Registry file is 160mb

[Oyeve]

I have been using my current WinXP SP2 install for the last 2 years. I usually do a full reinstall every 6 months or so but this install has been very stable and never crashes, plus I have 5 HDs and gobs and gobs of programs installed that I would rather not have to reinstall. Anyway, I backed up my registry as I do once a week but never bothered to see how large it is. So I decide to see and it is 160 megs. Considering I have as much progs installed, does that size seem too large? The system runs just fine, yes, it takes a while to get to a fully funtional state when I reboot, but once its there its is very stable. In fact this install has never BSODed.

 

[thegorx]

what's the creation date on the file ?
what's the size of a back up of that file, like in a snapshot folder in the System Volume Information or another back up program. The hive file can easily become corrupted, I'd look into it.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: thegorx
what's the creation date on the file ?
what's the size of a back up of that file, like in a snapshot folder in the System Volume Information or another back up program. The hive file can easily become corrupted, I'd look into it.

The backup is 160mb

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
I have been using my current WinXP SP2 install for the last 2 years. I usually do a full reinstall every 6 months or so but this install has been very stable and never crashes, plus I have 5 HDs and gobs and gobs of programs installed that I would rather not have to reinstall. Anyway, I backed up my registry as I do once a week but never bothered to see how large it is. So I decide to see and it is 160 megs. Considering I have as much progs installed, does that size seem too large? The system runs just fine, yes, it takes a while to get to a fully funtional state when I reboot, but once its there its is very stable. In fact this install has never BSODed.

I run for years without reinstalling anything. If you're reinstalling every six months, something is very wrong.

If you get a BSOD, simply debug the dumpfile (see my .sig) and that will fix your problems. If it's hardware-related...buying hardware from first-tier vendors will typically fix those issues; it's when people overclock and use random parts that the troubles typically start.

 

[thegorx]

Well, I don't reinstall every 6 month but I probably restore every 6 months
I have a ghost image of my OS and all my most needed programs, I try a lot of different programs and it's nice to clean the slate every once in a while. And really even if you reinstall every 6 month I imagine that you'd have it down pretty well. It's amazing to me the lengths people go to to avoid a reinstall, especially when they replace the motherboard, spending far more time with shortcuts than it would take just to reinstall.

If you're interested in where the bulk of the size of the hive file is you could export keys to hive until you narrow it down and get an idea which subkeys are using up the most space. I don't see the need these days for registry cleaning programs but there may be some obvious junk in there that is really taking up space. Not that it really matters but you sound like it interests you and it might be good just to know.

 

[Nothinman]

It's amazing to me the lengths people go to to avoid a reinstall, especially when they replace the motherboard, spending far more time with shortcuts than it would take just to reinstall.

You really think that a repair install (worst case in Windows) takes far more time than a full reinstall of the OS and all of your apps?

 

[thegorx]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

It's amazing to me the lengths people go to to avoid a reinstall, especially when they replace the motherboard, spending far more time with shortcuts than it would take just to reinstall.

You really think that a repair install (worst case in Windows) takes far more time than a full reinstall of the OS and all of your apps?

Is that what I said ?
In a perfect world, with a perfect OS, maybe I could say that a repair install could fix everything or not but I didn't.

Anyway while reinstalling all my programs would take a long time, it's a work in progress that's always changing, to install good programs that I need doesn't take much time, probably less time than I spent here today. Anyway looking at program virtualization now, maybe this won't even matter anymore.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: thegorx
And really even if you reinstall every 6 month I imagine that you'd have it down pretty well.

Imagine if work machines had to be reinstalled every 6 months! There would be a revolt - or we'd all be running Macs.

You're doing something very wrong. Or you have bad hardware. Or you have bad drivers. In any case, you shouldn't need to reinstall Windows, period. Once it's installed, it's installed. If you do, something is quite wrong.

 

[thegorx]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: thegorx
And really even if you reinstall every 6 month I imagine that you'd have it down pretty well.

Imagine if work machines had to be reinstalled every 6 months! There would be a revolt - or we'd all be running Macs.

You're doing something very wrong. Or you have bad hardware. Or you have bad drivers. In any case, you shouldn't need to reinstall Windows, period. Once it's installed, it's installed. If you do, something is quite wrong.

What's wrong ?
My system runs fine, just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean there is a wrong somewhere.