But registry cleaners wipe out files in your registry, so they are use-at-your-own-risk programs. On a dirty machine, RegSeeker will take out more than 1,000 files. You might have to run it three or four times to get it down to taking out only a dozen or so.
Registry cleaners should NOT delete ANY files.
the registry is composed of two files. SYSTEM.DAT and NTUSER.DAT, (with others loaded if "switch users" functionality is enabled)
each Hive is stored in a separate file- there are really only two hives, HKEY_USERS and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is just a reference to keys elsewhere in the registry, be them in the system or user hives).
HKEY_CURRENT_USER, of course, is just another alias to the HKEY_USERS key that holds the current users registry data.
registry cleaners work by deleted what they deem to be unused registry entries. the problem lies in determining just what an "unused entry" or obsolete entry is. most will scan the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT alias for references to COM objects whose executables no longer exist, and delete those entries.
the same steps are taken with other entries; (non-existent files, executables, etc).
each entry is not a file or folder, of course- there are registry keys and registry values. registry keys can hold any number of other keys and values as well as a default value (which shows up in the values pane).
As an example- take ProgID lookup for object names such as "Word.Application".
First, the Com Loader needs to get the CLSID of the concrete class to instantiate. to do so, it searches for Word.Application as a key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (which we've already established as an alias to elsewhere in the registry). finding this, it retrieves the CLSID, and performs a similar lookup, and looks inside and sees the InProcServer32 (or other COM key) and finds the path to the DLL/EXE, which it subsequently loads and uses.
If anything along this line is messed up due to some hueristical bug in the registry cleaner- for example, if it references a DLL file name that it deems "invalid" because it doesn't end with EXE,OCX, or DLL... then the entire Component will not load. Word would still start, and re-add the appropriate entries; but any attempt to automate word via OLE would fail miserably.
For Me; I'll use a registry cleaner, but only because every single time I compile one of my components, VB6 insists on making a NEW set of COM keys; they inEvitably become obsolete, when I abort the project or erase the DLL or move it, or whatnot.
Thanks for the info! It seems to be clear that I don't have enough RAM and that the Security package I have with my ISP is insufficient to say the least. I have had problems with Norton before and discontinued it with some difficulty. Norton was part of the programs that were installed on my computer when it was delivered. I tried to get rid of it later and It was like the program was superglued into my system. Now it is what my ISP offers with it's package deal.
RAM is directly related to my memory if I am not mistaken. I have been told that the only way to add memory to this machine affordably is to go to EBay and buy a dead machine with memory sticks,etc. intact.
When I bought this thing everyone told me 256MB of RAM would be all I would ever need.
That's true- with 256MB you could get by quite well. I got by with a scant 128MB for almost a year myself.
I have been told that the only way to add memory to this machine affordably is to go to EBay and buy a dead machine with memory sticks,etc. intact.
I have a Dell dimension 4400 with a 1.6Ghz processor, likely older then your machine; I upgraded from the 512 that was installed to 1GB when I got it with a simple visit to my local london drugs. best price? probably not. Affordable? yes.
I also have a recently purchased laptop, and toshiba decided to place Norton on that as well. needless to say that was the first thing to go...
