Hi, i was wondering whether or not its possible that registry cleaners can actually or do remove the permissions from registry keys so that you cant acess it and have to make new permission to it?

Also about registry keys does each key in the registry point to a certain directory some where on the computer such as a progam etc..?

And do registry cleaners actaully make a difference?

Many people recommend ccleaner - use default settings - make backups
Read a review here http://www.camieabz.co.uk/util/cclean.htm
I´ve never had a problem with it.
But, always read user guides that come with such software carefully.

I use WinAso Registry Optimizer. It works really well.
On my last computer that was 7 years old there were several hundred broken links etc that it repaired from Installing/uninstalling programs over the years. It really sped the old beast up. It can also clean temp files, repair Internet explorer, optimize your settings and Defrag the registry. It never removed anything that caused any problems on Windows ME. I now have it installed on my new Computer running XP Media, and no problems so far.

No, registry cleaners just remove orphans

No, keys *can* be pointers to directories or just simple configuration/settings stores. Another feature is using keys to enable/disable Windows functions.
Both in binary or text/string version.

And, yes, a good cleaner keeps the registry neat n tidy

To stay to long (year or even years) on the same setting and system some times not that healthy I rather to reformat my system every 6-12 months and start with clean and fresh installed programs that way I am dealing with outmost reliable and cleaned and tuned system.

Thanks for the info, i was reading that registry compacters and defraggers can help too improve system performance too, can anyone verify this and reccomend a good registry defragger or compactor one?

Also is there a better alternative to windows CHKDSK program?, thanks.

Na, system performance is not really affected by a bloated registry since keys are loaded on demand only. Assuming u talk about XP? - use the inbuild defragger it's good enough.

registry cleaner? Eusing Registry Cleaner is very effective and gets all the debris out..

how do i use the inbuilt defragger i never knew there was one, and will it work with win xp pro?

I like EasyCleaner a lot:

http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm

I also use Norton WinDoctor, though it is retail and not free like EasyCleaner

There is a Disk Defragmenter icon in Start/All Programs/Accessories/...System Tools. Just use it once in a while..maybe monthly. It's a very plain tool..don't be afraid just make sure u leave the system alone once the pgm runs and as long as it has not finished - this way it's done fast.

i knew about that one, never knew it defragged the registry though, thanks.

I guess u mean *compressing* the registry - it makes no sense to defrag the registry since it is pretty small overall.

there are a few compressors out there but it makes not much sense to use it.

Defragging the registry can help in some situations, such as the order that services and programsare grouped and loaded, especially with Fonts, I believe, should you have a fair number loaded.

Thankfully, most modern PC's are so fast that it may be negligible in home PC's not connecting to a domain.

Anyone used Microsoft's online tune up (has reg cleaner) Windows Online Safety Center? http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/center/cleanup.htm
is it any good?

never knew there is such thing - the cleaner seems OK..found nearly 3gig rubbish to delete and I though my box is clean...