11 replies to this topic

[Serenity]

Is CCleaner safe? I'm scared to run. I did the analize and I'm scared to hit 'run'. This won't mess up my system? It seems to be mostly cache, history and temp files. I'd like to run the registry cleaner but scared of that too. LOL am I just too paranoid?

[hazelnut]

Leave the registry cleaner area alone for now Serenity, and just use the cleaner on its default settings, and don't use any of the advanced selections until you are more familiar with the program, you should be okay

Have a read here for a bit more info

http://www.internetr...beginnersguide/

[Serenity]

hazelnut, on Jul 31 2008, 05:45 PM, said:

Leave the registry cleaner area alone for now Serenity, and just use the cleaner on its default settings, and don't use any of the advanced selections until you are more familiar with the program, you should be okay

Have a read here for a bit more info

http://www.internetr...beginnersguide/

Thanks. That's what I did for now. I am no where near a newbie with computers, but messing with the registry is something I've always been afraid of. I am quite sure it could use some cleaning tho. Anyway, I gained 1200 MB from just cleaning cache and history. I unchecked the photoshop, dreamweaver and MS Office apps....couldn't afford to lose anything there. Thanks again!

[spainaa]

Serenity, on Jul 31 2008, 08:42 PM, said:

Thanks. That's what I did for now. I am no where near a newbie with computers, but messing with the registry is something I've always been afraid of. I am quite sure it could use some cleaning tho. Anyway, I gained 1200 MB from just cleaning cache and history. I unchecked the photoshop, dreamweaver and MS Office apps....couldn't afford to lose anything there. Thanks again!

I am a newbie and did run the entire thing and now I cannot save excel files. How can I fix that?

Help...thanks in advance,
Amber

[Keithuk]

Welcome to Piriform Serenity.

Serenity, on Jul 31 2008, 04:42 PM, said:

Is CCleaner safe? I'm scared to run. I did the analize and I'm scared to hit 'run'. This won't mess up my system? It seems to be mostly cache, history and temp files. I'd like to run the registry cleaner but scared of that too. LOL am I just too paranoid?

I know the registry can be a bit daunting to some people but the beauty of using CCleaner's Registry option is simple if you follow the basic rules. After you have pressed Scan for Issues you will see a list of all the issues its found. You can either Fix selected issues or remove the tick from some. When you click Fix selected issues you are given an option which is enabled by default but you can always make sure by selecting Options\Avanced and make sure the Show prompt to backup registry issues is ticked. So when you click Fix selected issues you will be prompted to save all the data it removes from the registry into a *.reg file. If things don't works as they should do then you just double-click on this saved reg file to put the entries back in.  

spainaa, on Aug 12 2008, 03:14 PM, said:

I am a newbie and did run the entire thing and now I cannot save excel files. How can I fix that?

Welcome to Piriform Amber.

Which options did you run with the entire thing?

The easiest way for you to put things back as they were is do a system restore to a date before you first used CCleaner.  

[PCwildgoosechase]

I looked up the best registry cleaners and found and independant opinion about them. Each of them brands is the  opinion of the programmer(s).  I say it is best to choose one so we don't have an arguement on computer. My registry cleaner comes with McAfee now. I used one once and it really did speed up going from one screen(or icon) to the next.  IF its true that there is clutter build up I wish MS would have had it with thier Win2000 but they did with Win98. There is a registry cleaner (came with MS package) in the Accessories/system information for the 98'. I think the registry is a lot of programming but also an area that remains after you uninstall a program. This was to protect the company that made the software/hardware. However, sometimes you get a program that is stuck and won't delete completely and even then suddenly can't reinstall. OR when you uninstall certain programs they bomb your computer like AOL.  Who knows what else is flying around your hard disk because of companies not able to meet every computer's needs in an area that is easily overlooked and some kind of clutter that might actually distract your computer's concentration.  Because MS has not really allowed full control of your registry I wish the registry cleaner would at least be able to see a before and after CHANGES that have been made, that would be the hottest seller right now among the many services sold seperatly at the store. That way I can figure out what websites are bombing my computer and how and where they screwed it up, you know, me having control of my computer and delteing that registry entry that is really a virus. Now with a new install I loaded a 2000 Corel Brand WP disk and did not like it so I deleted it right away. Suddenly I had to seperatly uninstall the Startup Icon and found two similar astronomical numbers when I ran Regedit and looked up Corel.  I think I will delete those but maybe not.  OK I'll run the McAfee and see if it deletes them and check back

[PCwildgoosechase]

Oh yah but a good registry entry may be altered by a virus and thus go unnoticed by some registry cleaners. See it has the first entry/icon but when you click that the registry opens up a screen that is totally encrypted coding and you still can't tell good from bad.  A registry cleaner won't remember this encrypted part, only the first entry/name of the registry entry. You could delete that but there is a Sasser Virus that changed the LSASS.exe file which is one you would never delete. At the time it also was impossible to reinstall.

[DennisD]

PCwildgoosechase, on Aug 13 2008, 07:12 PM, said:

I wish the registry cleaner would at least be able to see a before and after CHANGES that have been made, that would be the hottest seller right now among the many services sold seperatly at the store. That way I can figure out what websites are bombing my computer and how and where they screwed it up, you know, me having control of my computer and delteing that registry entry that is really a virus.

Hi PCwildgoosechase, and welcome to the forum.

I've just selected the above part of your post because there is a way to achieve what you want, but not by a registry cleaner. Not with CCleaner anyhow.

You can use an Install Tracker to install a new application. This utility will scan your registry before you install the software, and then scan it again after the installation, keeping a record or log of the changes in the registry.

It will use that recorded information to fully uninstall the software should you wish to do so.

Two very good Install Trackers are:

ZSoft Uninstaller: (freeware)

Total Uninstall: (This link is the last freeware version. Download from the "download" link and not the "home page" link)

There's another very good freeware application called Revo Uninstaller, which tackles the problem from the other direction.

It uninstalls a program using the programs own uninstaller, and then scans your pc for any leftover files, folders, and registry entries. It has different depths of scan available, and lists its results for you to peruse before deleting.

Revo Uninstaller:

[coppertrail]

To date, I've not had any issues with either the system or registry cleaning components of CClenaer.

[Nic]

coppertrail, on 24 August 2008 - 04:48 PM, said:

To date, I've not had any issues with either the system or registry cleaning components of CClenaer.

   Same here ,been using both features of CCleaner and never any issuses with the registry cleaner . I still however always accept the option to backup the items being removed from registry and save them for aprx a month !
   Take Care Nic

[hazelnut]

Perhaps you didn't notice Nic that the thread you posted in was last 'alive' in August 2008

[Winapp2.ini]

Arghh! Threadcromancy