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[thebes]

Has anyone used UniBlue? I use Symstemtech XP but it does not seem to find too many problems even though my computer is crashing like crazy. Does anyone know if UniBlue is good?

[Sebatianos]

I've only tried the free version. Seems OK enough, but only fixes up to 15 problems it encounters. Everything else you'd need to buy the full version (I didn't).

[_r.u.s.s.]

i d say, find freeware program with identical functions=)

[Sebatianos]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(_r.u.s.s. @ Sep 22 2007, 07:51 PM) [snapback]312522[/snapback]</div>

i d say, find freeware program with identical functions=)
[/b]

Nah, I was just explaining why I don't know if Uniblue is really as good as they claim.

Do you have any recomendation for a reliable and trustwordy free programe that could do the job though? There are free programes that do that, but I'm not sure I'd want just any programe have acces to my computer registry.

[Japo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sebatianos @ Sep 22 2007, 09:41 PM) [snapback]312545[/snapback]</div>

I'm not sure I'd want just any programe have acces to my computer registry. [/b]

EVERY program you run from an admin account (which is default for Windows and what 99% of people do) has full access to the registry to do as it pleases.

I understand we're talking about registry cleaners? Then the most thorough ones may detect as junk some entries that you need. But they usually let you backup just in case. I've heard most about CCleaner (which also clears junk files), RegSeeker and RegCleaner. CCleaner is very safe and it's very unlikely that it damages the registry --it's the only one I use. RegSeeker is very thorough but it's likely that it will delete something you need, however you can backup before cleaning. I've also used EasyCleaner but it was even much less thorough than CCleaner --and so worthless since CCleaner is safe enough (100% for me so far).

[Sebatianos]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Japofran @ Sep 22 2007, 11:53 PM) [snapback]312555[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sebatianos @ Sep 22 2007, 09:41 PM) [snapback]312545[/snapback]

I'm not sure I'd want just any programe have acces to my computer registry. [/b]

EVERY program you run from an admin account (which is default for Windows and what 99% of people do) has full access to the registry to do as it pleases.
[/b][/quote]
I assumed (maybe falsely) that people acctually do take the bother to protect their registry. In my case my anti-virus software blocks every programe from changing the registry unless I aprove it (so I get about 12 warnings just instaling a simple game) also giving me information on what the programe is trying to do to the registry (add or change a line). But to regestry editing programes it gives free hands (so if I allow the programe to be used, it will have free access to the registry).

That's why I wouldn't like to give a programe I don't trust (which would be just about anything I'd download from the web for free) a free run of my registry. That's even why I don't use skype (the people who made Kazaa made it and it's been trying to do the same things to my registry as if I'd install Kazaa, which I removed years ago, because my PC got too vounrable for my taste).

[Japo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sebatianos @ Sep 23 2007, 07:19 PM) [snapback]312743[/snapback]</div>

In my case my anti-virus software blocks every programe from changing the registry unless I aprove it[/b]

I follow the opposite approach and I think it's simpler. I created a limited user account and that's what I use for everything especially Internet surfing (even Microsoft advises it for XP even though it's not default because most users would be calling tech support the minute after). My admin account isn't used unless necessary, I nearly never log in it because you can run individual programs as admin from any other account with just a right-click, and if you protect the admin account with a password malicious programs won't be able to do the same. Programs that need special permissions are run this way but for the rest I'm certain they're not writting to the registry or even modifying files outside my user's Documents and Settings, even if they tried, and I don't need any third-party security software to be certain of it.

EDIT: I know RegSeeker is more thorough, I may use it some day, it's only that I don't feel it's necessary for the moment being because my computer performs perfectly. CCleaner isn't very aggressive but it does detect outdated classes which are I reckon the biggest burden on performance. Also I'm not frightened to edit the registry manually if I know what I'm hunting down, the remains of a program just uninstalled for instance, I've done that several times. Thank you for reassuring me about RS's accuracy DD, I'll take that into account, anyway I have heard first-hand about its breaking AutoCAD for example (I've got it installed). But I'd bet 95% of programs are unaffected and anyway that's what the backup is for.

[Mighty Midget]

Moved from 3xBlah

[_r.u.s.s.]

i had this "norton windoctor 2005" for windows 98 and it still works on xp but im sure there is something specific for xp as well=)

[DeathDude]

Never used Uniblue, if your looking for a fairly indepth registry cleaner, definitely go with regseeker 1.45, totally free and no restrictions, I've been using it for 3 years now and there has not been a single time where I haven't encountered a problem after removing registry entries, it also does backup the entries, in case something goes wrong.

CCleaner is decent, but it doesn't find a ton of registry problems, its definitely more known for cleaning programs, internet stuff and indepth cleaning, another program that does a decent job is spybot search and destroy which comes with one, but never have used it to date.