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Windows 7 and the use of Registry cleaners and system care programs

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#1
admin

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Have you created a guide or tutorial? Reply here!

Due to abuse, new topics are not allowed in this forum. However, we want your how-to guides and tutorials! Please add a reply to this topic, and after approval, a staff member will split your post into a new topic.
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#2
JSntgRvr

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Submitted by havredave


Here's a canned for Vista/7 clean boot for your perusal and perhaps addition to the communal canned .. can. :) Essexboy and I came up with it together (mostly him!)

Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility
To start the System Configuration Utility, click Start Posted Image, type msconfig, and then press enter. If you are prompted for a password or confirmation, please provide it and continue.

Step 2: Configure selective startup options
  • In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click Selective Startup on the General tab.
  • Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
  • Note The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.
  • Click the Services tab.
  • Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
  • Click Disable All, and then click OK.
  • When you are prompted, click Restart.

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.
The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.
Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility.



Now we get to the tedious part:

If windows behaves itself then do the following

Restart MSConfig and select half of the disabled services and reboot

Is the problem still present?

If Yes then deselect half of the services that you resumed and reboot

If no then select half of the remaining services and reboot

The intention here is to isolate the one service/driver that is causing the problem



[size=3][b]Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility[/b][/size] 
To start the System Configuration Utility, click Start [IMG]http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee362/Essexboy3/Misc%20screen%20shots/startorb.jpg[/IMG], type msconfig, and then press enter. If you are prompted for a password or confirmation, please provide it and continue. 
 
[size=3][b]Step 2: Configure selective startup options[/b][/size] 
[list=1] 
[*]In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click Selective Startup on the General tab. 
[*]Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. 
[*]Note The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable. 
[*]Click the Services tab. 
[*]Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box. 
[*]Click Disable All, and then click OK. 
[*]When you are prompted, click Restart.  
[/list] 
 
[quote]You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts. 
The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts. 
Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility. 
[/quote] 
 
Now we get to the tedious part: 
 
If windows behaves itself then do the following 
 
Restart MSConfig and select half of the disabled services and reboot 
 
Is the problem still present? 
 
If Yes then deselect half of the services that you resumed and reboot 
 
If no then select half of the remaining services and reboot 
 
The intention here is to isolate the one service/driver that is causing the problem

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#3
muhib1996

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I have created a how-to-guide to recover pc from almost any kind of damage, problem or virus. Most of the people doesn't know about it. So I would like to post it in HOWTOGUIDE.

Our computers, most of the times, gets infected by virus or the system is damaged by other reasons. Sometimes it's so critical that we have to suffer a lot for this. People run after BackUp softwares and wastes huge money on it. Now a days, the laptop companies provide a recovery disk with the package, but sometimes, it also fails to work. Don't believe me? I tried it on my own.
For Windows 7 or Vista users, there is a good news. MS has a built-in Backup, most of you don't know about it or don't want to use it. But actually, it's a guarantee to keep your computer safe, even in the most critical situation.

To become a safe happy user, first you have to make a system image. For this,
  • GoTo Control Panel
  • GoTo System & Security
  • Enter into "Backup and Restore"
  • Click "Backup Now"

Posted Image

It will ask you some settings to set on, select the settings. It's very easy and lucid. After that, it will start backing up your computer. Please don't ignore the "Create a System Image" while saving the settings. Because this is the main area.
You can create this backup both in your HardDisk or in any removable media.

When the backup is complete, feel safe. It's very easy and default way isn't it? So why waste money on expensive softs. This backup will keep you safe from any kind of computer disaster, trust me, even if your LAPTOP Backup fails. Now here comes the big question, how to use the backup?

Using the BackUp:

  • Restart your computer
  • Enter in Safe-Mode by pressing F8 (in most cases it's the default button)
  • Goto "Repair Your Computer". It will ask your password, type it here
  • Now you will see a list of recovery options, form here, click "Restore a system image" or something like this
  • The computer will automatically detect the backup, just follow next steps.
  • The Backup will start it's process (Caution: Don't turn off your computer when it's working)
  • The computer will restart automatically and you will get your clean computer

Please create a "System Recovery Disk", you will find this option in the same area where you found this (see left menu bar options). Because if situation becomes so critical that your computer can't be started in Safe-Mode, use this disk by boot options. It will also represent some tools to recover your computer.
Don't forget to run backup of your computer every week. You can also set schedules. If you feel that your computer is not behaving properly, then don't make the backup because this is of no use.

Hope that it will help you. Now it is the easiest way to recover your pc from virus infection, damage, crash, file deletion etc. Please contact with me if you feel any problem while running the process.

