Save Registry Backup by Default

[login123]

Many posts suggest that users get into trouble by not saving a registry backup.

 

Why not have CCleaner do it by default, and issue a prompt allowing to delete it, but recommending against it? Save it anyway in a few seconds if no input from the user.

 

Something like:

 

SAVING A REGISTRY BACKUP.

[__] Cancel? Not Recommended!

 

I know, I know, one already gets 3 or 4 warnings, but apparently some folks ignore them, and those who do will get "saved" in spite of themselves.

 

Piriform is the best.

[kroozer]

I often rename the backup by adding an identifier as to what registry items I deleted. If it auto backs-up I would like to somehow keep that ability.

[login123]

+ 1 Good idea. And even if the user does nothing, most members here will know where to to find it by date and time.

 

90 percent of the people I know just save everything to "My Documents." Or the desktop. They have 1 folder, and a gazillion files.

Edited October 11, 2010 by login123

[DennisD]

It's a sound idea, but there will have to be an opt out, which folk will eventually use.

 

We just have to educate everyone to follow the dialogue and back up always, and not to become complacent when nothing goes wrong for a while.

 

The first time you skip the back up is when Mr SOD is liable to raise his head.

 

I think what a lot of people don't realise is that each back-up can be less than 1 KB.

[login123]

It's a sound idea, but there will have to be an opt out, which folk will eventually use.

...

I think what a lot of people don't realise is that each back-up can be less than 1 KB.

 

Well, that started me thinking. Never easy for me. What if CCleaner deleted all the registry backups more than XXX days old? For people with "space challenged" computers.

[DennisD]

Now if that could be easily incorporated, folk would go for it.

 

Keeping old CCleaner back-ups is not a good idea really IMHO, so the "set it and forget it" rolling fixed number of back-ups, like ERUNT, is a winner for me. It wouldn't be a daily thing like ERUNT, but that doesn't matter.

 

Now go and have a lie down.

Edited October 11, 2010 by DennisD

[login123]

...

Now go and have a lie down.

 

Have had 3 or 4 separate thoughts today. Tired.

[Andavari]

If it's going to automatically make a backup of what registry items are removed perhaps it should also make a System Restore Point as well. That way if CCleaner's .REG backup files fail which they have for some unfortunate people there'd be a Restore Point available.

[login123]

... perhaps it should also make a System Restore Point as well...

 

I was thinking that the reg backup would be automatic unless you say not to. Same for the restore point?

Or the other way: offers to make a restore point but you must say yes?

[hazelnut]

Because I use an instant system rescue app, I have system restore turned off. I would need assurance that ccleaner would not overide my decision and turn it back on to make this.

 

Although only one thing I have ever used has done this.

[Andavari]

I was thinking that the reg backup would be automatic unless you say not to. Same for the restore point?

Or the other way: offers to make a restore point but you must say yes?

Yes something we could either opt-in or opt-out of, to have backup notifications on or have notifications off, and of course 100% fully customizable so people could choose exactly what level of backup they want:

* .REG + System Restore Point (full backup)

* .REG only (CCleaner only backup)

* System Restore Point only (system only backup)

[Alan_B]

What is the "Mission Statement" for CCleaner ?

 

I thought it might be related to making more free space available by deleting stuff that is no longer needed.

 

I have no complaint against a registry backup file that hopefully preserves a key that is being deleted,

BUT adding a 60 MB Restore point every time the registry loses a 1 KB key is rather counter intuitive ! ! !

 

Alan

[ident]

I couldn't agree more with auto backing up registry changes by default. As long as this was customizable. But as alan said, system restore points, full registry back ups. Getting a little counter productive.

[Nergal]

I'm with Alan and Ident on this one

Reg backup and cleanup - Good Idea

SysRestore - big for when I'm just removing old silverlight entries after an update

[login123]

Yep, me too. Just back up whatever the user deliberately changed. I don't really want anything to tinker with my restore points.

 

Couple of other thoughts, though. Sometimes it is necessary to run CCleaner several times, apparently because one fix gets rid of some stuff which necessitates another fix. (Please forgive the highly technical language.) So the number of automatically saved reg backups should be large enough to accomodate several passes at one session.

 

Also, right now a popup asks where to save the reg backup, and at that point one can name it anything one wants.

 

Andavari is right of course, people should probably make a restore point and full reg backup before embarking on any changes, but I'm not sure just how much of that should be performed by CCleaner.

[login123]

Of the reg backups I have made, most are from 1 to 4 kb. 3 are over 100 kb.

