Registry Optimizer?

[Muse]

I was posting a message in a forum here that must have had a keyword because there was a popup for a "free" registry optimization program, I think it was called Registry Optimizer or similar. I figure "Free" what do I have to lose, yeah right. :whiste: So I play along, download it, run the installation program, deselect all the crapware it wanted to tag along with the install including toolbar, changing my home page, default search function, blah, and I run the thing and it finds over 850 "errors" saying they were slowing down my system, etc. and of course I click the "Fix" button. :| Next thing I see is the indication that it will fix 15 of these gratis but to fix the other 850+ I have to click another button, and that of course presents me with an option to buy the program, whose price I guessed on the nose: $29.95.

Now, I'm not totally against buying programs online, I have a great audio recording utility that I bought online (Total Recorder Standard Edition), which has awesome support and I get free revisions and they've never asked me for another dime (although there is a professional and a developer's version, that has some extra functionality). I found out about Total Recorder in a newsgroup post, IIRC, a suggestion for me specifically. But this is different and I don't appreciate being fooled into paying money, and I figure "free" means I don't have to pay, I'm mean that it's freeware.

Should I find a truly freeware registry fixit program? Is there such a thing?
Should I try to fix these things myself?
Should I fork over the money?
Something else?

Edit: WTF, I just noticed a little rectangle in the lower right corner of my display saying "Registry Optimizer has found 857 registry errors." Fix Errors Now. While typing this it slithered away like a worm descending into the soil...

Edit2: I see a similar or maybe same message above my thread here, which says:
- - - -
Fix System Registry Now
fix-registry.winzip.com
(Recommended) Free Download. Fixes The System Registry in 2 minutes.
- - - -
Excuse me, but this is bullshit. In my WinXP Add/Remove Programs this is the last entry, Winzip Registry Optimizer.

 

[lxskllr]

:^D

First off, I'd be concerned about getting popups. That's something that should never happen with a properly setup, and clean computer.

Secondly, registry cleaners are snakeoil. If you have a particular issue, something like CCleaner can help point it out, and you can delete that single problematic key, while leaving the rest of the "problems" alone.

I'd delete that program as quickly as I could, and find the cause of me seeing the prompt in the first place, and delete it.

 

[Muse]

I think the popup has something to do with "Adchoices" I see that tag in the lower right corner of the popup. I don't see anything suggesting Adchoices in Add/Remove Programs or in any Firefox plugins or addons, so don't know where that's coming from. Guess I'll have to Google it and sleuth it out. Thanks. I'm going to uninstall Winzip Registry Optimizer right now!

 

[Muse]

No problem getting hits on this one. Looks like the easiest thing is to install Adblock Plus to Firefox, which I usually run, but forgot to add to this install of XP (pretty fresh). I subscribed to Easy List and guess I'm set now. I don't see a popup now above the thread!