Please help with deleting registries with RegSeeker version 1.52?

Hi, I'm using a 4 month old Window XP. I have scanned my computer with Regseeker 1.52 recently and was shocked to find 400 plus registry issues marked for removal. Some entries are in green and the others in red. This software is highly recommended to clean junk registries that pile up impeding your system performance. Unfortunately there are no tutorials, guides or help link available for this software.You are on your own! For a beginner like me these registries are all latin and i don't want to damage my system by taking a potshot with RegSeeker. Infact there is a disclamer from RegSeeker stating that they would not be responsible if anything were to go wrong! Now the entries are mostly under the sub-category HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, ActiveX/COM(CLSID) all in red, Missing files or pathways mostly in green, Obsolete Entries, Uninstalled references (mostly green), unused file extensions (all green). Now my question even if i set a restore point manually, make back-ups with the RegSeekers own Backup folder and remove these entries only after trying with one such entry just to be on the safe side to see if the back-up really works, which ones should i junk and which ones do i keep?? Also is it true that you should not junk unused file extensions for you never know when you might need them. PLEASE HELP?

When you make any changes to the Registry, you should first make a back up copy.
Your utility, Regseeker 1.52, has the ability to backup the registry and backup changes that it makes in case you need to reverse your action. Use it.

In addition, it would be a good idea to make a separate, complete backup of the Registry before taking any automated action with Regseeker 1.52.

Open the Registry Editor (go to Start/Run and type regedit and press Enter). Pull down the Registry menu and choose ExportRegistry File…. Navigate to where you'd like to store the backup file, type in a name for the file, (for instance, today's date: RegBackup112606.reg) select All under Export Range, and click on Save.

To restore the entire registry from this saved file (if you need to do so in the future), simply double-click it in Windows Explorer. Note that the REG file will be quite large, possibly a couple of megabytes. Be patient while Regedit saves the file, and if you restore, give it a few minutes to complete that job as well.

As to your question about "unused file extensions"……. I have not used Regseeker 1.53, but most automated tools work in a way to remove unused files with those file extensions, and not the machines ability to recognize the file extension itself. Additionally, some applications, like windows explorer or mediaplayer "watch" their own file extensions and have the ability to recreate them as needed. But some third-party applications may not have that ability. Therefore, if you remove the file extension itself, the specific application may be rendered useless.

In general, the "unused file extensions" are not taking up much space, nor time of Registry read, and can be left in place.

You are apparently working with a tool that you are not familiar with. And you propose to use it on a portions of your machine that if "broken" will render your machine inoperable without reinstallation of the Operating System. You could lose alot of data and time of reinstalling system, drivers, and applications.

I've seen HooverDesk RegSeeker recommended by many well-known helpers in various forums, but remember that those folks already know what they are doing.

It is not unheard of to find a few hundred unused/invalid/uninstalled/missing/obselete entries in a registry that has been running for a while, especially if the owner/user has installed and uninstalled a variety of applications over time.

As with most "repair" work, the old adage applies: "If it ain't broke, don't be fixin' on it."

But you'll still probably decide to move forward and try this Registry Cleaner out.
And many well respected resources do recommend Registry Cleaning for a variety of reasons.

Bottom-line, is that it is your machine. Pursuing this course of action is likely to help you learn more about your machine. That's a good thing.

Learn as much as you can about Registry before taking action.
At the very least, read and understand this good but rather dated article:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/s…_03march17.mspx

Best Regards

Thanks dough for your help! I also went through the link you have provided.Not very familiar with saving backups of hive files described by Jerry Honeycutt, his third option! dough, have you tried it?

I doubt if many folks ever use that file format method. It is safe and competent. Many just backup the single change they are making. Most often, folks simply make a backup of the entire Registry. Fortunately, it is very rare that one needs to actually restore the Registry, because folks who get this far in making repairs most often procede with care and caution, limiting their changes to specifics that they have studied. Sure there are occasional "slash and burn" types who attack the Registry as if making it smaller or removing all references to an application that offends them is a good thing. In your situation, you are pursuing Norton and Symantec references. —- lots of references. Therefore, backing up single items, either by .reg or .hiv would be "cumbersome" to say the least. So…..Back up your Full Registry. If you use the method described by Ax238 in your other thread you should get them all. (Norton/Symantec references) However, in the process you will have removed some ordinary and safe Registry references that monitor for the existance of Symantec processes. An example is hkey_Local Machine/Software/Microsoft/Security Center/Monitoring/SymantecFirewall. This item is installed by Windows, not Norton. And it monitors for the presence of a Symantec Firewall to alert Windows Security Center as to what Security programs may be in place. By way of illustration, Windows also monitors for: ComputerAssociates Kaspersky McAfee Sophos Panda TinyFirewall TrendMicro ZoneAlarm (and a few others if you've encountered them via online scans) These "monitoring references" do include Symantec/Norton, but are not a part of Symantec/Norton. They don't "need" to be removed. _______________________ OK, on to your "stated problem" According to your post in the other thread, you are getting "error 123" and are unable to delete specific of the Symantec references. This is most often associated with an "enterprise" version of Symantec that would have been installed as a deployment on a company network. Are you, in fact, dealing with an "enterprise version" of Symantec? That might change how you go about solving your situation. Please keep posting with your progress, but try to stick with one thread, so information doesn't get lost. Best Regards

Thanks dough on the update with the symantic/norton issue! I truly appreciate it. I use this wonderful software called CCleaner that takes care of the junk mostly temp. internet files, cookies et al and a wee bit of orphaned registries left behind after uninstalling programs like today the McAfee site advisor that was conflicting with my ie7.Anyway it's another matter that Microsoft browsers are not very add on friendly and i had to junk it.I use RegSeeker 1.52 to search and remove orphaned files and registries and it does a swell job! Now to cut to the chase i tried the same route for Norton/Symantec by typing *norton* and *symantec* in the search field as a last resort to what i thought was complete removal of norton as i explained earlier in the other thread that you mentioned but wo there were entries for both of them for instance, these are norton entries, 1) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002\ENUM\HID\Vid_0461&pid_4d15\6&29e04f61&0&0000\*norton* 2) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002 \ENUM\PCI\VEN_1180&DEV 0843&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_01\4&2fe911e8&0&0AFO\*norton* 3)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002\ENUM\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_27A6&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_03\3&61aaa01&0&11\*norton* 4)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002\ENUM\PCI\VEN_1180&DEV_0852&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_05\4&2fe911e8&0&0CFO\*norton* 5)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002\ENUM\PCI\VEN_1180&DEV_0592&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_OA\4&2fe911c8&0&0BFO\*norton* ……..and another 4 entries like this! I try to delete them and an erreur N/S 123 displays preventing their deletion! In Symantec, 1)HKEY_CURRENT_USER software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\explorer\traynotify n Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe 2)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM\CONTROL Set002\ENUM\HID\Vid_0461&Pid_4d15\6&29e04f61&0&0000\symantec 3)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE ENUM\PCI\VEN_1180&DEV_0852&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_05\4&2fe911e8&0&0CF0\symantec 4)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE ENUM\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_27A2&SUBSYS_01BD1028&REV_03\3&61aaa01&0&0&10\symantec …..and another 2 entries just like these and they keep reappearing after i delete them again and again! The question is, what are these entries and why are they still there on my computer and why aren't they going!