Registry cleaning software - good idea?

[Ste]

regseeker is fine as well.

 

[mgcook]

You can backup the Registry with CCleaner. that helps if you F something up

 

[alucard_v]

I would recommend using ccleaner and ncleaner. If you dont know much about the registry or system files, use ccleaner alone. Though personally I find ncleaner is also a great prog (cleaning junk files, shredding, etc. also) I use the both of them because I find ncleaner cleans better, sometimes. Though use with caution! You can find both at Cnet - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

-=Alucard=-
Links edited out

 

[Schecters]

I use Tune Up Utilities and haven't run into any problems. It's a nice suite of programs.

 

[NayNay1991x]

i have Tune up utilities 2008 and CCleaner Work fine for me

 

[DJ EndurancE]

Registry cleaners are dangerous. You may end up deleting important keys and that would be the end of the OS. If the system is in really bad shape, the most time-effective solution is to backup the data and reinstall XP, preferably from a slipstreamed XP+SP2+updates disc. You get a clean start....

That's probably what I'll end up doing with my older PC. The hard drive is all messed up from old viruses, goofey program installs/uninstalls, power outages, crashes, etc -- past due for a wipe! It's an old 40GB anway, and I'd like to upgrade to an 80GB, so that would be a good time to reinstall Windows.

 

[Trotter]

Not only can you clean the registry, you can defrag it as well. I don't remember the name of the one I used to use, but I did find one on MajorGeeks:
|MG| Auslogics Registry Defrag 4.1.7.91