Solved Reset Windows 11 Registry To Default Values Question

Davy49 · Jan 13, 2023

Hi Everyone,
It seems like once upon a time here in the forums I saw a post concerning resetting the windows registry back to it's default values, if that isn't possible is there a legitimate registry software program of some kind that can possibly check my registry for corruption and possibly repair it automatically ?
Thanks,
David

LeLibran · Jan 13, 2023

There are plenty of so-called Registry Cleaners available, but I wouldn't personally recommend any of them, because there is a high level of risk involved in using any of them, so you should certainly take a full system backup before using any such utility. That said I have used the free version of Wise Registry Cleaner in virtual machines several times with no ill effects (but they are easy to very restore if there are problems).

As far as returning the Windows Registry to its 'original state', unless you backed up the Registry in that first use state, then the only option would be a Windows Clean Install followed by a reinstall of all the software you want to continue using as all of their Registry 'settings' would need to be recreated and some software licences may need to be re-activated depending on terms and conditions of use. You would, of course, also need to restore all of your user data from a backup.

For some other options AlternativeTo

Davy49 · Jan 13, 2023

LeLibran said:
There are plenty of so-called Registry Cleaners available, but I wouldn't personally recommend any of them, because there is a high level of risk involved in using any of them, so you should certainly take a full system backup before using any such utility. That said I have used the free version of Wise Registry Cleaner in virtual machines several times with no ill effects (but they are easy to very restore if there are problems).

As far as returning the Windows Registry to its 'original state', unless you backed up the Registry in that first use state, then the only option would be a Windows Clean Install followed by a reinstall of all the software you want to continue using as all of their Registry 'settings' would need to be recreated and some software license's may need to be re-activated depending on terms and conditions of use. You would, of course, also need to restore all of your user data from a backup.

Hi,
Thanks so very much for taking the time to respond to my question, being honest in the past I've seemingly made it a practice to take it upon myself to do as you mentioned as performing a 'clean install' because it has always seemed to improve my overall system performance. Also the fact remains that I'm running windows 11 pro 64-bit on a technically unsupported computer as ms states it.
David

OAT · Jan 13, 2023

Your user registry hive is located in a file called ntuser.dat which makes up HKEY_CURRENT_USER tree in the registry.
To reset your registry, you could , log in as administrator and delete your current user and recreate it.
You would lose ALL your PERSONAL settings as it's starting anew. Your SYSTEM settings would be kept intact.

Don't go for the hype behind registry cleaners, the registry is like a database, optimizing such a small DB would make you gain
milliseconds at best.

What is likely to slow down your system are dead shortcuts looking for unproperly removed instances of objects.
-especially those set up to start at login-. Scheduled tasks or services pointing nowhere can also be a cause for loss of performance.
Learn to use Event Viewer and you will never need a .reg cleaner.

LeLibran · Jan 13, 2023

@OAT

Good catch on the 'new user' approach which could well help. Unfortunately I tend to 'forget' that approach, probably because I have several per-user apps to re-install/reconfigure if I used that method and far too much user data to transfer across, so it tends to be easier just to backup the data and reinstall. That could probably eased by using a separate 'shared' data drive/partition rather than an integrated setup.

kelper · Jan 13, 2023

I have used Ccleaner for years without any problems, but do backup before using it.

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OAT · Jan 13, 2023

There has been 4 reports posted on this forum from the last 2 months alone of Ccleaner adding registry keys that prevented programs from running on the non-OS drive i.e D:
I was able to find the cause and replicate the issue, due to Ccleaner.
A member of this site has volunteered to post the issue on their forums last week.
Please do a search for 'debugger' on this site. You will understand.
Ccleaner seems to perform those registry additions with no notification or warning during an uninstall.
I cannot therefore recommend that product.
This does not seem to happen on day-to-day operations that I know of. - Only on uninstalls.

kelper · Jan 13, 2023

I have moved apps to an SDHC card and later uninstalled them and I do use ccleaner, BUT I often uninstall ccleaner when I am not using it as it nags me to go pro or update to the latest version. Perhaps I have been lucky. If in doubt use its option to backup the registry before cleaning.
But I will heed your advice.

Ghot · Jan 13, 2023

I use CCleaner 5.78
I installed it offline, and I blocked it and it's updaters in MY firewall.

And... since it was purchased by Avast, I also entered these lines in my HOSTS file...
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\HOSTS

Code:

0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com.edgesuite.net
0.0.0.0 license.piriform.com
0.0.0.0 ipm-provider.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 shepherd.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ip-info.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 analytics.ff.avast.com

This is where I dowmnloaded version 5.78...

Download CCleaner 5.78.8558 - Download - Filepuma.com

CCleaner, CCleaner A powerful PC cleaning tool for optimizing system performance.

www.filepuma.com

This is it's Virustotal scan...

VirusTotal

www.virustotal.com

I've had "zero" issues on Win 10 or Win 11 with this version.

My settings and the only parts (RED box), of CCleaner that I use...

