Nice list, and commentary, scrumdown. I agree with most.

 

Just a couple of points:

1) Ad-Aware 2007 is indeed buggy, and I certainly can't recommend it. The last version of Ad-aware Personal was 1.06r1, and is not available from your oldversion.com link (nor from LavaSoft). You can still get it from here:
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ad-aware/?2466

 

2) I don't think inexperienced users should be fooling with registry editors. These boards are littered with problems due to their use, and the benefits are questionable.

I too use CCleaner as a general cleanup tool, but tend to stay away from any of its registry cleaning functions (the Issues tab). I agree that it is fairly benign, as registry cleaners go. (I also avoid cleaning the pre-fetch).

 

Happy 4th!

I should have realised from your username that you were from the UK! :smileysurprised:

 

I actually live north of the US border, where we celebrated Confederation on July 1st, and where Queen Elizabeth 2 is still our head of state.

 

Sorry to hear about Wimbledon...

 

Best regards

For anyone who is interested, my collection of Run commands, if you have any favorites not listed here, feel free to post them.

 

 

access.cpl - Accessibility Controls

ac3filter.cpl - Opens AC3 Filter (If Installed)

appwiz.cpl - Add/Remove Programs

calc - Calculator

certmgr - Certificate Manager

charmap - Character Map

chkdsk      same as scan disk

ciadv  -  Indexing Service

cleanmgr - Disk Cleanup Utility

cliconfig  -  SQL Client Configuration

clipbrd - Clipboard Viewer

cmd - opens command prompt

compmgmt.msc - Computer management

comexp.msc - component sevices

control admintools - Administrative Tools

control color - Display Properties w/apperarance tab preselected

control desktop - Display properties

control folders - Folder Properties 

control keyboard - Keyboard properties

control mouse - Mouse Properties

control netconnections  - Network Connections

control printers  - Printers and Faxes

control schedtasks  -  task scheduler

control userpasswords2 - user accounts/passwords

dcomcnfg - Component Services

desk.cpl - Display Properties
 
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
 
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management

diskpart  -  Disk partition manager
 
dfrg.msc - Disk defrag

directx.cpl - Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)

drwatson32 - Dr. Watson troubleshooting utility

dxdiag - Direct X troubleshooter

eudcedit - Private Character Editor
 
eventvwr.msc - Event Viewer

findfast.cpl - findfast

firewall.cpl  - Windows Firewall
 
fonts - Fonts Folder

freecell  -  card game

fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders

fsquirt  -  Bluetooth Transfer Wizard
 
gpedit.msc - Group policies - no available on XP Home  :-((

hdwwiz.cpl - Add Hardware Wizard

mshearts  -  card game

iexpress  -  Iexpess wizard

inetcpl.cpl - Internet Properties

intl.cpl  - Regional Settings

jpicpl32.cpl  or  javaws  - Java Control Panel

joy.cpl - Joystick Controllers

logoff - log off windows
 
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups

magnify - Windows Magnifier

main.cpl - Mouse Properties

msconfig - system configuration utility

msinfo32 - System Information

mmsys.cpl - Sounds and Audio

ncpa.cpl - Network Connections

netsetup.cpl - Network Setup Wizard

notepad -   notepad

ntmsmgr.msc - Remote Desktop mstsc / Removable Storage

ntmsoprq.msc - Removable Storage Operator Requests

nusrmgr.cpl - User Account Management

nvtuicpl.cpl  -  Nview Desktop manager (If Installed)

odbccp32.cpl - ODBC Data Source Administrator

osk - On Screen Keyboard

packager  -  Object Packager

password.cpl - Password Properties
 
perfmon.msc  or  perfmon - Performance monitor

powercfg.cpl -  Power Configuration

printers - Printers Folder

QuickTime.cpl  -  quicktime if installed

regedit   or  regedit32  - registry editor

regsvr32     register or unregister dll's
 regsvr32 /u wmpshell.dll                                     unregisters the dll
 regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\wmpshell.dll           registers the dll

rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
 
rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks   -   Idle all tasks
 
secpol.msc - Local security settings
 
services.msc - Services

sfc /scannow - system file checker

sfc /purgecache   - use this run command first when using sfc in safe mode
sfc /scannow    (Scan Immediately)
sfc /scanonce   (Scan Once At Next Boot)
sfc /scanboot   (Scan On Every Boot) t
sfc /revert      (Return to Default Setting)
sfc /purgecache   (Purge File Cache) 
sfc /cachesize=x   (Set Cache Size to size x)

shutdown - Shuts Down Windows

sigverif - File Signature Verification Tool

spider  -  game
 
srdiag.exe - troubleshoot system restore points. Srdiag creates a .cab file,    which it places in the \%windir%\system32\restore folder by default. You   can double-click the file or right-click it and choose Extract. You can then    examine the 14 extracted files to troubleshoot your problem.

 

sticpl.cpl - Scanners and Cameras

sysdm - System Properties

sysedit - System Configuration Editor

syskey - Windows System Security Tool

taskmgr  -  Taskmanager

telephon.cpl  -  Phone and Modem Options

telnet  -  Telnet client 

timedate.cpl - Date and Time Properties

tourstart  -  XP tour wizard

utilman - Utility Manager

verifier - Driver Verifier Utility

winchat - Microsoft Chat

wmimgmt.msc - Windows Management Infrastructure

winmine  -  game

writ - Wordpad

wscui.cpl  - Security Center

wupdmgr -Windows Update

wuaucpl.cpl    Automatic Updates

 

Now if I could just remember all of them. :smileytongue:

"I don't know about perpetual energy, but I've been working on perpetual lethargy for years. I wish I could publish a paper on it, but that would ruin years of research."