****** THE END *******
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#4
Macboatmaster

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The number of topics posted, requesting help with problems on Windows 7, where the cause may well be the use of registry cleaners etc., appears to be slightly increasing.

I believe this may be due to the growth of such programs, and the increased marketing across the web.

Windows 7 has many enhancements, over and above previous operating systems. It manages its file systems and indeed its registry, far better than XP and Vista, which was in many aspects simply a revamped XP.

Registry cleaners have been around for many years and the reasons for NOT using them are well advertised on Geeks to Go.

For example, an extract from a post by sari, one of the Admin team at Geeks to Go


A registry cleaner will not increase your system's speed or performance, and has the potential to break your registry to the point that your PC is no longer bootable.
We strongly advise that people stay away from any of the registry cleaners out there.
Go HERE to get more information about why registry cleaners aren't needed.


AND
http://www.edbott.co...istry-cleaners/
That article is quite old but the conclusions are as relevant today as they were when it was written

Here is my explananation of why such programs should not be used
The errors found by these programs are far too frequently not errors, but the deletion of the registry key by the program causes REAL errors, insofar as the deleted key corrupts the registry due to the inter-association of multiple keys among the hundreds of entries in the registry.

Registry Structure: The Tree, Nodes and Keys
The data is stored in the registry in a tree structure format, for those who have never opened the Registry Editor, you'd find its layout is similar to what you would see when you open your Windows Explorer. Each node within the registry tree contains a key which may have both sub keys and data entries (called values). Depending on the application you run, the application may need only the associated key while others may need the value data set for that specific key. A hive in the registry is a group of keys, sub keys, and values in the registry that has a set of supporting files containing backups of its data. The Windows boot process automatically retrieves data from these supporting files.

AND my attempt to explain it in simple terms - therein lies the problem with the so-called registry cleaner/optimizer programs. The program decides what is not needed and can be deleted. However, frequently the inter-dependence of the various branches of the tree are not recognised by the program AND this is where it goes horribly wrong. -

Returning to the more recent kind of advertising for these programs, we are presented with this
http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html

Game Booster 3 is capable of delivering the best gaming experience to you even if you have an old PC. One-click to boost PC performance is not enough, Game Booster 3 also allows you to tweak your system for top PC performance. By temporarily shutting background processes and unnecessary Windows services, cleaning RAM, and intensifying processor performance, Game Booster 3 concentrates every little system resource for gaming only.


Please note there are many other companies advertising such programs,
with similar such claims, that even the most inexperienced user should be able to recognise as more or less impossible. Indeed if such programs could make an old computer suitable for gaming, the software writers would make a fortune and the sale of new machines and components would nosedive.

and now even the more respected and well known companies are advertising such
http://www.avg.com/gb-en/avg-pctuneup

NOTE It is possible to offer many more examples of such programs, from any number of companies. Many making similar claims that they are capable of turning your computer into the ideal gaming machine. The two mentioned were selected, by the author of the article, for no particular reason. There inclusion is not intended to indicate any opinion held by Geeks to Go, or indeed by the author, in respect of these two specific examples, as against any other that may have been selected.

I mentioned earlier in this topic that Windows 7 has management systems far better than previous Operating Systems
Here are a couple of links to explain this
http://windows.micro...xperience-Index

http://windows.micro...ompare?t1=tab20

and the disk clean, defrag, action centre, troubleshooter, sync centre and many others all provide better services and analytical ability than previously was the case.

The Backup and the ease of preparing a system image are far more user friendly and efficient.

In summary
Do not be fooled into thinking that there is ANY downloadable software program that is capable of maintaining your computer by cleaning the registry, defragging the registry (not that it is ever needed) stopping various services and pruning Start Up items etc., automatically on nothing more than a few mouse clicks.

Such a program, that can be used safely on all computers, 100% of the time, has not been written and I doubt if it ever will be. Certainly the idea that one can turn your computer running at the minimum of acceptable specification for Windows, into the ideal gaming machine is little short of garbage.

My advice is to stay well away from such programs. Acquaint yourself with the use of those maintenance and cleaning tools provided with Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9.

Should you wish further advice, you are of course cordially invited by Geeks to Go, to join as a member and create your own topic in the appropriate forum.
Please go to this link where the procedure is explained.

http://www.geekstogo...r/Discover.html

Macboatmaster





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#5
iammykyl

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Great post, right to the point, agree 100%.
Should be a sticky, with a big warning notice.

If there had been such a "Game Booster" I would think they would be available from AMD or Nvidia.

Edited by iammykyl, 11 September 2012 - 08:07 PM.

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