I did have and use Regcure for a few years but did find that it was a more aggressive cleaner and care had to be used with it. I finally just let it lapse and deleted it ( using Revo Uninstaller ) so there is certainly no harm in uninstalling it.

Edited to add: I’m talking about SYSTEM Mechanic NOT REGISTRY Mechanic. Two very different utilities.

Reply | Quote

Hi

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner. Regcure came with the computer and is now asking me to upgrade. Can I just uninstall it and get ccleaner or should I just not bother.

Cheers John

Hello John,
I would also like to “weigh in ” on this I use both a registry cleaner JV-16 power tools, and CCleaner, and Revo uninstaller. Each does a good job , but each doesn’t do it all .If you are like me (doubtful) and install, un-install programs at the speed of light you need JV-16 because the Registry leftovers of doing this sometimes are large.(hundreds if not thousands) Revo will get rid of these but you have to go through a long procedure of selecting which to remove (endless check boxes) JV-16 does this automatically, and at the desired level you choose. (with backups as well) so if you get too aggressive you just “go back” (backup tool). CCleaner is like a registry cleaner “lite” It’s ok but you get what you pay for. Hope this is some help to you, you have to make up your own mind on this as most on this forum would disagree with my advice. Regards FRed

Reply | Quote

Hello John,
I would also like to “weigh in ” on this I use both a registry cleaner JV-16 power tools, and CCleaner, and Revo uninstaller. Each does a good job , but each doesn’t do it all .If you are like me (doubtful) and install, un-install programs at the speed of light you need JV-16 because the Registry leftovers of doing this sometimes are large.(hundreds if not thousands) Revo will get rid of these but you have to go through a long procedure of selecting which to remove (endless check boxes) JV-16 does this automatically, and at the desired level you choose. (with backups as well) so if you get too aggressive you just “go back” (backup tool). CCleaner is like a registry cleaner “lite” It’s ok but you get what you pay for. Hope this is some help to you, you have to make up your own mind on this as most on this forum would disagree with my advice. Regards FRed

I’ve always liked the way JV-16 can categorize by software name/company, so that obselete keys can be selectively removed after a sloppy uninstaller leaves them behind.

I’m curious as to why Revo presents problems in returning your system to its “pre-install” state though. I use Total Uninstall (similar to Revo I hear) and I can undo what a monitored install did, with just the click of a button (or two). Another one I use is Regshot 2.0 unicode. Сайт автора (translated here – Regshot of 2.0 unicode. Site of the author). It has the great advantage of making undo & redo .REG files from before & after install snapshots.

Alan

Reply | Quote

…….. If you are like me (doubtful) and install, un-install programs at the speed of light you need JV-16 because the Registry leftovers of doing this sometimes are large.(hundreds if not thousands) Revo will get rid of these but you have to go through a long procedure of selecting which to remove (endless check boxes) JV-16 does this automatically, and at the desired level you choose. (with backups as well) so if you get too aggressive you just “go back” (backup tool). CCleaner is like a registry cleaner “lite” It’s ok but you get what you pay for. Hope this is some help to you, you have to make up your own mind on this as most on this forum would disagree with my advice. Regards FRed

Fred,
If you install and uninstall a lot of programs, there is an easier way to remove them and NOT have any remnants left ANYWHERE. Get yourself a copy of the last freeware version of Total Uninstall or if you want to get the latest version, you can buy it for $30 here. I’ve been using it for years and all I can say is that “it works”.

Reply | Quote

Fred,
If you install and uninstall a lot of programs, there is an easier way to remove them and NOT have any remnants left ANYWHERE. Get yourself a copy of the last freeware version of Total Uninstall or if you want to get the latest version, you can buy it for $30 here. I’ve been using it for years and all I can say is that “it works”.

DocWatson,
Hello, and thanks for the link ! These are just what i need, as i do tryout many programs. Most of which cause problems or are “goofy” ( full of Bugs) Then the “fun” begins trying to get rid of all the leftovers. I do about 1 to 2 full system recovery’s a week using Acronis TI-11 (8101) as well as using all the tools in my bag of tricks. I completely disagree with the ” If it aint broke don’t fix it” paradigm If i didn’t clean up after my mess i would have thousands of “dead end ” registry entries” OK the clean up isn’t to gain a few u/secs of processor time, it is to get rid of the unwanted programs entries! (who knows what they leave behind) I’ll give your suggestions a try Thanks again Regards

Reply | Quote

DocWatson,
Hello, and thanks for the link ! These are just what i need, as i do tryout many programs. Most of which cause problems or are “goofy” ( full of Bugs) Then the “fun” begins trying to get rid of all the leftovers.

