claening registry

Question

Hey folks,i have had a heck of a time trying to get help from Mcafee.I renewed my anti virus and it would not download becuse of old junk in the registry.I have dumped mcafee altogether ,but still need to clean the registry.Mcafee seems to be territorial & doesn't play well with others.what is best practice?

bluecoal · Answer

Here are two links for manual uninstall instructions for McAfee:   http://ts.mcafeehelp.com/faq.asp?frames=1&docid=68717&CategoryId=245&chat http://ts.mcafeehelp.com/faq.asp?frames=1&docid=356185&CategoryId=61585&chat   Hope those help.   If those are not the right product try google for manual uninstall of the specific product you are working with.   (Remember to back up the registry before doing the registry edit steps.)   bluecoal

1972vet · Answer

Have you uninstalled the product or did you just find some folders and delete them? Believe it or not, some users think deleting folders does the same as an uninstall...wrong.

If you have properly uninstalled the product and are just trying to tidy up the registry I recommend a couple of freeware applications you can try if you consider yourself a step above a novice user.

You can use the CCLeaner application's "issues" function to remove useless Registry entries. The application also makes backups of .reg files you remove in case you need to restore them. The default location of the save'd files I believe is in your documents folder.

The other application I can recommend is actually just a Registry compactor and backup. If you run the RegOpt function and the percentage is out by more than say 3 percent, I would go ahead and allow the optimizer to run. It may just surprise you how much it speeds up your system and boot time. You might also run a disk check using windows and recover any bad disk sectors and fix any file system errors. In fact, this should be done once a month.

You can also use the ERUNT portion of the bundled software to backup your Registry.

Download it here.

If you have any questions or need help with it, I'm right here for you.

Gmanson · Answer

CCLeaner insrtuctions for registry issues.

(Please only check these for the Issues Section Under Registry Integrity- Missing Shared DLLs, Applications, Fonts, Application Paths, Help Files, Obsolete Software, Run At Startp, Start Menu Ordering, MUI Cache, And all FI. Make a backup only if you feel neccesary but it would be wise to do that. If you feel you do not need to make a backup and feel sure that you do not need a backup please feel free to not make once as doing this may help or not help you.-In settings try to have it on NSA 7 passes. (Make sure Autocomplete FormHistory under the Windows tab cleaner section is unchecked).

joe53 · Answer

I would second 1972vet's recommendation to use the bundled programs ERUNT and NTREGOPT- they are the only registry tools I use, and come bundled (and free) from the link given.   ERUNT backs up the complete registry, (and only the registry-something that XP lacks) and I use it prior to installing/testing any new program. It lacks the bloat of doing a complete System Restore (which can become corrupted, thus losing your registry backup). If I decide to uninstall the tested program, I can reinstall the backed up registry with all traces of the program removed.   NTREGOPT is a registry optimizer that compacts the registry by removing slack space- it does not otherwise 'clean' or delete anything. Basically it optimizes registry access, and I use it after uninstalling anything.   Both apps come well recommended, and IMHO are far safer than any shotgun 'registry cleaner'. These boards are filled with posts from users who regretted they ever used such cleaners (including CCleaner).

Evermore · Answer

Gmanson; I'm curious why and how you came up with your 'CCleaner instructions for registry issues' It appears it's good information. Also why do you recommend settings to be on NSA 7 passes. Thanks

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Thanks Joe, and thanks vet1972 for providing us with these 2 excellent tools.

People don't relize how tricky those reg cleaners are and what damage they really can do by just clicking on DELETE to all the entries that they have checked.

Some of those are necessary!

ZB1

Gmanson · Answer

For 7 passes it may miss something. It depends on the machine speed so I set mine on 7. Slow machines might need a 1 or moderate setting. Other than that I came up with making that information up by experience. Selecting other options than what I put may really mess up the machine like it did mine. To recover that It took a few days. Message Edited by Gmanson on 10-05-2006 04:59 PM

CCrusher · Answer

CCleaner ruins more computers than it helps. If McAfee is in the registry, open regedit32 and search for McAfee and delete all entries. (Search for any culprit this way)

Gmanson · Answer

@CCrusher wrote:

CCleaner ruins more computers than it helps. If McAfee is in the registry, open regedit32 and search for McAfee and delete all entries. (Search for any culprit this way)

What stuff are you smoking? It depends on the user and the pc. It's manly the users fault if they dont follow instructions carefully and dont study it before they use it. It is not only under the mcafee listing. There are certain hashes to look under.

CCrusher · Answer

So what criterea do you use to determine which pc or pc user should download and run CCleaner. I know at least 10 people who had issues with IE7 and CCleaner Hotfix remover. Guess what happens when that happens to a user?   I have used it, but I woundn't reccommend it without warning to novice users....my statement was a warning.   It is not only listed under McAfee....thats why I say 'Search for any culprit this way'

Gmanson · Answer

WEll uncheck hotfix and reinstall ie7. Scipt errors occur. Happened to me before as well. I've tested it. (My scrrol bar is going nuts!) Up and down 4 times real quick ?! It would be best to get the mcafee removal tool and ccleaner with registry mechannic to show the rest. Had to do the same for norton.

PennyG · Answer

Sorry but that spelling of cleaning in the subject title is bugging me to death, 14 replies and no one changed it yet  :smileywink:   PG Message Edited by PennyG on 10-07-2006 07:05 PM

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claening registry

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