Question on PC tune up programs.........

[Ray Anderson]

Do these PC tuneup programs really work? Are they safe? Which of these do you recommend? I have a lt of registry errors (I guess that is the proper name for them) and such, and I am not computer savvy, which would disqualify me from trying. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I have a lt of registry errors

Lot?
Says who? What makes you think you have a lot of registry errors?

[Ray Anderson]

Hey Wiz, I ran a free scan and it said that my PC had quite a few issues and that was one of them. I don't remember exactly all the details about the scan but it said that it could clean and tune up my PC. That is why I'm asking for your input. What say you?

[Wiz Feinberg]

Oh oh. What was the name of the scanner that told you about all these errors? How did you come across it? Did it ask for money to correct the alleged errors? Is its icon in your System Tray, where the clock lives? Are you seeing anything else that seems unusual on your desktop, or in your browser?

If you did not go looking for this program, but it came looking for you, consider the computer infected by a variant of the rogue, system.vimes malware.

I'll wait for your reply before suggesting any further action. Whatever you do, don't pay for that program.

[Ray Anderson]

Morning Wiz, A friend told me of this program and I looked it up to gather the particulars of it. My security scanned it before I went any farther. The name of it is Tuneup 360, and yes it wants paid to operate. I don't have any abnormalities with my system that I can tell. I sought your advice before going any farther, afew years ago I had one of these to wipe me out, but it came in uninvited. I do appreciate your time and effort.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I advise you to not buy that program. If it is installed, uninstall it.

[Ray Anderson]

Hey Wiz, I'll do that. Is there anything along that line you would recommend to do this? Or does such a thing exist?

[Jack Stoner]

Registry "repair" programs, System "repair" or whatever they are called are all alike. They claim to repair your PC but there is really nothing to repair. These programs are called "scareware" (My clean PC is in this category).

About the only thing you may want to do is clean out old internet files, etc. The free cccleaner will do that (it will also "clean" the registry but again its not needed).

http://www.piriform.com/promo/ccleaner- ... tgodlEHhVQ

[Carl Kilmer]

Ray, I've been using "Ashampoo WinOptimizer" for years.
It does everything you need, and also defrags your HD's.
I use it every day to keep my computer clean and running.
Look on Google for "Ashampoo WinOptimizer 4 FREE 4.53"
You have to pay for any newer version, but this works fine.
Carl

[Wiz Feinberg]

Registry optimizers became unnecessary with the advent of Windows Vista. They were already on their way our with Windows XP. Really, no improvement has been seen since Windows 98.

Windows 95 and 98 did benefit from Reg cleaners. Clutter and too many duplicate entries bogged down the computers running these ancient versions of the Windows kernel. But, improvements in memory management and the allowance for 4 GB of RAM in a 32 bit system and huge amounts more (Terabytes) in 64 bit Windows 7, has made Registry cleaners obsolete.

I occasionally run the Registry cleaner in CCleaner, after uninstalling stuff, or after I know that Win updates have firmly taken. The computer is no faster, but I feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that I tossed out some trash entries for programs that were deleted.

If you choose to pay for a Registry cleaner, that is your choice. Some people swear BY them. Others, who have to reinstall broken programs and lost file associations swear AT them.

[Ray Anderson]

Thanks guys you confirmed what I already felt about them. I am just trying to keep up with the pack. But I knew I would get the right info here. Thanks to all who gave input.