Empty Registry Keys

donut · 12-17-08, 04:23 AM

Hi! Just so you know, my computer experience is limited. I have read that the Registry holds all of the information necessary for running the various operations on a computer. I have recently had problems with a slow start up on my PC. I should tell you that I am running Windows XP on a Dell computer/ Memory 253MB/Intel Pentium 4CPU 3.00GHZ. Reading that Registry problems could be responsible for slow start ups I subscribed some time ago to something called RegCure. On first running this it appeared to remove a large number of Registry problems. What I have noticed though quite recently is that a large number of the problems seem to return immediately. One evening on shutdown I ran RegCure and it notified me that the problems included 9 File Path References and 142 Empty Registry Keys. After "removing" these problems (if such they are) I ran the program again. This time there were no File Path References and 51 Empty Registry Keys. Following a third run there were no File Path References but still apparently 29 Empty Registry Keys. The following morning upon startup I ran RegCure once again to discover that the "problems" again included 9 File Path References and 84 Empty Registry Keys. A couple of weeks ago I subscribed to Advanced Windows Care Professional from10bit. This checks out several areas one of which is the Registry. To date it has found zero problems in this area. I am puzzled. I realise that my confusion is due to the fact that I don't know enough about the workings of computers and in particular about what goes on in the Registry. Does it matter if a Registry Key is empty? In any case what does it mean? My previous attempts to gain info from websites have invariably led to ads for software guaranteed to "clean up your Registry". I am not saying that anything is wrong with either RegCure or the Windows Professional software-I would just like to know enough about the subject to understand what is going on in the little black box. Please keep any explanations reasonably simple!

Reece · 12-17-08, 04:51 AM

I tried RegCure twice coming up with around 500 problems on each build it destroyed the register, thankfully I could reghost to a previous image. My advise is don't use it, I use Windoctor built into an old version of Norton Utilities, has never failed me, I just thought I'd give RegCure that "one more chance", never again!!

However others may have found it ok???

donut · 12-17-08, 05:22 AM

Hi, the subject of registry cleaners does seem to invoke some diverse views. The most commonly held view is that the registry will become messy and cleaning up this mess will improve system performance. MS themselves have recently introduced a reg cleaner into Live Care , and their blurb basically say's this will help performance. However in the real world many technicians will agree with Reece that the claimed performance benefits don't seem to manifest themselves. You will however Know when the registry is corrupt , reg cleaners only clean they do not repair.

She-Wolf · 12-17-08, 05:45 AM

I agree with Reece. There are more effective products 'out there' if you take the view that you need a registry cleaner at all. Registry mechanic is one I have used in the past. However, I would think that the slowness of your computer is more likely a boot problem than a registry problem, and also the recommended memory for XP is 512MB, and more is better.

If you go to Start-Run and type msconfig in the box and press OK it will bring up a new window ( systems configuration utility) and in there you will see a tab marked Startup.

If, when you open that up you see lots of ticks ( 'checked' in American) against the entries, that means that all the applications that are ticked will want to start at boot. You probably only need to have your antivirus program ticked. Everything else can be launched from the desktop or programs menu when you need to use it.

Unticking the boxes does not remove the applications or devices, it simply stops them starting at boot. If you untick something and then find you DO need it at startup, you can always go back in to msconfig and re-tick it. Click on Apply and OK when you have unticked. Windows will tell you you have to restart the system for your changes to apply. That is not necessary, but when you do reboot it will bring up a window about the system configuration utility - just tick the little box to make it go away, and you are done.

That should make a difference to the speed of your bootup. There are other measures you can take, such as getting Bootvis to lay out the drivers in a better way, but that is a bit more techy, so try the msconfig, I suggest, and also invest in a bit more memory. Crucial have a tool which will tell you what memory you need for your particular model, and they are very good. I would recommend them.

Hope this helps.

donut · 12-17-08, 06:52 AM

I am starting to believe PC is infected w/script worm. Virtumonde trojan as was mentioned,PC.will not standby,or hibernate,just restarts when either is selected.
many desk top icons do not link to installed programs,icons just blank files ?.lnk
Thinking empty reg.keys,is cause.(unkown)for sure ? I have no reg.back-up. I did a partial sys. recovery,& installed windows to SP3,Office Outlook,IE-8,AVAST,to regain some functions but filled up 20% of my disk space in the effort. Have been through MSCFG,Add,& remove,older programs still exist,but are not linked,to desk top .lnk short cuts(Corrupted),damn
I hate that vague catch-all prase.HELP !

