Registry Mechanic in Safe Mode

[DennisD]

What I think is an interesting aside to my journey into the Twilight Zone, Safe Mode.

 

Ran Registry Mechanic while in safe mode, and up popped 365 errors that RM, CCleaner, and EasyCleaner had never found previously. I know that for sure because I went through them one by one, and they were all off programs I'd tried and binned months ago.

 

Provided you're careful, this seems like a good exercise to try occassionally. I was amazed how much stuff it found.

 

If there's any real dangers to doing this, I would be happy for the input.

[Tom AZ]

Provided you're careful, this seems like a good exercise to try occassionally. I was amazed how much stuff it found.

 

If there's any real dangers to doing this, I would be happy for the input.

Very interesting! I don't really know the answer to your question, but I'm anxious to see the response of others.

 

On a somewhat different (but related) note, what really happens during a registry cleaning process? Are old and obsolete entries simply removed (deleted) -- or are "repairs" to damaged and/or incorrect entries made -- or both?

[CeeCee]

I have once ran some of my reg. cleaners on safe mode, but they didn't found anything new. Haven't used RM though... It's interesting (and strange) that it founds more entries on safe mode... at least in your case.

[DennisD]

Very interesting! I don't really know the answer to your question, but I'm anxious to see the response of others.

 

On a somewhat different (but related) note, what really happens during a registry cleaning process? Are old and obsolete entries simply removed (deleted) -- or are "repairs" to damaged and/or incorrect entries made -- or both?

All the time I've used RM and others, I've never known them do anything but delete defunct stuff.

 

I think repair in registry cleaner terms must simply mean delete.

 

If I'm wrong, I'll find out soon enough hopefully.

[JDPower]

What I think is an interesting aside to my journey into the Twilight Zone, Safe Mode.

 

Ran Registry Mechanic while in safe mode, and up popped 365 errors that RM, CCleaner, and EasyCleaner had never found previously. I know that for sure because I went through them one by one, and they were all off programs I'd tried and binned months ago.

 

Provided you're careful, this seems like a good exercise to try occassionally. I was amazed how much stuff it found.

That's a new one on me. Never done it myself so thought I'd try it. And nothing, Reg Mechanic found nothing new and I tried RegSeeker too and that found nothing new. You haven't got any security software that prevents registry changes have you, or maybe running Returnil or similar all the time?

[DennisD]

I have once ran some of my reg. cleaners on safe mode, but they didn't found anything new. Haven't used RM though... It's interesting (and strange) that it founds more entries on safe mode... at least in your case.

I thought finding more stuff in Safe Mode must be normal until you and JD posted.

 

That's a new one on me. Never done it myself so thought I'd try it. And nothing, Reg Mechanic found nothing new and I tried RegSeeker too and that found nothing new. You haven't got any security software that prevents registry changes have you, or maybe running Returnil or similar all the time?

 

I'm pleased you tried that JD, as I've said to CeeCee above, I thought finding more stuff must be a normal result of scanning in safe mode. Now I'm puzzled.

 

I wouldn't have thought having V7 would make that much difference, so I think I can rule that out.

 

I'm gonna try it again after first scanning normally, and in answer to your question about security software, I'm running Windows Firewall, Avast Home, Spybot S & D, and SpywareBlaster. Not really sure at the moment if any of them would do what you say.

 

Regarding Returnil. I've always been confident it does what it says, and leaves absolutely nothing behind, using only memory for its function, and I searched the registry regularly (as well as file folders), when I first started using it, for any traces of the new software I'd been trying, and never found a thing.

 

But I'm not naive enough to believe that everything works perfectly all the time, so I'll enquire as to whether Returnil could somehow be leaving stuff on the HD, but if it was, you'd think it would be picked up in normal scanning by either RM, CCleaner or Easyclean.

 

Other than that, I'll ocassionally run RM in safe mode, but I've a feeling that may have been a one off.

 

Of course if I find out anything I'll update the thread.

[JDPower]

I'm gonna try it again after first scanning normally, and in answer to your question about security software, I'm running Windows Firewall, Avast Home, Spybot S & D, and SpywareBlaster. Not really sure at the moment if any of them would do what you say.

 

Regarding Returnil. I've always been confident it does what it says, and leaves absolutely nothing behind, using only memory for its function, and I searched the registry regularly (as well as file folders), when I first started using it, for any traces of the new software I'd been trying, and never found a thing.

