INFO: RegClean 4.1a Description and General Issues

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation and NT Server, version 3.51 (SP 5) and higher
• Microsoft Exchange, all versions
• Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 3.0 and higher
• Microsoft Office, all versions
• Microsoft Outlook, all versions
• Microsoft Word for Windows, all versions
• Microsoft FrontPage, all versions
• Microsoft Excel, all versions
• Microsoft Access, all versions
• Microsoft Visual C++, all versions
• Microsoft Visual Basic, version 4.0 and higher

SUMMARY

When you install, uninstall, and reinstall programs on your computer, registry keys are created, modified, or deleted. Over time, your computer's registry may begin to contain corrupted, unused, and unnecessary registry keys, especially if keys are not removed when you uninstall a program. As a result, you may begin to experience problems when using OLE to embed objects or Automation to control other programs.

The RegClean utility is designed to clean up unnecessary registry entries in your registry.

The RegClean utility that was originally supplied with Microsoft Visual Basic, version 4.0 for Windows and the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit hasbeen updated. The current version is 4.1a.

MORE INFORMATION

How To Install

Copy version 4.1a build 7364.1 of RegClean.exe to any folder on your machine.

How To Run

1. Double-click the RegClean icon. RegClean starts by displaying a progress dialog box. While this is shown, it RegClean loads a copy of the parts of the registry that it is going to check, and perform the actual scanning. Depending on how much information is in the registry and the speed of your CPU, this will take anywhere from about 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

   If you have many entries in your registry, there may be times when RegClean appears to have stopped working. In fact, RegClean may appear completely halted whenever it is checking remote or removable drives.

2. Once these progress meters are gone, you will be prompted for the next action. You can do two things at this point:

   - Exit RegClean. If RegClean did not find any errors in your registry,

        or, if you do not want RegClean to fix the errors that it found, click
        the Cancel button.
   

   - Allow RegClean to fix the errors that it found. Clicking the Fix

        Errors button causes RegClean to remove the entries containing errors
        that RegClean found in the registry. You will see a progress meter
        while RegClean does this. Sometimes, the progress meter may stop
        momentarily, but it should resume after a few seconds. When the meter
        is gone, RegClean is done. Click Exit to end RegClean.
   

The RegClean utility is available for downloading free of charge.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

 ~ RegClean.exe (size: 837632 bytes) 

  ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
  TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

What RegClean Does

RegClean analyzes Windows Registry keys that are stored in a common location in the Windows Registry. It finds keys that contain erroneous values, and after recording those entries in an UNDO.REG file, it removes them from the Windows Registry.

What RegClean Does Not Do

RegClean does not fix every known problem with the registry. It does not fix a "corrupt" registry; it fixes only problems with some of the entries that are in a normal registry.

It is very possible that RegClean will not correct a problem that you have encountered. RegClean will leave any entries in the registry that it does not understand or could possibly be correct.

General Issues

• Oleaut32.dll
• Doesn't solve problems/makes new problems
• Cannot undo the reg file

FIX: REQUIRES UPDATED OLEAUT32

This error occurred with an earlier version of RegClean. In order for RegClean to work, you must have the updated version of the OLEAUT32.dll. If your system has Internet Explorer version 2.0 or lower, installing Internet Explorer version 3.0 or higher will update the OLEAUT32.dll. If you are using Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 with SP 4 or lower, you will need to install SP 5 in order to update the OLEAUT32.dll. These files are also available for download below. If you experience the below symptoms when using RegClean 4.1a, please follow the resolution instructions.

Symptoms

Two messages boxes appear. One box says the following:

   RegClean.exe is linked to missing export OLEAUT32.DLL:421

   A device attached to the system is not correctly functioning

Resolution

You need to install the update to the OLE Automation system libraries. These files are contained in the executable Oadist.exe, which is included in the download. (NOTE: If you are using Window NT 3.51, you must use Oadist2z.exe instead; read the Knowledge Base article mentioned below.)

Alternately, you can find these files at either of the following locations:

   http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q164/5/29.asp

   -or-

   ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/oadist.exe
   ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/oadist2z.exe

More Information

Oadist.exe is a self-extracting Cabinet that will install the Automation libraries on your system. You just need to download the file Oadist.exe and double-click to run it. It will prompt you to be sure that you want to proceed. Answering "yes" will update the Automation libraries on your computer.

This self-extracting Cabinet only works on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95. If you are on Windows NT 3.51, you will need to get Oadist2z.exe instead, which is still being published. Both contain the same files. However, the Oadist2z.exe is a self- extracting ZIP file with a Readme.txt file that contains installation instructions.

• Oadist.exe is 490096 bytes.
• Oadist2z.exe is 559499 bytes.

(status updated: December 30, 1997)

Running RegClean may, in a few cases, cause other problems, such as causing part of the Microsoft Network viewer to stop functioning, or causing other programs to stop functioning. If this happens to you, simply Undo the changes RegClean made, by double-clicking on the last UNDO.REG file.

These types of problems are very rare, but it's a good idea to keep your last UNDO.REG file for a few days or so.

Microsoft will continue improving RegClean to reduce the frequency of problems like these.

PROBLEM: CANNOT UNDO THE UNDO.REG FILE

(status updated: March 18, 1997)

Symptom

Windows displays several error message boxes when you try to double-click the Undo.reg file to undo the changes RegClean made.

Resolution

This problem is unrelated to RegClean. It's a problem with the Associated Program for .reg files.

Use the following steps to correct this problem:

1. Go to any Explorer window, click the View menu, and select Options.

2. In the Options dialog box, select the File Types tab.

3. Scroll down in the "Registered file types:" list until you find the entry called "Registration Entries."

4. Double-click this item or click on the Edit button.

5. In the Edit File Type dialog box, select the "Merge" entry, and either double-click this item or click on the Edit button.

6. In the "Editing action for type: Registration Entries" dialog box, make sure that the text in the "Application used to perform action:" field has the following entry, including the double quotes:

         regedit.exe "%1"
   

7. Click the OK buttons to dismiss all three dialog boxes.

8. You should be able to double-click on the Undo.reg file now.

• The RegClean Team

REGCLEAN IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.