Fred
This is exactly what I was alluding to in post #7 of this thread. Regshot will make undo and redo files, based on before & after install registry snapshots. Running the undo is equivalent to a “go back” action to the registry. I’ve found it to be a foolproof method of removing all the “junk” leftover entries AND reinstating the original ones.

Alan

Reply | Quote

These are just what i need, as i do tryout many programs. Most of which cause problems or are “goofy” ( full of Bugs) Then the “fun” begins trying to get rid of all the leftovers. I do about 1 to 2 full system recovery’s a week using Acronis TI-11 (8101) as well as using all the tools in my bag of tricks.

If you try that many programs and do system restores that frequently because of trying programs you should consider using a virtual machine such as Microsoft Virtual PC: Virtual PC 2007.

NOTE: you need a license for the guest operating system (i.e. the one that runs in the virtual machine).

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

I am another one who thinks that these tools are a bad idea.

I have never seen any evidence that they have improved the reliability or performance of any PC, but I have heard plenty of stories about problems they have caused.

I definitely subscribe to the philosophy that if it ain’t broke you shouldn’t fix it.

Reply | Quote

And I’d like to chip in something about Revo Uninstaller. I use it almost daily to get rid of something that I’ve tried and don’t need or like. I use Revo’s next to highest level of depth and have never had a problem. I agree that it does often produce large lists of file or registry entries, but for some time I checked laboriously to see if all were related to the program I was removing. I never found one that was a bad case, so I’ve quit even checking on them. I just select “delete all” and (fingers crossed) have never had a problem.

Reply | Quote

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner.

Regardless of the benefits (or otherwise) of “cleaning” the registry, I see a place for such software as a troubleshooting tool. Some “cleaners” can identify problems such as incorrect paths or missing files, which may be the cause of problems with running (installed) software. I think the key here is judicious usage. I have solved several hiccups by locating and rectifying registry errors in this way.

But I wouldn’t bother paying for one either. One of the recommendations here will serve you well.

Alan

Reply | Quote

Can anyone tell me how useful or important is it to have something like regcure or ccleaner. Regcure came with the computer and is now asking me to upgrade. Can I just uninstall it and get ccleaner or should I just not bother.

I fall in the camp of don’t use them on a regular basis. I’ve never seen any objective evidence that these programs are helpful on a regular basis. I think it is OK to keep one or two around in case your system behaves strangely after an install/uninstall sequence. Even then you better have a pretty good idea of what you are doing.

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

I think a valid question is whether or not an operation is to be manual or automatic. Today I dealt with the notorious snapman.sys, and I know of no automatic means of removal. Manual removal is a nightmare.

I agree with Al’s opinion of Revo.

Registry Mechanic has undergone major changes for the better very recently, and while I am reluctant to let it play with my registry, amongst other things, it is a Swiss Army knife of utilities, and the functions you might overlook may be worth the price of admission. I suggest a trial.

I still have my faithful Webroot Window Washer from years ago, and it works perfectly under Windows 7. It is a fine complement to CCleaner, which doesn’t get the same files, and doesn’t offer four strengths of bleach.

I have jv16 but it’s a bit higher tech than I am. I use it, but not heavily.

Reply | Quote

I’m more in the middle of all this.

1. CCleaner is a great program. The “Cleaner” utility, which is its main component and which most use is 100% safe since it removes only temp files and other garbage from your system. The “Registry” utility is basically harmless although not 100% safe… albeit I would have to rate it as 99.9999% safe from my own personal experience using it. I run CCleaner > Cleaner nightly.

2. Registry Cleaners: Well, they can be helpful in the right hands and disastrous in the wrong hands. Again, from my own experience, there are VERY FEW that can be trusted with a high degree of confidence. RegSupreme(Pro), which is no more and its origin, jv16 PowerTools is, IMHO, one of the best of the best. If the Registry Cleaner utility is run with the default setting or less aggressive, then it is quite safe. Yet, one has to be judicious and “inspectful” (made this one up) of what it is doing. Using the “Fix” rather than the “Remove” option is safest. Of course, opting to have it create a backup of what it finds before choosing either option is a given so that in case of a problem restoration is possible of the registry items fixed or removed. I do run the Registry Cleaner c. monthly. I also use the “Software Uninstaller” usually instead of the Control Panel “Add or Remove Program” applet as it does a far better job. The program, like Registry Mechanic (I don’t like nor trust it, sorry), has lots of utilities included; some useful some not, as far as I’m concerned.

Lastly, I must say again… the use of ANY Registry Cleaner, so-called includes some measure of risk. Some are very risky and others benign. But all require user attention and prudence. A system backup program is good insurance.

Reply | Quote

Cleaning up after trying out some software is completely different in updating the drive just because.

The driver issue is where I say, “If is ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote