[socialcarpet]

I'm assuming it does, since it's Windows.

I know on a Windows PC the registry can get kind of full of crap after a while that makes the computer run slower etc. and it's good to clean it out with CC cleaner or a similar app.

Does anyone think that may apply to Windows Phone as well? Like, if you install a bunch of apps to try them out, then delete them, are they leaving crap behind in the registry?

I wish Microsoft would just evolve beyond the need for it altogether. I've never heard anything good about it.

[jhoff80]

Yes, the registry Is there. That being said, XP (and earlier) gives the registry a bad name. There is really no reason that a system-wide settings list is inherently bad.

That being said, it's my understanding that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 apps are not allowed to touch the registry because they are completely sandboxed.

[joeynox]

I didn't know windows phone had an "antivirus" I just went to a site and was transferred to another and a windows pop up (phone) came on and said windows antivirus has stop something of something from damaging your system in ie

[Laura Knotek]

I didn't know windows phone had an "antivirus" I just went to a site and was transferred to another and a windows pop up (phone) came on and said windows antivirus has stop something of something from damaging your system in ie

It doesn't. That's one of those scarewares caused by a compromised website.

It won't infect your phone, but it could infect your PC if you visit the site or click on the link using a PC.

[WPenvy]

I'm assuming it does, since it's Windows.

I know on a Windows PC the registry can get kind of full of crap after a while that makes the computer run slower etc. and it's good to clean it out with CC cleaner or a similar app.

Does anyone think that may apply to Windows Phone as well? Like, if you install a bunch of apps to try them out, then delete them, are they leaving crap behind in the registry?

I wish Microsoft would just evolve beyond the need for it altogether. I've never heard anything good about it.

WP7 and WP8 does have a registry, but it's soley for the system itself (phone ID, access info for stuff carriers have enabled/disabled). Everything an app needs outside of data obtained through APIs is contained within it's XAP container file. When you install an app from the marketplace, you're installing a signed container that holds the code and resources (special sound effects, images, background, etc). When the app runs, it's run inside a fenced allocated slot of memory. It does all it's magic within there.

[joeynox]

@lak but it wasn't a website popup it was a wp8 system alert

[WPenvy]

I didn't know windows phone had an "antivirus" I just went to a site and was transferred to another and a windows pop up (phone) came on and said windows antivirus has stop something of something from damaging your system in ie

SmartScreen filter in IE10 on WP8 would look something like this:
all-you-need-to-know-about-windows-phone-8-vi-L-inAA2j.jpeg

[joeynox]

That screen popped up after the initial message about the antivirus software . I'm gonna load a bunch of porn sites and see if it pops up again :) ( for the sake of science )

[Roman Royter]

I wish Microsoft would just evolve beyond the need for it altogether. I've never heard anything good about it.

Registry is just a database. How else do you propose to keep settings around? It's like saying databases are bad, because I've never heard anything good about it. Let's just get rid of them.

[AngryNil]

@lak but it wasn't a website popup it was a wp8 system alert

It wasn't a WP8 system alert. Pop ups are displayed in an alert-esque style.

Registry is just a database. How else do you propose to keep settings around? It's like saying databases are bad, because I've never heard anything good about it. Let's just get rid of them.

I think the argument is against a registry that is shared by all apps and hence gets crap left in it when entries aren't removed when the app is installed. Windows Phone doesn't have those problems since its registry only stores OS settings.

[WPenvy]

I think the argument is against a registry that is shared by all apps and hence gets crap left in it when entries aren't removed when the app is installed. Windows Phone doesn't have those problems since its registry only stores OS settings.

Which is what I said earlier.

[Alex Rodriguez]

It doesn't. That's one of those scarewares caused by a compromised website.

It won't infect your phone, but it could infect your PC if you visit the site or click on the link using a PC.

There is an Antivirus app for Windows Phone. It works on both Windows Phone 7 and 8. It is called NQ Mobile Security.

NQ Mobile Security | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

[AngryNil]

There is an Antivirus app for Windows Phone. It works on both Windows Phone 7 and 8. It is called NQ Mobile Security.

NQ Mobile Security | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

That's bullcrap. A Store app doesn't have the kind of access required to perform anti-malware actions. And then look at the permissions it requires:

• contacts
• phone identity
• location services
• photo, music, and video libraries
• data services

If anything, it could be the malware.

[joeynox]

I don't know what it was than. I swear a wp8 box popped up on my screen after being pushed to like 8 porn sites that mentioned the antivirus thing. It wasn't a website popup. I'm trying to force it to happen again .

[AngryNil]

I don't know what it was than. I swear a wp8 box popped up on my screen after being pushed to like 8 porn sites that mentioned the antivirus thing. It wasn't a website popup. I'm trying to force it to happen again .

It will look like a "system alert" because pop ups are essentially skinned by the OS - if you have a Windows 7 computer, for example, you will notice that the pop ups are styled as Aero. On Windows Phone, the pop ups are styled as Metro.

[joeynox]

I guess that's possible. I didn't think it would react the same way on wp8 since its a new os. Because it actually said Microsoft antivirus something has detected a malicious something on the site and then the red IE warning page popped up.

[AngryNil]

I guess that's possible. I didn't think it would react the same way on wp8 since its a new os. Because it actually said Microsoft antivirus something has detected a malicious something on the site and then the red IE warning page popped up.

My best guess: the site is malicious, detected you were using a Microsoft OS, and displayed a pop up to try to either upsell you on a product, or install malware. Any site can show pop ups that can say anything, the pop up was probably targeted at Windows users using desktop IE though. SmartScreen detected the site was malicious and displayed the red page.