Reece · 12-17-08, 05:43 PM

You maybe in the poo,

sorry to say donut, What I would do is invest in a larger second HDD, they are very cheap nowdays, then purchase Ghost, I got an old 2003 version on ebay for $12 and works a treat, backs up your whole drive C in one hit, if a bad virus hits or I have done something to destroy the register etc I just re-ghost to a former image (I ghost around once a month), ghost runs then reboots to the former image, done!! It certainly looks like a rebuild at this point, I would backup all your files then do a rebuild, unless someone else here can help,

all the best!

longam · 12-17-08, 07:09 PM

There are always alternate options like

sfc /scannow
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310747

Windows Repair
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx

Windows Restore
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...emrestore.mspx

Not really in that order...You don't always have to start from scratch.

FIREWALL · 12-17-08, 07:12 PM

I use RegCleaner. Swear by it.

longam · 12-17-08, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

I use RegCleaner. Swear by it.

Agree Firewall, its a very good product with no worries.

goldorak · 12-17-08, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donut

I am starting to believe PC is infected w/script worm. Virtumonde trojan as was mentioned,PC.will not standby,or hibernate,just restarts when either is selected.
many desk top icons do not link to installed programs,icons just blank files ?.lnk
Thinking empty reg.keys,is cause.(unkown)for sure ? I have no reg.back-up. I did a partial sys. recovery,& installed windows to SP3,Office Outlook,IE-8,AVAST,to regain some functions but filled up 20% of my disk space in the effort. Have been through MSCFG,Add,& remove,older programs still exist,but are not linked,to desk top .lnk short cuts(Corrupted),damn
I hate that vague catch-all prase.HELP !

Damn, Virtumonde is one deadly bastard virus. I got infected I think 1 month ago (because I decided stupidly to disable my antivirus during online play) and got infected without even knowning it.
Once I stopped playing, gort back to the desktop and all the files had disapeared, the background was changed and the browsers were hijacked (even Opera !!).
I tried to boot into safe mode and repair but didn't work. As a last resort I copied all the important files on a secondary partition and reformated the primary partition.
First time I got infected in over 8 years.

CaptainHaplo · 12-17-08, 08:12 PM

OK Donut, a few things here can help.

Performance is slack because first off - your running ~ 1/4th of a Gig of memory. With XP - you should have at least 1/2G for decent performance, a full 1G or more if your going to game on this box at least.

Now - as for a virus - thats a distinct possibility - hopefully your AVAST on a full system scan could find it - if not then try symantec's free online scanner - if it finds it, it won't remove it but you will at least know that its there so you can take further steps to remove it yourself.

Regarding reg cleaners - BLANK registry keys are normal and should not be removed unless your familiar with WHY its there and know its ok to take it out. Norton windoctor (even the old versions) is an exceptional tool as it looks at the reg key, any associated files, and finds what is missing if necessary. Its fixes have never broken my pc - and often pointed me to errors in installation applications that I was able to fix instead of having to call the software maker and make them feel stupid. However, there are many entries that can be removed, depending on the situation. For example - lets say you like to download demo's of games. Great choice - but every install writes reg keys - and the uninstall does NOT remove them all. Do that enough and you have a few hundred registry keys that are not used, shouldn't really be there, are orphaned and still have to be loaded and "sorted through" every time your pc boots. Cleaning the registry is a good thing - but it should be done with a reputable program that you can check and see every change it makes. Backing up the registry is always a wise idea whenever you modify it manually or with a cleaner - though again if you use a reputable app you don't really have to worry.

The registry is basically a big repository for windows that tells it what to do, how to do it, and how everything fits together to make your PC work. Its what tells the PC where all those drivers for the fancy GPU are and how to work with them, same for your ethernet connection, sound and other devices. It is the trunk that everything that is windows connects to. Due to that - manually editing it without real knowledge is dangerous (depending on where your editing it at).

