Registry Clean - deletes the necessary BitDefender registry keys

CCleaner for Windows
1

Hi

the registry cleaner deletes a lot of necessary keys of BitDefender from the registry. I use BitDefender Internet Security 2009, and used BitDefender Internet Security 2008 before. The problem happened on both of them. I reckon the problem happens on all of BitDefender products.

Installer Reference Issue C:\Program Files\Common Files\BitDefender\BitDefender Threat Scanner\av32bit_000 HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

Installer Reference Issue C:\Program Files\Common Files\BitDefender\BitDefender Threat Scanner\av32bit_000\Plugins HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

Installer Reference Issue C:\Program Files\BitDefender\BitDefender 2009\as2core\antispam_sig_000 HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

CCleaner deletes some other necessary keys as well. They follow.

Installer Reference Issue C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Upgrade HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

Installer Reference Issue C:\Program Files\SONY VGP-UPR1 (Display Adapter)\updates HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

thanks

Hemanth

2

You need to exclude them, here's how:

1. Start CCleaner.

2. Click Options->Exclude, then add in the necessary registry locations, or file and folder paths.

3

Hello. I need your help ASAP!

I cannot get my installed CCleaner to get the HKLM\Software\BitDefender to have the "OK" button to light up after I finish typing the entry. It remains grayed-out, thereofre I cannot add this registry entry as an exception. I have spelled the entry correctly. Soon as I type the "B" in BitDefender after the "\", the "OK" button grays out. The other required key HKCU\Software\BitDefender was accepted correctly (The "OK" button hightlighted okay for that entry so I could add it.). It sounds there is a glitch in the software. I am using the current CCleaner verson: v.2.35.1223. Please fix this in the next version and get it out to online download ASAP. Thank you! Oh, I am running Windows 7 Professional.

4

RE: The Exclusion List Creation for the Security Software Program BitDefender (Re-posted)

Hello. I need your help ASAP!

I cannot get my installed CCleaner to get the HKLM\Software\BitDefender to have the "OK" button to light up after I finish typing the entry. It remains grayed-out, therefore I cannot add this registry entry as an exception. I have spelled the entry correctly. Soon as I type the "B" in BitDefender after the "\", the "OK" button grays out. The other required key HKCU\Software\BitDefender was accepted correctly (The "OK" button hightlighted okay for that entry so I could add it.). It sounds there is a glitch in the software. I am using the current CCleaner verson: v.2.35.1223. Please fix this in the next version and get it out to online download ASAP. Thank you! Oh, I am running Windows 7 Professional.

Please reply,

Thank you!

5

Hmmm, I can confirm this to be the case seems to do it for anything; I typed software\Windows\Help and as soon as I typed W (until I typed the s) or H the ok button went away, it did not comeback after typing the p

What happens if you (after scanning the reg) right click the HKLM entry and say add to exclude list. Then go to options and click excludes (if you are already in excludes click includes then click excludes)

second way to try (and this worked for me) open Regedit navigate to the key you want to exclude

right click the key and choose copy key name

go to excludes section click add

click reg entry and browse

switch to HKLM

and paste

delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

click ok and rescan the registry, you find that it is no longer listed

I do not find the above an ideal way of doing things :-(

Also I merged these two threads as the second one was even labeled as Re: and repost, montecarlo1987 there's no reason to double post like that. Thanks :)

6

1. Before blaming the latest CC version try if you can enter that line in a previous version of CC (e.g. v2.34, v2.33)

2. It looks like that registry key doesn't exist anymore. So, please check the registry.

7

Wow! A fast reply!!! As a newbie with this forum, I didnt realize this forum is carefully and professionally monitored critically. Great! :)

I reposted because, in most forums, when you add as a post to an old thread, it often (more times than not) does not get answered as if it were a dead thread.

This makes it necessary in many forums to repost as a fresh thread in order to get any chance of a response. I cannot believe how fast you posted and you DO respond to older threads. I have to remember that with this forum You DO respond to older threads. I see with the times posted, you are always here to reply promptly! I wish all my other forums I post to could be that fast! A matter of fact, I was warned on a forum by a moderator by posting my topic on a new thread and not on an older thread.

