CCleaner is a popular application for wiping unwanted files left by certain programs, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Windows Media Player, eMule, Google Toolbar, Netscape, Microsoft Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, McAfee, Adobe Flash Player, Sun Java, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip, GIMP and browsing history, cookies, Recycle bin, memory dumps, file fragments, log files, system caches, application data, autocomplete form history, and various other data.
CCleaner includes a registry
cleaner to locate and correct problems in the Windows Registry, such as
missing references to shared DLLs, unused registration entries for file extensions, and missing references application paths.
CCleaner also allows to alter start-up programs, similar to the Microsoft Windows MSConfig utility.
CCleaner also allows to alter start-up programs, similar to the Microsoft Windows MSConfig utility.
CNET
editors gave a rating of 5/5 stars to this application. In addition, CCleaner was awarded by CNET for Editor's Choice Award in April 2009.
Actually there's a lot more variety of features hide in it! CCleaner is easy to use for beginners - just launch and click the Run Cleaner Button.
Think What to be Deleted
By default, CCleaner clears a lot of stuffs. Browsers automatically stored the browser caches, i.e., Temporary Internet Files (for Explorer), on the system to speeding up browsing in the future.
Erasing thumbnail caches - under Windows Explorer - can also slow things down and if opening a folder, which having lot of image files, will take time to re-create the caches. So, clearing these may free up space, but the cache will be re-created again.
Other options clearing the most-recently-used lists (MRUs) in Windows and other Programes. These lists doesn't occupy much space and if the most-recently-used list to be rely on, be sure to uncheck them.
Important Cookies (White List)
By default, CCleaner clears all cookies; but, its essential to keep some. After running CCleaner, log into favorite sites then open the cookies pan from the option of CCleaner. CCleaner will help to listing the white list, such as Google, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail etc., by right click the cookies pane then select Intelligent Scan. Now, CCleaner will automatically add the cookies of Google, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail to the white list.
It's also possible to add other cookies in the white list. Under cookies pane locate the desired cookie (for example: pnonazim.blogspot.com) then click the right arrow button to add it in white list.
Once added the cookie (of pnonazim.blogspot.com) in the white list, CCleaner will keep the cookie; so, it's not necessary to log back into pnonazim.blogspot.com after clearing the cookies.
Beware Of Registry Cleaner
CCleaner has Registry Cleaner option, too. It's not preferable to run as the System's (Windows) Registry having hundreds of thousands of entries and removing a few, does not enhance the performance. But running this option may accidentally remove some registry values then put the system in risk.
For any particular reason, the Registry Cleaner needed to be run, then ensure to back up the changes then restore the deleted registry values from the backup file if get any problems.
Managing Start Up Programs
From Tools section, the Start Up panel allows to disable the programs those run automatically, when system starts. To avoid closing an auto start entry, which may important, use Disable option instead of Delete option; so, it can be re-enabled later.
Wiping Drives
When Windows (or other OS) deletes a file, the file would not be wiped out from the hard drive. The area (of deleted file) is recognized by system as free space and the deleted file can also be recovered by using file recovery programs (doing scan), if the OS has not written over the area. CCleaner helps to protect against to wiping the free space with its Drive Wiper.
Hard drives free space needed to be wipe, every time, then Wipe Free Space option should be tick under Advanced pane from Cleaner section. Enabling this option may take long time to clean up; so it's better to leave this option as disabled.
Deleting Files Securely
CCleaner has an option for deleting each file securely by using Drive Cleaner tool. But performance of deleting (by CCleaner) is slow when comparing the normal deletion (by default). This is the reason that OS doesn't allow to delete files securely by default.
If the user is concerning for privacy then this option can be enabled from Settings tab in the Options section.
Include
If a program, which was used by the user, is not included in the list of CCleaner or a temporary file directory needed to be erased regularly then specify the names of the Folders or Files, in which CCleaner will erase those files and empty the folders while running CCleaner.
To use this feature, open Options section then use the Include Tab to specify the names.
Care is, also, needed when adding folders or files in this list, because the user may specify, mistakenly, some important folders or files to erase, which could be lose.
For the activation of this feature the checkbox of Custom Files and Folders under Advanced to be enabled (as shown below).
Exclude
'Exclude' is an another feature in CCleaner that do some exceptional from removing the folders or files by adding an exclusion from the Options section. It's possible to exclude entire drive, folders, files, or registry keys and restrict specific file extensions as well.
Managing Installed Programs
CCleaner has a feature to manage Installed Programs, which can be performed from Tool section. This panel has few more features than the default (Windows). Allowing user to renaming, deleting the entries and any changes the user made will also be appear in the (Windows) Control Panel. Save, also, the installed programs to text file, which is an easy way to keep the list of installed programs in case the user need to remember and reinstall them.
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