O.T removing unwanted registry entries

[[email protected]]

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.
I have run "Registry Mechanic" , but it does not help. It finds tons
of other things to be removed from the registry , but programs that
have been uninstalled are still there after the scan. I have tried
other registry tools with similar results.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Rob

 

[Robert Baer]

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.
I have run "Registry Mechanic" , but it does not help. It finds tons
of other things to be removed from the registry , but programs that
have been uninstalled are still there after the scan. I have tried
other registry tools with similar results.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Rob

Well, if you are snooping like that,and find some entry you do not
like, then by all means delete the sucker, but do not complain if
something goes wrong...

 

[[email protected]]

I'm well aware that I can do that , I was hoping for a more automated
(and probably better) method.
Cheers
Rob

 

[[email protected]]

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.
I have run "Registry Mechanic" , but it does not help. It finds tons
of other things to be removed from the registry , but programs that
have been uninstalled are still there after the scan. I have tried
other registry tools with similar results.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Rob

There comes a time in every computer's life when it makes sense to
backup all the data files and reformat the hard drive so you can reinstall the
OS and only those programs that you really use.

The only really clean registry is a fresh new one.

Jim

 

[martin griffith]

On 10 Oct 2005 01:24:53 -0700, in sci.electronics.design

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.
I have run "Registry Mechanic" , but it does not help. It finds tons
of other things to be removed from the registry , but programs that
have been uninstalled are still there after the scan. I have tried
other registry tools with similar results.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Rob

google for RegCleaner 4.3 by Jouni Vuorio.


martin

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks , will give it a try.
Rob

 

[Ken Smith]

On 10 Oct 2005 01:24:53 -0700, [email protected] wroth: [....]
There comes a time in every computer's life when it makes sense to
backup all the data files and reformat the hard drive so you can reinstall the
OS and only those programs that you really use.

<snide remark>
Make that "every windows computer".

My wifes PC is on its 3rd re-install. I've never seen it needed with
Linux.

</snide>

There can be troubles doing this. Many PC come from the maker without a
windows install disk. The disk the OS lets you make for repair purposes
doesn't really work. The best plan with XP appears to be to mirror the
whole hard disk and then later mirror it back.

 

[John Larkin]

On 10 Oct 2005 01:24:53 -0700, [email protected] wroth: [....]
There comes a time in every computer's life when it makes sense to
backup all the data files and reformat the hard drive so you can reinstall the
OS and only those programs that you really use.

<snide remark>
Make that "every windows computer".

My wifes PC is on its 3rd re-install. I've never seen it needed with
Linux.

</snide>

Does Linux have a registry? If it does, is it as bad a mess as the one
in Windows?

The registry should have been an editable ascii file, or a folder full
of same.

John

 

[Frithiof Andreas Jensen]

Does Linux have a registry? If it does, is it as bad a mess as the one
in Windows?

Linux applications generally uses files in the /etc tree. Here the flaw is
many different file formats, naming conventions, strange locations that
configuration can *also* be read from (silently - of course) and
discrepancies between what should happen with a parameter and what actually
does happen.

The registry should have been an editable ascii file, or a folder full
of same.

At least one can check the /etc tree into subversion.

And one can export the Windows registry to text, edit it and yank it back
in - of course it might blow up. Lots of the things are undocumented binary
formats.

 

[Jamie]

On 10 Oct 2005 01:24:53 -0700, [email protected] wroth:
[....]

There comes a time in every computer's life when it makes sense to
backup all the data files and reformat the hard drive so you can reinstall the
OS and only those programs that you really use.

<snide remark>
Make that "every windows computer".

My wifes PC is on its 3rd re-install. I've never seen it needed with
Linux.

</snide>

Does Linux have a registry? If it does, is it as bad a mess as the one
in Windows?

The registry should have been an editable ascii file, or a folder full
of same.

John

you can port the registry to a file.

 

[Donna and Ian]

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.

One of the functions of the registry is to keep
information about programmes that have been removed,
so that timed demonstrations can't be reinstalled
with their timers reset. There is necessarily
encryption involved so that the user can't edit that
information. Trying to do so in an 'unauthorised'
way can wreck the installation and require a complete
reinstallation of Windows.
Third party registry cleaners probably stay clear
of the encrypted areas: if they could alter them
to bypass DRM, the authors might be hit hard by the
miserable and loathsome DMCA.

 

[Rich Grise]

I'm well aware that I can do that , I was hoping for a more automated (and
probably better) method.
Cheers
Rob

There are programs like RegClean, but I don't know if I'd trust them.
Here's one: http://www.registryfix.com/ , but I've never used it. I don't
need anything like that, because I use Linux for on-line stuff, and all
of its configuration files are plain ascii text in the /etc directory.
(or wherever the program decides to put them, but uninstalling usually
cleans them up pretty well, and leftover unused stuff is just files,
which just sit there and don't get in anybody's way. )

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Ken Smith]

Does Linux have a registry? If it does, is it as bad a mess as the one
in Windows?

No, there are millions of files that look a lot like old config.sys files
from the MS-DOS days in the /etc directory and various subdirectories from
there.

There are also a whole bunch of scripts in the "init.d" directory. These
are used during boot and shut down. Detecting and setting up the RS-232
ports would be one script called perhaps "serial" and setting up the
network may be in another called "network". Each is run in turn and
passed a parameter of "start" during boot.

