Search specified strings to remove

[mr don]

Although the registry cleaner in CCleaner is very nice, is there a way to add a couple things to it?

 

1) Find as you type (Just like it has for uninstalling programs, to make certain keys easier to find & select, as opposed to trawling hundreds, or thousands of keys.)

2) The ability to just search for certain key terms in the registry.

 

For example:

 

There is a computer that had Symantec 2006 antivirus on it. I ran the uninstaller & it uninstalled, but left keys in the registry.

So, I downloaded Symantec remover, but it suggested that a 2009 antivirus was installed that had to be manually removed first (it wasn't).

So I had to manually locate each key & remove them manually.

 

Problem fixed, so now I can run sym remover, then install an updated AV!

 

Do you think there would be a chance of adding find as you type to search through the issues found, in addition to a Search Registry function that will let you search for a key term that needs to be removed? This would make the process so much faster, & it would concentrate only on keys that are related to what you need to see if they need removal or not.

 

I would love, love, love to see that. I love the find as you type in CCleaner uninstall list, cause I have seen computers with hundreds of entries & it is like, well, where is that program, but find as you type makes it so much faster & easier!

 

If there is a chance of adding the same feature to the registry scanner, & also a way to search the registry for, say, keys containing Symantec, Norton, or whatever key you need to search for!

 

Thank you guys!

 

Anyone else like this idea too?

[Willy2]

No, I don't. This is extremely dangerous. Perfect idea to destroy the integrity of the registry, IMO when used in combination with a registry editor and someone who doesn't have a clue what he/she is doing.

[mr don]

No, I don't. This is extremely dangerous. Perfect idea to destroy the integrity of the registry, IMO when used in combination with a registry editor and someone who doesn't have a clue what he/she is doing.

 

Let me suggest this then.

 

If not that, at least provide a way to filter all registry keys that it would normally find so that it only shows symantec, or whatever key you are looking for. Filtering would be cool, but it would still not be as powerful as searching. Find as you type would be good for drilling through results as well. Find as you type + filtering would definitely rock, though not as hard as being able to search for, & locate keys to remove.

 

Additionally, you mention that it is a perfect idea to destroy the integrity of the registry. That may be so, but then why have a registry cleaner in the first place? Even without my idea, it is very easy to see that running a registry cleaner can destroy a machine over time.

 

For instance. Someone installs KM Player, & it takes over as default MP3 player. They remove the player later, & the .MP3 extension is left with no program associated with it. Guess what CCleaner Reg Cleaner would suggest as an unused extension that is safe to remove? Uh, oh! .MP3 is safe to remove, in fact, it is no longer needed because nothing is associated with it!

 

Given this kind of ease in breaking things, do we need a registry cleaner?

 

But the truth is, you get in sticky situations sometimes. I have faith in CCleaner, developers, so I can only hope they put as much faith in us in return. For everyone knows, or should know, that any time you add a registry cleaner, it is dangerous. I was merely requesting something that I feel would greatly enhance it...

[hazelnut]

If you want to satisfy a curiosity MrDon, just go into regedit, click on edit at the top of the page and then choose find.

 

When the page comes up perhaps just type in ccleaner and click 'find next'

 

Just look, don't touch!!

[mr don]

If you want to satisfy a curiosity MrDon, just go into regedit, click on edit at the top of the page and then choose find.

 

When the page comes up perhaps just type in ccleaner and click 'find next'

 

Just look, don't touch!!

 

That is very interesting, Hazel.

 

When a program stores license keys in the registry, or when it stores data for running a program, it is usually stored in either HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/(Software title here), or the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/(Software title here) sections of the registry.

 

Occasionally, it may also be stored in other places as well. Not all registry keys are required for programs to function, as some are simply last used program lists, or other rubbish that can be safely ignored. In this case, having the ability to search the registry with CCleaner would be so awesome.

 

I hate how Symantec Antivirus (Norton) leaves hundreds of reg keys after an uninstall. I uninstalled a 2006 version recently for someone, to update to a newer client. Running the uninstaller for Norton, Norton Live Updater, etc, etc, & rebooting still left norton files in the %Appdata% folder, in addition to the program files/common files folder.

 

Not a problem. But what was a problem, was the reg entries. Had to manually find each one, then delete. Would have been so much easier to be able to search them all in the registry, then just sort through the list & clickmark the ones to remove. As it was, took long enough to remove the keys needed, so that Sym Remover would run to finish the cleanup (instead of complaining that there is a 2009 sym product, when it was a 2006 version!

 

I got their machine fixed, but, man, it would be so much easier with a reg scanner program that can search for specified key terms, or have a custom field a user can click, along with a caution when doing this, if you'd like.

 

Have any of you all ever run into this?

[pwillener]

CCleaner has a registry cleaner section, and anything that is not found by this tool is best left alone.

 

Norton/Symantec installations are notoriously difficult to remove, even with their own removal tool. I don't think it can be CCleaner's job to clean up incomplete uninstallations, further than what the registry cleaner already does.

 

I agree that your suggestion would be helpful for that particular task, but I also think it is too dangerous in the hands of less experienced users than you.

[ishan_rulz]

Yeah, CCleaner is made to be a less aggressive app and it probably doesn't detect certain keys for a reason but I agree with pwillener on the helpful-for-that-particular-task part.

[mr don]

If this proves to be too much, what about a way to search through the results that the registry cleaner finds? Would be really helpful, in the event of CCleaner finding hundreds of entries, say, if a lot of the ones you want to remove old program files related, or named something like symantec.

 

This way, you can eliminate "all but" the entries with the name you select, or whatever.

 

Would make reg editing/deletion easier, right?

 

Kind of like it does now with searching through your program uninstaller, & you start typing... It finds as you type to eliminate all the others for easier use/deletion... Was wondering about adding a find as you type to search through the results that the reg cleaner finds.

 

It can be a real chore, otherwise, to sort through hundreds or thousands of entries that reg cleaner in ccleaner finds on the occasion that you do have to run it, so, at least having a find as you type... Ahhhhh, spare me the agony! Heh!

 

Anyone else think this would work?