Hi Folks
CLEAN Restore from a backup -- for typical Windows should only take at most 15 - 30 mins - probably a lot less if using SSD's.
Simply before installing Software / applying updates just BACKUP -- so much easier "recovering" a system than trying to cleanse it - and do you really want things messing around in the Windows Registry --what happens if some malware fiddles around with CCleaner --then you are probably TRIPLY Hosed up.
Cheers
jimbo
Hi folks
Have to agree with Kari -- SNAKEOIL !!!
Cheers
jimbo
Ccleaner. I also use Disk Cleanup. Once a month, I do a cleanup on all of my computers to keep them running efficiently and smoothly.
First off, CCleaner is available for free.
Second, I completely agree - there's no way cleaning the registry can significantly improve performance. The main benefit I find is in is with a 'light touch' - clearing out 'temporary junk' files that are a waste of disk space. I wouldn't dare 'clean' my registry.
However, a purchase of a used Win7 PC gave me a chance to test out what damage a clean up 'with maximum prejudice' may do (making a system image first, of course). :)
ADWCleaner, a Malwarebytes scan and CCleaner with all the stops pulled out, in that order. The result was a fully functional system that to all appearances had just been installed. Everything appeared to be working correctly and still registered/activated (including Office). But all apps, supplied with Windows or installed separately opened as if for the first time - IE to its 'welcome' page and Office asking for your name details, for example.
Eight months on it still seems in perfect working order - a pleasant surprise, I was expecting something to have been broken. Since the aggressive clean up it has been upgraded to Windows 10 and is used as my test/support machine - with multiple system images (for 7 & 10) that I can restore as required.
I still wouldn't recommend aggressively cleaning the registry though (or at all, really).
I agree completely. I have personally tested many registry cleaners. Most of the time, they will eventually corrupt the registry or remove entries that should not have been touched. Either way, it leads to having to do a complete re-install. My last test corrupted it so bad that I couldn't even reload the backed up user profile data. (thanks iobit)
If you use them light enough that they aren't going to break your system, they aren't going to be doing enough to make any noticeable change.
Unfortunately there isn’t one size that fits all. I have a mindset similar to Kari’s comment in post #19 “Windows is totally capable to take care of itself”; unfortunately though the average computer user doesn’t know what that means. So I like to see how a person uses their computer and then what do they expect out of it.
In your case I recommend you include your system specs (include the browser you use) and let us know what is it you’d like to “clean out” of your system for optimum performance. Once you are operating at optimum performance, the computer should run at its natural speed.
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