Yes, I added it here first, then though it will not get any response and reposted. ?But you did! Hey! :)

Anyways, with some responses:

@ Willy2: Bit Defender does have HKLM entries in the registry of Windows 7. I have the newest version (just released last month BD Total Security 2011 version) and I checked, and it is in both hives. I do recall having an older version some time ago and I was to exclude both entries fine.

@Nergal: Your first way makes sense, but I do not get any HKLM entry? ?and I know what youre going to say, Well if you are not finding any HKLM entries after Analyzing by doing it that way to pick up an HKLM entry, then you have nothing to worry about and forget doing anything more your okay! Yes, your right, but for just that feeling of added safety, I would like to still add that HKLM entry to my exclusion list as a guarantee. So if I follow your second way, I still get the same issue as I am getting now the OK is still grayed-out.

Therefore, going to an older version of CCleaner, setup the exclusion list, and I figure I will update to the newest and see if the HKLM entry is still there. Well, I was getting the same issue here too. I am using here version 2.33.1184 (2 versions ago). Again, I checked regedit to see if BitDefender is indeed in the HKLM entry. It is! So what is happening? I do not know where it lies CCleaner or BitDefender, or even the intermediary Windows 7?

Please research this. For now, I let it go because, like I said before any HKLM entry does not show on my Analyze details, so I am safe. But this registry entry is still exposed. Thank you!

8

Try if you can exclude one or more other registry keys in the HKLM hive. Perhaps BitDefender doesn't allow users to manipulate its own registry keys.

9

Here's on old trick I use to force CCleaner to ignore a registry key location that the GUI greys out:

1. Start CCleaner.

2. Go into 'Options -> Advanced' then tick: Save all settings to INI file

3. In Notepad open: C:\Program Files\CCleaner\ccleaner.ini

4. You can now manually add in an exclusion.

Note that the exclusions have numbers! Some draft examples shown below.

How to exclude a whole folder/path (example):

Exclude1=PATH|C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Some Important Folder\|*.*

How to exclude a single file (example):

Exclude11=FILE|C:\WINDOWS\Some Important Folder\|SomeImportantFile.txt

How to exclude registry keys (example):

Exclude19=REG|HKCR\SomeImportantRegKey

Exclude29=REG|HKCU\Software\SomeImportantRegkey

Exclude45=REG|HKLM\SOFTWARE\SomeImportantRegkey\SomeImportantSettings

After manually inputting an exclusion save ccleaner.ini, then start CCleaner and go into 'Options -> Exclude' to see them listed.

10

@Andavari:

I use the same trick but I took/take it one step further. In order to avoid typing those long sequence of characters, I do the following:

1. I select the registry key that I want to be excluded (Regedit) and use the export function to create a *.reg file (just a text file)

2. I then copy the registry key text to ccleaner.ini. (Yes, as you have been saying, one has to modify the text in order to make CC recognize and execute those lines in the ccleaner.ini file).

11

I first want to appreciate all your devoted help with my issue. It is wonderful to see this is a very dedicated forum community! I wish all my other forums I belong to could have such excellent service! :D

Okay, this is an update on what is happening:

@Willy2: Thanks for continued help! Yes, a good idea about checking other entries in HKLM hive! I have tried to exclude one or more entries in the HLKM hive, but the "OK" gets grayed-out. After I type: /Software/ and then the next character, the "OK" get gray-out. Hmmm... What is going on??? I type: A, B, C, D... and the "OK" gets grayed-out. I would assume that something is blocking it (maybe something in Windows 7??? I have Windows 7 Professional.), or an inherent issue with CCleaner. I do not recall having any issue before... ...of course I have an older version (but not too old) of CCleaner and it was running on my old Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. I never had an issue there. I first thought BitDefender could be causing this issue as some security protection on specific system registries. I just got off a chat session with BitDefender tech support to ask them if BitDefender blocks or has any impact on system registry settings when it is installed. They told me no. So I can eliminate them from the equation for a possible reason. My gut was telling me it was something in Windows 7 is causing this. Some stupid setting I bet ya! I tell ya, even "AFTER" installation of Windows 7, I have had to do many tasks (TONS of configurations settings and customizations than Vista ever had! Check out the GodMode for example! :blink::unsure: ) and learning every stretch of the way to get it sound and setup the way I want it. I like the old simple and solid setup like Windows XP. Less crap to deal with in Windows XP and less problems!!! But like everyone says, you have to move ahead in life. :rolleyes: Anyways, any ideas what might be going on?