For those sites I want to keep the cookies for... like my ElevenForum login... I use the Cookies filter in CCleaner.

I "run" CCleaner which will empty the list on the left. Then login or set preferences on the site I want to keep the cookies for. Then I look to see what items are "now" on the left side. Then I can add those that are necessary to the right side. CCleaner will not clean the cookies on the right side.

There's probably 7-8 sites where I keep the cookies.

glasskuter · Jan 13, 2023

As was stated, a new user account would set all HKCU registry values to default, but not any changes you have made to HKLM. May I ask what is the condition you are experiencing that you want to reset all registry values.

Try3 · Jan 13, 2023

David,

The way to restore your Registry to its default state is to restore your whole computer to its default state i.e. the state it was in when you first booted it.
And the way to do that is to restore the system image you made straight after you first booted it.

But why would you want to do that? It would be much more useful to restore your computer [including your Registry] to a more recent state by restoring a more recent system image made when everything was working correctly.
I make new a system image every month as well as before & after any major change.
I use Acronis True Image but Macrium Reflect seems to be much more popular.
If you get a major problem then a recent system image can have you back up & running again inside of half an hour. A system image means that you'll probably never need to do a Clean install on your current computer.
See my ditty - File backup vs imaging, imaging utilities, backing up drivers [post #3] - TenForums {which is valid for Windows 11 as well}.

As far as checking your Registry for corruption & repairing it, restoring a system image is the way to do it.

In addition to the warnings about the [disputed] dangers of Registry cleaners posted above, it is important to consider the fact that they are ineffective even when they do not corrupt anything. Disk cleanup is all you need to avoid slowdowns.
See the results of Fed Langa's experiments in
my ditty - DiskCleanup is as effective as snake oil (Registry cleaners) - #6 - TenForums {which is also valid for Windows 11 as well.}

All the best,
Denis

kelper · Jan 13, 2023

I used a registry cleaner with Windows 3.1 and it made a massive difference to boot times. I wish I could recall its name and creator. He found that a fresh install of W3.1 had hundreds of registry errors.

Try3 · Jan 13, 2023

kelper said:
I used a registry cleaner with Windows 3.1 and it made a massive difference to boot times

The benefit of Fred Langa's experiments to us is that he ran Registry cleaners & he ran DiskCleanup so that the results could be compared.

All the best,
Denis

Davy49 · Jan 13, 2023

Hi Everyone,
For some reason I'm feeling kind of bad that I posted my question, the more I'm thinking about it I would probably be better off to just leave my desktop computer alone because as it's running the latest windows 11 beta version on a unsupported system that could be the reason I'm having some minor hiccup type of issues. I'd probably be much better off just installing the stable version of windows 11 via the uup dump website.

OAT · Jan 13, 2023

@Davy49
There are no reasons for you to feel bad.
This is a very lively forum where we all learn and try to help one another.

Davy49 · Jan 13, 2023

Thanks for your positive response, I've enjoyed being a member of the forums starting with the windows 7 version, it might have been even an older version than that one.
David

OAT · Jan 13, 2023

kelper said:
I used a registry cleaner with Windows 3.1 and it made a massive difference to boot times. I wish I could recall its name and creator. He found that a fresh install of W3.1 had hundreds of registry errors.

“While registry cleaners may have had some significance in the early Windows days, their use in any modern version of Windows is completely unnecessary. The original thought was that extraneous entries left over by programs slowed performance, however on a modern Windows version any gains would be unmeasurable. Programming practices have improved dramatically through the years (i.e., .Net using XML files instead of registry entries), as has Windows handling of the registry, to a point where removing hundreds of “potentially” unneeded keys among the thousands and thousands of “good” keys presents more of a danger to the operating system’s reliability than any possible benefit could outweigh. I see no reason to clean the registry using an automated program and steer our readers away any chance I get.”

Dave Hartsock, DavesComputerTips

kelper · Jan 13, 2023

Try3 said:
The benefit of Fred Langa's experiments to us is that he ran Registry cleaners & he ran DiskCleanup so that the results could be compared.

All the best,
Denis

It wasn't Fred.

OAT · Jan 13, 2023

@Ghot said
"I've had "zero" issues on Win 10 or Win 11 with this version.'

I am very happy for you. However, never having been robbed does not mean robberies don't happen.
Please read @Wisewiz's thread.
He claimed 'he could go without Ccleaner' until he started having problems running
programs from the D: drive.
This is the thread.

Ghot · Jan 13, 2023

OAT said:
@Ghot said
"I've had "zero" issues on Win 10 or Win 11 with this version.'

I am very happy for you. However, never having been robbed does not mean robberies don't happen.
Please read @Wisewiz's thread.
He claimed 'he could go without Ccleaner' until he started having problems running
programs from the D: drive.
This is the thread.

Been there, read it.
I've been using CCleaner a looooooong time.
I've had "zero" issues on Win XP, 7, 10 and 11, with CCleaner.

Ofc, ya have to use it properly, in conjunction with backups.