Many of us in COMIS use CCleaner frequently to both remove unnecessary files and scan the registry for obvious errors. It is perhaps not the most thorough registry scanner out there--since it is not only free but its primary function is to clean up the local drive; however it has no spyware (just be sure to uncheck "Install Yahoo toolbar" during the installation); and it seems to do a good job of scanning and repairing problems in the registry.

It seems that 99% of the "free registry scanners" out there are full of spyware and/or "extortion-ware", requiring the user to pay a fee to not only remove discovered (or fabricated) issues, but to stop the constant reminders/pop-ups that the user's computer has problems. We get these machines regularly (mostly from our laptop users that have Admin rights) and they often have to be re-baselined.

Best,
Sherrie

Sherrie Fuqua
College of Medicine Information Systems
89 Beaumont Ave, Given D-104
Burlington, VT 05405
802-656-7300
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-----Original Message-----
From: Technology Discussion at UVM on behalf of Carol Caldwell-Edmonds
Sent: Sat 4/12/2008 12:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Registry scan
 
CCleaner has been used in the CDC for 3 years, no bad results or
problems. It is available online free. You can get it from any CDC
tech as well.


Carol Caldwell-Edmonds
ETS Client Services
University of Vermont
Manager, UVM Computing Help Line
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On Apr 12, 2008, at 11:29 AM, Larry Kost wrote:

> A faculty member in my department has been experiencing a "slow
> down" on one of his PCs and read somewhere that a "registry clean
> up" might help. I see many ads for registry cleaners. Does anyone
> have any recommendations? What's good and what's not so good? Does
> this type of software actually do any good? If one opts for this
> path, aside from making a restore point, are there other things to
> do to avoid disaster?
>
> Larry Kost