The big ones were made when I just had CCleaner delete everything it found, to check out some report that it had misbehaved. It didn't, none did any harm.

All could be deleted, manually or automatically, if the computer runs OK after restart, and HD space is an issue.

[Seven_Eleven]

* .REG + System Restore Point (full backup)

* .REG only (CCleaner only backup)

* System Restore Point only (system only backup)

 

 

Bravo, +1

[Andavari]

Yeah, yeah the Sys Restore is a huge backup, however I'm also thinking of first time users who run into issues - please don't forget some people can't import the .REG backups for some reason even after using Doug Knox's .REG file association fix.

[login123]

Well, I would defer to Andavari's judgement in any case, he knows far more than I. So maybe that all that backing up should be included.

 

But WHY can't they reintegrate the reg backups? Ya just click twice on'em. Not being a smart alec here, just don't understand.

[mr don]

Because I use an instant system rescue app, I have system restore turned off. I would need assurance that ccleaner would not overide my decision and turn it back on to make this.

 

Although only one thing I have ever used has done this.

 

Don't worry. CCleaner can only clean System Restore points. Not turn them on or off. You have nothing to worry about Hazel. Of course, my understanding is that if System Restore point creation is implemented, that it will be an opt-in per-user basis. You bring up a good point, but I believe that won't be an issue, because I am sure they will have it opt-in or something.

 

As to the auto backup for the prior poster, I believe it could be a good idea. I also believe CCleaner should perhaps continue the same way it does now, but with an opt-in option, where a user can select auto backups if they wish. This may be better than an opt-out.

 

The settings can be saved in the settings.ini of course, & the user needs to be able to select a default folder for backup. Perhaps a few choices such as My Documents, CCleaner application directory, or custom?

 

Regards,

Don

 

Edit: The File Association scan under CCleaner Registry scan seems to be the most dangerous part of the registry scan, so hopefully they will remove that scan in future versions... That is where the most problems with the registry cleaner seem to come from in my testing.

[hazelnut]

MrDon I know I don't need to worry because I won't use any app that even attempts to mess with my system settings.

[Dave Lister]

I came to the CCleaner suggestions forum to promote an idea that CCleaner should create a default folder in the programs file for registry backups, and this thread looks like a good place for my suggestion. Usually when I do a fresh OS reinstall, it includes CCleaner. The first thing I do after installing CCleaner is go to C > Program Files > CCleaner, then I make a new sub-folder named Registry Backups. This way, when prompted to backup the registry, I select "Yes" and save it to this folder. I think the CCleaner folks should establish this idea as a default in the program. It works perfectly for me. They are organized, safely out of the way, and if actually needed they will be easy to find.

[ident]

Applications should not be writing to Program files. Application data is more suitable.

[mr don]

Applications should not be writing to Program files. Application data is more suitable.

This is very debatable.

 

Application Data is fine for multi-user systems & can help separate your data from someone else's.

Application Data folder is also rarely cleaned by most people, so if all programs resort to that, there will end up systems with tons (GB? TB?) of data in future systems ranging from personal game settings, to professional recording applications etc.

 

I could be wrong, but I believe that Google Chrome is an example of a program that installs all of the web browser to its entirety to the user application data folder, skipping C:\Windows\Program Files altogether. I cannot imagine if even more programs with even more MB to install start doing this method! I have not had time to test the newer versions of it yet to see if they changed... I imagine they haven't though.

 

It would be nice to be offered a choice. If the registry cleaning is allowed storage in the same folder as CCleaner in a folder called Registry Backups, that would be great for portable use. I'd hate to try to attempt to find all the different possible registry entries backed up under 5 user accounts like some people do, or even worse, having 10 or more user accounts to try to recover the registry files from!

 

How can it be so many? Easy! Some users try to "repair" a dead windows installation by popping in a windows install disk. They install over the old set, which can result in deactivated profiles while Windows creates new ones...

 

I see the benefits of your suggestion, but also the demerits of such a system.

 

I vote for user choice on this one, with CCleaner saving the relative path in the INI settings file so it can be run portably from a flash drive if need be.

 

Regards,

Don

[Nergal]

It's not debatable because

1) Microsoft Finally Saw the error of their ways, no other OS stores leaves program folders Writable by The User (they at least require some form of SuperUserDO (i.e. UAC))

2) To allow to write in that folder lets the computer be compromised

3) I don't use a multiuser system but my OS makes me sign in (Whether it is Windows Linux or MAC a user is signing in (even if autosignin). Else we're using Windows98/millennium which allowed users to Cancel the login and still use the PC and was VERY insecure