 

But I'm not naive enough to believe that everything works perfectly all the time, so I'll enquire as to whether Returnil could somehow be leaving stuff on the HD, but if it was, you'd think it would be picked up in normal scanning by either RM, CCleaner or Easyclean.

Was just pointing out the obvious really in case you ran with returnil all the time, in which case any reg entries from before using it would never be cleaned (so when you went into safe mode it picked up what was there before Returnil, didn't mean Returnil was leaving leftovers). A long shot I know but one of those silly things I sometimes miss

 

I use Spyware Blaster and Spybot too (don't use Spybots resident Tea Timer protection though, relevent???). I would think something is stopping Reg Mechanic finding entries in normal mode but I could be, and usually am, wrong

[CeeCee]

I thought finding more stuff in Safe Mode must be normal

It's not "normal". Why it should find more entries in safe mode? Only thing is that in safe mode, you possibly can delete some entries, that you can not in normal mode. I mean that if some keys are somehow locked by OS in normal mode. That's rare though...

[DennisD]

It's not "normal". Why it should find more entries in safe mode? Only thing is that in safe mode, you possibly can delete some entries, that you can not in normal mode. I mean that if some keys are somehow locked by OS in normal mode. That's rare though...

I agree, but I've just scanned with RM in normal mode. Found 4 entries. Left them alone and rebooted into safe mode immediately without doing anything else.

 

In safe mode it found 5 entries. The extra one being something to do with "mini memory dump", which ties in with the blue screen message last night..."dumping memory".

 

Why did it not find it before I rebooted? And I'm not disagreeing with your comments, I'm just puzzled about that pretty large bunch of entries I came up with last night.

 

And all the entries were straightforward "left after uninstalling software" items from programs I uninstalled ages ago.

 

My computers haunted by the ghosts of all the programs I've sent to the Great Recycle Bin in the sky.

 

They're all coming back to byte me in the a**s.

[DennisD]

Was just pointing out the obvious really in case you ran with returnil all the time, in which case any reg entries from before using it would never be cleaned (so when you went into safe mode it picked up what was there before Returnil, didn't mean Returnil was leaving leftovers). A long shot I know but one of those silly things I sometimes miss

 

Hey, I'm open to any suggestions JD, and although everythings back to normal and running fine, I hate mysteries, and this one is starting to look like it could remain a mystery.

[DennisD]

I'm hoping this info may shed more light as to why Registry Mechanic still finds way more stuff in safe mode.

 

Scanned tonight normally, 10 items found. Apart from the bottom 2, the others were "system volume information", and all jpeg files.

 

 

Scanned immediately after in safe mode, and 61 items found.

 

Took this screenshot in safe mode, and 58 of the items found were identical to what's shown in this image. Apart from being different jpegs, they were all "system volume information".

 

 

The other 3 of the 61 are shown in this screenshot, also from safe mode.

 

 

Any ideas why this happens, and is there anything shown here that should be left alone?

 

Thanks for any input.

[CeeCee]

When you go to the safe mode, do you log in to the same account, as what your user account is?

 

When i start up my computer, it goes straight to my user (my name) account. If i choose safe mode, i got option to log in either to my user -or to my Administrator account.

[DennisD]

Yep, got the same 2 options in safe mode. Logged in tonight as Administrator.

 

I have logged in using my user name as well.

 

I tried both options over the last couple of nights to see if I could get safe mode with networking, but the modem stays dead either way. But I may have scanned in both options while I was in safe mode.

[hazelnut]

Found this microsoft article here Dennis

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316434#

 

 

Note You cannot use Safe mode with networking support when you use a modem or a PC Card connection to a network because modem drivers and PC Card drivers do not load in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support.

[DennisD]

Thanks Hazel, at least I now know there's nothing wrong.

[unsober]

I can confirm this.

 

I ran my registry cleaner in normal mode, on my normal user account. it found 0 problems. (for reference)

I then booted into safe mode. my registry cleaner found 52 new problems.

(note: I tried both user accounts. my normal one, and the generic 'Administrator' account. scanning on both accounts still found the 52 problems)

I should probably also add, that I was running no anti-viruses, or PC Monitoring tools that would otherwise effect the outcome of the scan...

 

heres a pic of some of the entries it fould;

 

my guess is that some registries get 'locked up' and can't be messed with, unless you are booted into safe-mode..