@Andavari: Hello. Thanks for your input. I followed your process as outlined. I enter that one HLKM hive entry [Exclude42=REG|HLKM\SOFTWARE\BitDefender] since 42 is the next sequential number in exceptions. Now, this is the issue. When I go to save to actually replace the current ccleaner.ini file in the C:\Program Files\CCleaner folder by clicking on Save As in Notepad and changing the Save As Type: to All Files, then clicking on ccleaner.ini icon, I then click on the Save button ? It asks if I want to replace it. Of course I want to; so I click on YES button. Now I get a Windows message that pops up and states, ?Notepad? ?Access is denied.? What is going on? I have saved at this point the Notepad file to the desktop for safe keeping and I did that successfully. So how can I get this ?Access is denied.? issue stopped and have this file replace the current ccleaner.ini file?

Please reply.

Thanks

12

Hello. Well I was able to get the ccleaner.ini file to replace the current one. Simply by opening the file location of C:\Program Files\CCleaner and moving the newly created file I have saved on my desktop to the C:\Program Files\CCleaner, is when Windows allowed the replacement to occur. :huh: I tell ya, Windows 7 is a odd operating system. Try to make logically sense out of it on how it behaves under specific circumstances -- I cannot. I think Windows 7 is the reason for this issue from the gecko. Maybe it could a CCleaner quirk, but I tend to place blame on Windows 7. You may still want to investigate this to see where the cause is. Please let me know if you do.

Thanks for your help.

13

Actually For that issue (UAC can't edit without admin privilages you can run notepad as admin (rightclick startmenu item for notepad)

in regards to the reg key not entering

Well if you are not finding any HKLM entries after Analyzing by doing it that way to pick up an HKLM entry, then you have nothing to worry about and forget doing anything more ? your okay! Yes, your right, but for just that ?feeling of added safety?, I would like to still add that HKLM entry to my exclusion list as a guarantee. So if I follow your second way, I still get the same issue as I am getting now ? the ?OK? is still grayed-out.

does that entry exist in the registry, if not, that maybe why it doesn't give you ok (though that doesn't make sense as I type it as I was still having the same thing with HKLM\Software\Windows\Help which does exist :blink:

14

Hi Nergal! Okay, well that explains the Notepad issue. It is a UAC issue. Okay. See, how do you know when its a UAC issue? That confuses me. I just "retired" Windows XP and I have to acquire this knowledge and learn when I need to use UAC. It never really tells you it is a UAC issue, I have to learn from experience when I have these kind of issues when I need to use UAC. For now, it is guess work. I feel like disabling UAC, but everyone warns me not to do it. It is there for your protection. Okay, okay, I keep it on. :D

Regarding that HKLM entry with BitDefender, it does exist. I do not know why CCleaner does not see it. But I feel like I said before it is a Windows 7 issue that is causing this. Actually, earlier tonight I ran registry repair software and it provides defragging, compacting, and optimizing features. Well, near the end of the process, I get a message that states, An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKLM\SOFTWARE Access is denied. Hmmm... That explains it!!! :lol: It is something going on with Windows 7! I also get another message stating, An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKUSERS\.DEFAULT Access is denied. So something is happening here from Windows 7! Any clue what is going on? I can see something is blocking it. Windows 7 maybe? Hmmm...

Please feel free to comment. Thanks!