Some programs like "dosbox" or "dosemu" look in your home directory for a
configuration file after they load the default one from /etc. This means
that the admin can set some defaults in /etc and let you change whats safe
to change in the local version.

The registry should have been an editable ascii file, or a folder full
of same.

I disagree. I think it should be several ASCII files alright. The main
one should be where windows expects the main one. That file should direct
windows were each of the others are. This way, the word processor would
never even touch the directory that windows uses.

 

[Frank Bemelman]

How can I effectivly remove unwanted registry entries.
If I look in my registry there are LOTS of keys for programs that have
been uninstalled etc.
I have run "Registry Mechanic" , but it does not help. It finds tons
of other things to be removed from the registry , but programs that
have been uninstalled are still there after the scan. I have tried
other registry tools with similar results.
Any ideas.

Why do you want to clean it? Leave it.

-
Thanks, Frank.
(remove 'q' and '.invalid' when replying by email)

 

[Robert Latest]

Does Linux have a registry? If it does, is it as bad a mess as the one
in Windows?

Linux has the /etc directory, and by gosh, it is a mess. The good
thing is that every single piece of software (in my experience
anyway) documents the format of its configuration file(s).

Also no (user-space) program can ever mess with the /etc
settings, not even its own. Per-user settings are done in
configuration files in the user's home directory.

robert

 

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

No, there are millions of files that look a lot like old config.sys files
from the MS-DOS days in the /etc directory and various subdirectories from
there.

There are also a whole bunch of scripts in the "init.d" directory. These
are used during boot and shut down. Detecting and setting up the RS-232
ports would be one script called perhaps "serial" and setting up the
network may be in another called "network". Each is run in turn and
passed a parameter of "start" during boot.

Some programs like "dosbox" or "dosemu" look in your home directory for a
configuration file after they load the default one from /etc. This means
that the admin can set some defaults in /etc and let you change whats safe
to change in the local version.


I disagree. I think it should be several ASCII files alright. The main
one should be where windows expects the main one. That file should direct
windows were each of the others are. This way, the word processor would
never even touch the directory that windows uses.

Windows attempts to use its registry for something not supported (in
this manner) in *NIX systems. That is, tracking dependencies between
various components like libraries (DLLs in WindowSpeak).

An uninstall is (theoretically) able to detect whan a DLL becomes
'unused' and suggest that it be deleted as well. There is nothing more
frightening to a novice user than the box that pops up which suggests
deleting one of these, with a hint that doing so might damage the
system.

Cleanup on *NIX systems can be done by running a background job which
scans each executable object for its library requirements and compares
that to whats on the system. No central database needed.

 

[Ken Smith]

Windows attempts to use its registry for something not supported (in
this manner) in *NIX systems. That is, tracking dependencies between
various components like libraries (DLLs in WindowSpeak). [...]
An uninstall is (theoretically) able to detect whan a DLL becomes
'unused' and suggest that it be deleted as well. There is nothing more
frightening to a novice user than the box that pops up which suggests
deleting one of these, with a hint that doing so might damage the
system.

Keeping track of the "dll"s could be done in other ways and I suspect
about half of them would be better than using the registry for it.

Windows has to process the whole thing at least once per system boot.

You only really care about the use count when you go to remove a program
or perhaps replace a dll.

Cleanup on *NIX systems can be done by running a background job which
scans each executable object for its library requirements and compares
that to whats on the system. No central database needed.

If windows programs used links to get to the shared dlls, the use counting
could be done in a like manner.

IMO however, it would be better to just statically link in the code that
is needed and not use the dlls at all. I've seen too many programs fail
because the dlls got changed by another install.

IIRC:
TI, Linear and Maxim used to ship "data CD"s that had dlls on them with
the same name but that did not work with each other's program.

 

[Ken Smith]

Linux has the /etc directory, and by gosh, it is a mess. The good
thing is that every single piece of software (in my experience
anyway) documents the format of its configuration file(s).

If you think /etc is a mess, you have a low threshold for mess. When you
install programs, generally you, don't mess with each others config files.
In windows land, everybody messes witht the same file so an error in one
install program can trash another program.

Also no (user-space) program can ever mess with the /etc
settings, not even its own. Per-user settings are done in
configuration files in the user's home directory.

Yes, this is a nice property of most of them. Some make hidden (".xyzzy")
directory or file names for the config files.

 

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

[snip]

If you think /etc is a mess, you have a low threshold for mess. When you
install programs, generally you, don't mess with each others config files.
In windows land, everybody messes witht the same file so an error in one
install program can trash another program.

Hence the necessity to shut all running programs down do do a simple
update on Windows.

Yes, this is a nice property of most of them. Some make hidden (".xyzzy")
directory or file names for the config files.

Tradition is to name them ".<prog-name>rc"

 

[Phil Hobbs]

Windows attempts to use its registry for something not supported (in
this manner) in *NIX systems. That is, tracking dependencies between
various components like libraries (DLLs in WindowSpeak).
(snip)
Cleanup on *NIX systems can be done by running a background job which
scans each executable object for its library requirements and compares
that to whats on the system. No central database needed.

Interesting.

That would seem to work only for DLLs loaded at program-load time,
though, not ones loaded explicitly by the program. I'm thinking of
things like user-supplied extension DLLs, which you typically tell the
program about on the command line or in some config file. Here's a case
in which the Windows approach (wart-encrusted though it be) seems
superior. Deleting a DLL that's loaded explicitly in some other program
will cause massive breakage.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs