Are there any decent free utility programs out there?
Are there any decent free utility programs out there? Programs that will help clean up my computer without screwing it up. I am a novice with this stuff. Any info is helpful.
November 29th, 2009 9:31pm

By "clean up" do you mean clean the registry and detect viruses?Renee
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November 29th, 2009 10:10pm

live safety scannerhttp://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htmmicrosoft security essentialshttp://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
November 29th, 2009 10:20pm

Yes. Clean up the registry or anything else they do to make my computer run more efficiently.
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November 29th, 2009 10:22pm

reverendbs wrote:> Yes. Clean up the registry or anything else they do to make my computer run more > efficiently.> Why do you even think you'd ever need to clean your registry? What specific *problems* are you actually experiencing (not some program's bogus listing of imaginary problems) that you think can be fixed by using a registry "cleaner?" If you do have a problem that is rooted in the registry, it would be far better to simply edit (after backing up, of course) only the cific key(s) and/or value(s) that are causing the problem. After all, why use a chainsaw when a scalpel will do the job? Additionally, the manually changing of one or two registry entries is far less likely to have the dire consequences of allowing an automated product to make multiple changes simultaneously. The only thing needed to safely clean your registry is knowledge and Regedit.exe. The registry contains all of the operating system's "knowledge" of the computer's hardware devices, installed software, the location of the device drivers, and the computer's configuration. A misstep in the registry can have severe consequences. One should not even turning loose a poorly understood automated "cleaner," unless he is fully confident that he knows *exactly* what is going to happen as a result of each and every change. Having repeatedly seen the results of inexperienced people using automated registry "cleaners," I can only advise all but the most uter technicians (and/or hobbyists) to avoid them all. Experience has shown me that such tools simply are not safe in the hands of the inexperienced user. If you lack the knowledge and experience to maintain your registry by yourself, then you also lack the knowledge and experience to safely configure and use any automated registry cleaner, no matter how safe they claim to be. More importantly, no one has ever demonstrated that the use of an automated registry "cleaner," particularly by an untrained, inexperienced computer user, does any real good, whatsoever. There's certainly been no empirical evidence offered to demonstrate that the use of such products to "clean" WinXP's registry improves a computer's performance or stability. Given the potential for harm, it's just not worth the risk. Granted, most registry "cleaners" won't cause problems each and every time they're used, but the potential for harm is always there. n demonstrated to do any good (think of them like treating the flu with chicken soup - there's no real medicinal value, but it sometimes provides a warming placebo effect), I always tell people that the risks far out-weigh the non-existent benefits. I will concede that a good registry *scanning* tool, in the hands of an experienced and knowledgeable technician or hobbyist can be a useful time-saving diagnostic tool, as long as it's not allowed to make any changes automatically. But I really don't think that there are any registry "cleaners" that are truly safe for the general public to use. Experience has proven just the opposite: such tools simply are not safe in the hands of the inexperienced user. A little further reading on the subject:Why I don't use registry cleanershttp://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643AumHa Forums View topic - AUMHA Discussion: Should I Use a Registry Cleaner?http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099-- Bruce ChambersHelp us help you:http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.htmlhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin FranklinMany people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand RussellThe philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.~ Denis Diderot
November 29th, 2009 10:27pm

reverendbs wrote:> Are there any decent free utility programs out there? Programs that will help > clean up my computer without screwing it up. I am a novice with this stuff. Any > info is helpful. About everything you need is already built into Win7.-- Bruce ChambersHelp us help you:http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.htmlhttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand RussellThe philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.~ Denis Diderot
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November 29th, 2009 10:27pm

OK Bruce. Question answered.
November 29th, 2009 10:36pm

Are there any decent free utility programs out there? Programs that will help clean up my computer without screwing it up. I am a novice with this stuff. Any info is helpful. I suggest CCleaner (freeware).http://www.ccleaner.com/It removes unnecessary files. It also includes a registry cleaner. I've used the registry cleaner, which has never seemed to do any harm. (Probably means that it's not doing much good, either.)
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November 30th, 2009 12:14am

I also suggest CCleaner Works great in windows 7 robin
November 30th, 2009 2:12am

My advice: Don't use a registry cleaner.Do you actually think you can trust some company somewhere to know exactly what's SUPPOSED to be on your computer?Would you pour sand into your car's engine if someone advertised that it would "clean the walls of your cylinders"? Literally speaking, that's exactly what it would do, utterly ruining your engine in the process.Your BEST BET is to become a more informed computer user. If you have specific problems, ask them here. Seek advice as to the best way to set up your computer and to use it without getting it "dirty". Take responsibility for your computer's problems. They can be solved, even by a novice, with the right information.Contrary to popular lore, it IS possible to run a Windows operating system for years and have it remain as quick and stable as ever.-Noel
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November 30th, 2009 7:45am

What a first class response by Bruce Chambers MVP Very detailed with full reasoning for the information and processes described.What most users appear to miss is the fact that the Registry is a Database.If the information stored is all relative to your computers' hardware and software configurationsboth past & present the size of the registry is immaterial. What more experienced users will also know is that a very large proportion of these cleaner programs are designed to instil a level of fear into the unfamiliar toencourage the purchase of what is often totally unnecessary software.When evaluating some of these "utilities" I have allowed them to scan my test rigwith only a new version of Windows7 on it together with Microsoft Office suite. From this I have been told that my Registry contains upwards of a thousand errors and I should pay $20 tobuy their package to remedy this. As "a fool and his money are easily parted", they have generated quite a large niche market.If in doubt, read Bruce Chambers comments again and those of Noel Carboni and save your money and time. Regds.....Pat
November 30th, 2009 8:42pm

Man what a bunch of FUD,Yes there are MANY bad apps out there, but to flat out say they are ALL BAD for the everyday user to use, well that is just WRONG.The link I posted is to the Microsoft product, works very well, and after 6 years of installing / upgrading / uninstallingsoftware, LIVE scanner decreased the boot time by about 15 seconds, as well as allowed some apps to start faster.And yes it allows you to select / unselect items fom the cleaning.
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November 30th, 2009 9:42pm

Man what a bunch of FUD,Yes there are MANY bad apps out there, but to flat out say they are ALL BAD for the everyday user to use, well that is just WRONG.The link I posted is to the Microsoft product, works very well, and after 6 years of installing / upgrading / uninstallingsoftware, LIVE scanner decreased the boot time by about 15 seconds, as well as allowed some apps to start faster.And yes it allows you to select / unselect items fom the cleaning. MS Security Essentials is an Anti-Virus program, it has nothing to do with cleaning the registry.I don't know about onecare so I won't commentAnd how a newbie is supposed to know what to select/deselect?I have always left my registry alone and never had any problem.I recently had a slowdown on one of my PC (XP) and uninstalledmy anti-virus which was expiring soon and it solved the problem, I installed MSE and all is well now, no registry tweaking.
December 6th, 2009 4:43pm

live safety scannerhttp://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htmYes Live safetydoes scan the registry, please READ links before posting.I tell most folks they no business messing with the registry, but as WE all trust MS with the OS we run, I am sure that using the live safety scanner to clean up the registry, MS should know that anyone what to remove and what to leave.Asthe IT Dept. for a few companiesI use those tools four or five times a week without a single issue.live / MSE beats out AVG / Norton/ ccleanerand the likes every time.
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December 6th, 2009 5:54pm

did you get an answer to your question? i am wondering the same thing, unexperienced at this, please help if you received an answer. thank you
July 29th, 2010 5:38pm

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