Honestly - your best bet at this point would be an investment in memory first, then a format/rebuild. From there - a good backup application (and I second the GHOST recommendation) along with a secondary drive. Even if you get an old creaky drive for just the ghost image - you save yourself a rebuild later if you get bit again.

Once you get fully up - the next question you have to ask yourself is why did you get bit in the first place if it was a virus. If so - examine your habits and see if you can determine how it happened so you can insure it doesn't happen again.

12-17-08, 04:23 AM	#1
donut The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: The Shifting, Whispering Sands, NM Posts: 1,463 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Empty Registry Keys Hi! Just so you know, my computer experience is limited. I have read that the Registry holds all of the information necessary for running the various operations on a computer. I have recently had problems with a slow start up on my PC. I should tell you that I am running Windows XP on a Dell computer/ Memory 253MB/Intel Pentium 4CPU 3.00GHZ. Reading that Registry problems could be responsible for slow start ups I subscribed some time ago to something called RegCure. On first running this it appeared to remove a large number of Registry problems. What I have noticed though quite recently is that a large number of the problems seem to return immediately. One evening on shutdown I ran RegCure and it notified me that the problems included 9 File Path References and 142 Empty Registry Keys. After "removing" these problems (if such they are) I ran the program again. This time there were no File Path References and 51 Empty Registry Keys. Following a third run there were no File Path References but still apparently 29 Empty Registry Keys. The following morning upon startup I ran RegCure once again to discover that the "problems" again included 9 File Path References and 84 Empty Registry Keys. A couple of weeks ago I subscribed to Advanced Windows Care Professional from10bit. This checks out several areas one of which is the Registry. To date it has found zero problems in this area. I am puzzled. I realise that my confusion is due to the fact that I don't know enough about the workings of computers and in particular about what goes on in the Registry. Does it matter if a Registry Key is empty? In any case what does it mean? My previous attempts to gain info from websites have invariably led to ads for software guaranteed to "clean up your Registry". I am not saying that anything is wrong with either RegCure or the Windows Professional software-I would just like to know enough about the subject to understand what is going on in the little black box. Please keep any explanations reasonably simple!

12-17-08, 04:51 AM	#2
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 32,779 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	I tried RegCure twice coming up with around 500 problems on each build it destroyed the register, thankfully I could reghost to a previous image. My advise is don't use it, I use Windoctor built into an old version of Norton Utilities, has never failed me, I just thought I'd give RegCure that "one more chance", never again!! However others may have found it ok??? __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

12-17-08, 05:22 AM	#3
donut The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: The Shifting, Whispering Sands, NM Posts: 1,463 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	So what's up w/empty reg.keys Hi, the subject of registry cleaners does seem to invoke some diverse views. The most commonly held view is that the registry will become messy and cleaning up this mess will improve system performance. MS themselves have recently introduced a reg cleaner into Live Care , and their blurb basically say's this will help performance. However in the real world many technicians will agree with Reece that the claimed performance benefits don't seem to manifest themselves. You will however Know when the registry is corrupt , reg cleaners only clean they do not repair.

12-17-08, 05:45 AM	#4
She-Wolf Watchdog Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hampshire UK Posts: 971 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	I agree with Reece. There are more effective products 'out there' if you take the view that you need a registry cleaner at all. Registry mechanic is one I have used in the past. However, I would think that the slowness of your computer is more likely a boot problem than a registry problem, and also the recommended memory for XP is 512MB, and more is better. If you go to Start-Run and type msconfig in the box and press OK it will bring up a new window ( systems configuration utility) and in there you will see a tab marked Startup. If, when you open that up you see lots of ticks ( 'checked' in American) against the entries, that means that all the applications that are ticked will want to start at boot. You probably only need to have your antivirus program ticked. Everything else can be launched from the desktop or programs menu when you need to use it. Unticking the boxes does not remove the applications or devices, it simply stops them starting at boot. If you untick something and then find you DO need it at startup, you can always go back in to msconfig and re-tick it. Click on Apply and OK when you have unticked. Windows will tell you you have to restart the system for your changes to apply. That is not necessary, but when you do reboot it will bring up a window about the system configuration utility - just tick the little box to make it go away, and you are done. That should make a difference to the speed of your bootup. There are other measures you can take, such as getting Bootvis to lay out the drivers in a better way, but that is a bit more techy, so try the msconfig, I suggest, and also invest in a bit more memory. Crucial have a tool which will tell you what memory you need for your particular model, and they are very good. I would recommend them. Hope this helps. __________________ Last edited by She-Wolf; 12-17-08 at 05:46 AM.