15

Good rule of thumb is anything that'll edit the C:\windows or C:\program Files\ folders will need to be run with elevated (UAC) privilages

Regarding that HKLM entry with BitDefender, it does exist. I do not know why CCleaner does not see it. But I feel like I said before it is a Windows 7 issue that is causing this. Actually, earlier tonight I ran registry repair software and it provides defragging, compacting, and optimizing features. Well, near the end of the process, I get a message that states, An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKLM\SOFTWARE Access is denied. Hmmm... That explains it!!! It is something going on with Windows 7! I also get another message stating, An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKUSERS\.DEFAULT Access is denied. So something is happening here from Windows 7! Any clue what is going on? I can see something is blocking it. Windows 7 maybe? Hmmm...

couple of things here, defragging registry is just asking for problems. Bitdefender is probably protecting itself by hiding the HKLM entry. really I'm going to go back to the

Well if you are not finding any HKLM entries after Analyzing by doing it that way to pick up an HKLM entry, then you have nothing to worry about and forget doing anything more

I think defender is doing it's job,stopping malware and anything else (e.g. ccleaner), from having anyway of seeing editing it , if ever you see the HKLM entry in ccleaner then you should go ahead and add it.

BUT again you seem to have raised something, with ccleaner not seeing other HKLM entries.

16

Nergal. So you think it is BitDefender that is protecting the registry entries? Interesting. Well, there is only one way to tell. If I uninstall BitDefender completely and am able to add the HKLM entry as an exclusion without issue or run the compacting with that registry software without issue too, then I know it IS BD that is blocking those registry entries. I will just do that. I will unplug my internect connection to my modem for security sake while I am unprotected. I will not be long. I will let you know.

Thanks for the knowledge on the UAC issue. I remember that! :)

17

TO: Nergal & actually everyone that has helped me here because my results impact all questions that have been raised so far:

I found the solution! :D

Nergal, you said it was BitDefender that was causing this issue of the HKLM entry. Well, YOURE RIGHT!!! Bottom line: Where the issue stems from: BitDefenders means of protecting registry files that I had no knowledge of and their Technical Support giving me different answers to this issue. :angry:

First, I learned that the Live Chat Tech Support with BitDefender will give you different answers when you ask those questions. As I posted further above here, BD Live Chat Tech Support told me earlier yesterday (when I first contacted them) that BD does NOT have any bearing on the Windows 7 system registry files (NO protections at all). So I took their word on it. I dismissed them as a possible culprit in this issue. Now, after you telling me that it is BD that is protecting the system registry, I went ahead and uninstalled BD from my system as I said I would do and quickly (while not system protected), went ahead and tried adding that HKLM\Software\BitDefender entry into the exclusions list in CCleaner. Now, the "OK" button remained grayed-out UNTIL I ENTERED that last "r" in BitDefender, then the "OK" button was highlighted. This did not happen when I had BD installed on my system. Okay, that is the reason; the "OK" remained grayed-out even after I typed the final "r" or when I attempt to do that now after re-installing BD in my system.

Another way to verify that it is indeed BD causing this issue, I ran my registry defrag's compacting feature because it gives warning messages when parts of the registry cannot be compacted. Well, when having BD NOT installed, it compacts just fine to completion. When I DO HAVE BD installed, I get 2 issues with the system registry. The only two messages are: "An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKLM\SOFTWARE Access is denied." & "An Error Occurred While Compacting Registry Hive: HKUSERS\.DEFAULT Access is denied." This must be where BD is protecting "AREAS" of the system registry. This is a good guide from another 3rd party program to know what indeed BD is protecting in my registry!

My next question is this. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with Willy2 questions above. Is BD protecting all registry keys in the hive area HKLM\Software as it demonstrates from that 3rd party registry defrag program that the HKLM\Software registry area is being protected by BD? So I tried to exclude using CCleaner my other keys in HKLM\Software, for example I have "ATI" as an entry in my registry key listing. I went ahead to exclude it and CCleaner WOULD exclude it if I wanted to because the "OK" button was not grayed-out after I typed that final "I". I tried a few other keys in this registry area as well under HKLM\Software and they all were able to be excluded by CCleaner and consequently they were NOT being protected my BD. Bottom line: BD only protects ITS OWN registry entries or keys.

Obviously with this proven difference, I decided to re-contact BitDefender Live Chat Tech Support again to tell them otherwise what they told me originally. Well, I approached them without being argumentative and re-asked them politely my question again, this time I received another BD Live Chat Tech Support rep.. He stated that right off the bat that it BD DOES INDEED protect system registry files. A much different answer this time!!! I wasn't very happy, but I did not show it to him! I have been waiting a lot of time here!!! :( If I knew from the beginning, I would not have been going nuts!!! :blink::angry: However, when asked which parts of the registry he knew were protected by BD; he said he did not know which ones or how much of the system registry is protected by BD. (Well, I KNEW using that 3rd party registry defrag program!)

