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AutoCAD

Machine Cleaning and Maintenance (CAD Manager’s Toolbox)

8 Apr, 2008 By: Robert Green

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If you've ever struggled to completely uninstall old software versions or keep track of several versions of software on a test machine, you've no doubt encountered problems with machine maintenance. In this edition of the CAD Manager's Toolbox, I'll provide links to a couple of utilities to assist with machine management tasks, plus I'll give you some tips along the way.

Registry Booster 2:www.uniblue.com/registrybooster
This program is powerful registry analyzer, cleaner, and restoring tool that makes it very easy to completely uninstall software to eliminate pesky registry conflicts. A bargain at $29.

Usage: You can use Registry Booster to clean and defragment existing machines, and it does an excellent job! Sometimes it takes a few iterations to get interrelated registry entries, but I haven't experienced a problem yet in doing so.

For more power I use Registry Booster like this:

• Prior to installing any new software, use the registry backup function.

• Clean the registry.

• Install the new software as normal.

• Evaluate and test the new software.

• When finish with test/evaluation, simply use the registry restore to go back to the registry state last saved.

Ghost 12:www.symantec.com/ghost
Fantastic for loading training lab machines (so long as they have the same hardware), Ghost simply burns the entire content of a machine to a bootable CD/DVD that you can use to wipe the machine clean and reinstall. Ghost is very good at what it does for $70.

A couple of tips to keep in mind with Ghost:

If you want to install limited-version software in a training lab environment, follow this procedure:

• Install the trial software.

• Do NOT authorize the software.

• Do NOT reboot the machine.

• Run Ghost right after software is installed.

Both of these software utilities are cheap, have worked very well for me in the past, and really help me manage the drudgework of machine registry cleaning and reformatting. CAD managers should have both of these powerful tools in their toolboxes at all times!