 

PS: I couldn't seem to run Registry Mechanic while in safe-mode.. It just wouldn't load up for some reason. I had to use Eusing Registry Cleaner

 

and thank you DennisD for sharing this. got rid of registries from things I don't even have/use anymore

 

 

Only thing is that in safe mode, you possibly can delete some entries, that you can not in normal mode. I mean that if some keys are somehow locked by OS in normal mode. That's rare though...

apparently, it's not so rare!

[CeeCee]

heres a pic of some of the entries it fould;

 

my guess is that some registries get 'locked up' and can't be messed with, unless you are booted into safe-mode..

All of those entries seems to be OS related, so that's why they might not show up in a normal mode... Are you sure, that they really are invalid entries?

 

I also got 'Eusing' registry cleaner, but haven't run that one in safe mode. Maybe i should...

[unsober]

Are you sure, that they really are invalid entries?

 

I'm 100% sure the ones on top are invalid.. I uninstalled all those programs, and deleted all those files that it's showing a long long time ago

not too sure about those MSCOM entries on the bottom though. made a backup for those just incase

[Andavari]

I've found in the past that attempting to clean the registry in safe mode can cause some things to appear invalid when they aren't. Such would be the cause for some shortcuts too.

[DennisD]

This is turning out to be quite interesting.

 

The 300+ items found in the RM scan that started this thread , were all deleted, in safe mode, with no apparent side effects so far.

 

So 300+ items a few days ago, which were mostly from programs and stuff I binned months ago, and 61 items yesterday, which were almost all System Volume Information.

 

System Volume Information is, I believe, to do with System Restore (I'm having a technically challenged week so I hope that's right).

 

Are System Volume Information entries safe to delete if they're flagged as invalid by such as Registry Mechanic?

 

Or, would deleting those entries not show up any negative effects until you have the need to use System Restore? Would binning this type of entry be a reason why System Restore fails?

[CeeCee]

Are System Volume Information entries safe to delete if they're flagged as invalid by such as Registry Mechanic?

All entries should be safe to delete, if there really is not any reference to that "flagged as invalid" entrie on your system. For example, if you got "flagged as invalid" reg. entry that points at to Windows\setup1234.exe, and you really don't got that explicit setup1234.exe on your system.

[TonyKlein]

Are System Volume Information entries safe to delete if they're flagged as invalid by such as Registry Mechanic?

 

Or, would deleting those entries not show up any negative effects until you have the need to use System Restore?

 

The latter's correct; I'm not familiar with Registry Mechanic myself, but you can easily cripple a Restore Point by having, say, an AV, an uninstaller, or Registry Cleaner (Norton's Disk doctor is a notorious case in point, but it's not alone) tamper with it, resulting in error messages like:

 

"Windows was unable to restore your computer to..."

 

 

... and it never tells you why either...

[DennisD]

I don't think it's coincidental that I was posting some time back about a problem I had which "System Restore" couldn't fix.

 

I'm saying couldn't fix, what actually was happening was I kept getting the message "Windows was unable to restore your computer to...", and it was happening what seemed even to me, to be too often.

 

Scanning in safe mode, on the face of it, seems to be an exercise worth doing once in a while, but by the same token, also seems fraught with danger if you don't fully understand what it is you're deleting, and I'm afraid I fall into that camp.

[TonyKlein]

I have to say CCleaner really does an outstanding job, even in comparison with reg cleaners double the price...

 

Unless you know what you're doing, and are prepared to double-check every second 'orphaned' key or value you're presented with, I wouldn't bother with any other registry cleaner. I run JV16 Power Tools' Reg cleaner alongside CCleaner, but, although it is a good application it still has its fallibilities

[DennisD]

When you go to the safe mode, do you log in to the same account, as what your user account is?

 

When i start up my computer, it goes straight to my user (my name) account. If i choose safe mode, i got option to log in either to my user -or to my Administrator account.

 

Maybe one final observation on this, which was prompted by this post from CeeCee.

 

Just out of interest today I scanned with Registry Mechanic normally, and found one entry. I then went into safe mode, logged on with my user account, scanned and came up with the same single entry.

 

Rebooted back into safe mode, and logged on with the generic "Administrator" account, scanned and found 69 items.

 

Systematically checked them, and they were all "System Volume Information/restore", and I think the most pertinent point is that this time, the vast majority of them are files still on my hard drive.

 

I thought this was worth a mention.