So I asked him is there a way if I ever needed to modify my system registry to have BD unprotect the parts of the system registry. Having to do something like this would not have to be often, of course. I figured there must be a way that would be easier than having to do a complete uninstall of BD. He said, YES! He stated, "Open your Bitdefender, click on options from the top right corner, select expert view, now click on antivirus from the left and then disable the Real time protection for the amount of time you want to disable it." So I tested this. I did just what he said and I disabled Real Time Protection. Now, I opened up CCleaner and I attempted to exclude the HKLM\Software\BitDefender. However, this time, after typing that final "r", I did not get the "OK" grayed-out. So, his answer does not work. :rolleyes: He is not correct. So the only means necessary to unprotect the registry files that I know of is to uninstall BD! (I know, you cannot always trust what you hear!)

SO, now I know why I was having this issue from the gecko!!! I was blaming Windows 7 and it was all along BitDefender protecting itself from me excluding registry files for CCleaner!

Thanks for all your help!

18

He stated, "Open your Bitdefender, click on options from the top right corner, select expert view, now click on antivirus from the left and then disable the Real time protection for the amount of time you want to disable it." So I tested this. I did just what he said and I disabled Real Time Protection. Now, I opened up CCleaner and I attempted to exclude the HKLM\Software\BitDefender. However, this time, after typing that final "r", I did not get the "OK" grayed-out. So, his answer does not work. :rolleyes: He is not correct. So the only means necessary to unprotect the registry files that I know of is to uninstall BD! (I know, you cannot always trust what you hear!)

He could be totally wrong, or he might be almost perfectly correct.

Perhaps you need the extra step of REBOOT with protection OFF before and after so the full impact of registry adjustments take effect,

and then try editing after which you can restore protection.

In XP there are keys you can change without any immediate effect until after a reboot.

I would not like to predict how many hoops you jump through with W7.

Alan

19

Hello Alan_B! Thanks for your suggestion and participation in this situation!

Your comment does hold a sense of validity and logical reasoning to the solution posed by the latest BD Live Chat Tech Support Rep.. After reading your comment, I know that any adjustments to take hold that are made to the system registry usually require a reboot of the system. However, the BD Live Chat Tech Rep. did not make this additional information directly known or apparent, I feel he thought it was a common assumption that I am to know that as part of registry changes. But yet I said to myself, if it is only outside protections being afforded to the registry and my changes are not true modifications to the registry itself, why would I need to do a system reboot. Just disabling BD's Real Time Protection should do the trick which it wasn't. Hmmm...

So I went ahead and tested this theory out to see if the protections are removed following the process of disabling the BitDefender Total Security 2011's Real Time Protection as the BD Live Chat Tech Rep originally stated and rebooting the system, and then finally see if I could indeed add that HKLM\Software\BitDefender entry to CCleaner's exclusion list. Opening my BitDefender Total Security 2011 interface, the only option I had that would allow me to still have BD's Real Time Protection disabled in their drop down list is to use "Permanent". The other selections are temporary and BD's Real Time Protection would only be enabled following reboot. For the heck of it, I want to see at this point (before reboot) if BD's protections are possibly removed from the registry. I open CCleaner, and try to add that registry entry to CCleaner's exclusion list. It doesn't allow for it, so I still know that BD is still protecting parts of the registry. Okay, then I reboot the system and verify that BD's Real Time Protection is indeed disabled. Sure enough, it is! Then I open CCleaner again and try to add that registry entry to CCleaner's exclusion list. Following the typing of the final "r" in BitDefender, the "OK" is still grayed-out! So basically, BD has s strong hold on the system registry. This demonstrates that only a complete uninstall (Using BD's special uninstall tool that you download from their website is the only safe and accurate way to remove a BD product.) is the only way to release the BD protections on the system registry.

An excellent thought, but unfortunately, BD is stubborn... ...to the contrary in reality, when you think about it for my security, this "stubbornness" is very good! I am well protected!!!

Thank you for your help!