12-17-08, 06:52 AM	#5
donut The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: The Shifting, Whispering Sands, NM Posts: 1,463 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Thxs.She-Wolf,I was about to PM.you I am starting to believe PC is infected w/script worm. Virtumonde trojan as was mentioned,PC.will not standby,or hibernate,just restarts when either is selected. many desk top icons do not link to installed programs,icons just blank files ?.lnk Thinking empty reg.keys,is cause.(unkown)for sure ? I have no reg.back-up. I did a partial sys. recovery,& installed windows to SP3,Office Outlook,IE-8,AVAST,to regain some functions but filled up 20% of my disk space in the effort. Have been through MSCFG,Add,& remove,older programs still exist,but are not linked,to desk top .lnk short cuts(Corrupted),damn I hate that vague catch-all prase.HELP ! Last edited by donut; 12-17-08 at 07:04 AM.

12-17-08, 05:43 PM	#6
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 32,779 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	You maybe in the poo, sorry to say donut, What I would do is invest in a larger second HDD, they are very cheap nowdays, then purchase Ghost, I got an old 2003 version on ebay for $12 and works a treat, backs up your whole drive C in one hit, if a bad virus hits or I have done something to destroy the register etc I just re-ghost to a former image (I ghost around once a month), ghost runs then reboots to the former image, done!! It certainly looks like a rebuild at this point, I would backup all your files then do a rebuild, unless someone else here can help, all the best! __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

12-17-08, 07:09 PM	#7
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	There are always alternate options like sfc /scannow http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310747 Windows Repair http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx Windows Restore http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...emrestore.mspx Not really in that order...You don't always have to start from scratch.

12-17-08, 07:12 PM	#8
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	I use RegCleaner. Swear by it. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

12-17-08, 08:12 PM	#11
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	OK Donut, a few things here can help. Performance is slack because first off - your running ~ 1/4th of a Gig of memory. With XP - you should have at least 1/2G for decent performance, a full 1G or more if your going to game on this box at least. Now - as for a virus - thats a distinct possibility - hopefully your AVAST on a full system scan could find it - if not then try symantec's free online scanner - if it finds it, it won't remove it but you will at least know that its there so you can take further steps to remove it yourself. Regarding reg cleaners - BLANK registry keys are normal and should not be removed unless your familiar with WHY its there and know its ok to take it out. Norton windoctor (even the old versions) is an exceptional tool as it looks at the reg key, any associated files, and finds what is missing if necessary. Its fixes have never broken my pc - and often pointed me to errors in installation applications that I was able to fix instead of having to call the software maker and make them feel stupid. However, there are many entries that can be removed, depending on the situation. For example - lets say you like to download demo's of games. Great choice - but every install writes reg keys - and the uninstall does NOT remove them all. Do that enough and you have a few hundred registry keys that are not used, shouldn't really be there, are orphaned and still have to be loaded and "sorted through" every time your pc boots. Cleaning the registry is a good thing - but it should be done with a reputable program that you can check and see every change it makes. Backing up the registry is always a wise idea whenever you modify it manually or with a cleaner - though again if you use a reputable app you don't really have to worry. The registry is basically a big repository for windows that tells it what to do, how to do it, and how everything fits together to make your PC work. Its what tells the PC where all those drivers for the fancy GPU are and how to work with them, same for your ethernet connection, sound and other devices. It is the trunk that everything that is windows connects to. Due to that - manually editing it without real knowledge is dangerous (depending on where your editing it at). Honestly - your best bet at this point would be an investment in memory first, then a format/rebuild. From there - a good backup application (and I second the GHOST recommendation) along with a secondary drive. Even if you get an old creaky drive for just the ghost image - you save yourself a rebuild later if you get bit again. Once you get fully up - the next question you have to ask yourself is why did you get bit in the first place if it was a virus. If so - examine your habits and see if you can determine how it happened so you can insure it doesn't happen again. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo