Cleans your Windows for free!
Updated July 2011
There is a new release of CCleaner out (Version 3.08.1475), so this is a good time to update the 5/18/2009 Tech Tips article Mike Buras wrote about this great Windows cleanup product.
As you might have noticed, Windows has a tendency to get slower over time, partly due to all the useless software debris that inevitably accumulates on computers with regular use. Everyday activities like surfing the Web, downloading files, installing and uninstalling applications, and installing necessary Windows and application updates leaves behind lots of orphaned files on your hard drive and sometimes causes inconsistencies in your system’s Registry, the central database in Windows that stores system and application settings, hardware configurations, and user preferences. All of this software detritus builds up and eventually slows down your system.
Fortunately, there are many utilities available that can help clean up your system and restore some of its lost performance. My long-time favorite is the freeware CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/). Many system cleaners just clean out your web browser cache(s), Recycle Bin, or temporary file folders (like “C:\Windows\Temp” and “C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temp” in Windows XP), but CCleaner goes a step further and also removes unused and temporary files from such popular applications as Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Symantec AntiVirus, OpenOffice.org, Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, and Google, Windows Live, and Yahoo! Toolbars. In addition, CCleaner features a Registry cleaner that removes erroneous entries and a Tools section that includes an application uninstaller and also a startup manager for configuring which applications and services start with Windows.
Download the latest version of CCleaner free from this website:
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
Note that Piriform, the company that provides CCleaner, also offers priority support for this product for $24.95. However, you can get the download legally for free, as I point out in this image.
While you are on the Piriform site, also download their Defraggler product, which is an excellent alternative to the Windows Disk Defragmenter. When I have a badly fragmented, very full disk I often use both Defraggler and the Windows product to defrag the disk as much as possible. Defragmentation, in addition to disk cleaning (using CCleaner or Windows Disk Cleaner) will keep your hard drives efficient.
When I install CCleaner, I usually accept all the defaults under Install Options. If you are given options to “Add CCleaner Yahoo! Toolbar” or worse yet, “Install Google Chrome”, be sure to un-check those. You probably don’t need another toolbar or browser.
CCleaner’s interface is composed of four main sections or features:
Cleaner
The Cleaner is the main feature of CCleaner and the first thing you see when you launch the application. It contains two tabs, Windows and Applications, and also reports basic system information like the Windows version, type and speed of processor, amount of RAM, and the make and model of graphics chip present.
- The Windows tab lists the types of Internet Explorer and Windows system files that can be cleaned. Please note that most of the options are checked by default, but the Advanced options and a few others are grayed out. When you select one of these options, CCleaner displays a warning message that explains the consequences of removing these particular files.
- The Applications tab lists additional cleaning options for third-party applications that are currently installed on your system. This list will be updated automatically as you install new applications.
To run the Cleaner, simply check or uncheck the options you want to include or exclude from the cleaning process and then click either the Analyze or Run Cleaner button. If you click Analyze, the Cleaner will first scan your system and then display a list of items that can be cleaned. Until you become familiar with the Cleaner’s capabilities, I recommend you click Analyze and review the results before you click Run Cleaner to permanently remove the items.
Registry
The Registry cleaner is a more advanced feature that analyzes your Windows Registry and fixes potential issues. Before I go any further, I must admit that I’m not a fan of Registry cleaners in general. I think any possible performance benefits you might get from routinely “cleaning” your Registry—basically removing extraneous or orphaned entries—are outweighed by the potential damage some Registry cleaners can do to your system. I’ve seen some systems totally trashed by overly aggressive Registry cleaners. That said, CCleaner’s Registry cleaner is quite cautious compared to some other cleaners. After you click the Scan for Issues button and the list of potential issues are displayed, you click the Fix selected issues button and by default are immediately prompted to backup changes to the Registry. Afterward, you are given an explanation and solution for each issue and can choose to either fix that particular issue or fix all selected issues. If you experience any problems after the cleaning, you simply double-click on the Registry backup file (i.e, a file with a .reg extension) and restore the original entries. Despite these precautions, the potential to create all sorts of new problems exists, so I consider CCleaner’s Registry cleaner an optional feature and for advanced users only. Use it at your own risk.
Tools
The Tools section contains four tools, Uninstall, Startup, System Restore, and Drive Wiper. These are designed for advanced users.
- The Uninstall tool basically allows you to manipulate all the applications currently installed on your system that are listed in the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. For example, you can select an entry in the list and directly initiate the uninstall process for that application. You can also rename an entry, which could come in handy when an application doesn’t provide a sufficiently descriptive title for itself. And for those rare occasions when an application gets uninstalled or deleted but its entry in Add or Remove Programs stubbornly refuses to go away, you can delete the entry with a single click of the mouse.
- The Startup tool lists the applications and services that start automatically with Windows, and is described on this CTLS page. It’s basically a shortcut to the Startup tab in your system’s built-in System Configuration Utility (MSConfig). The tool allows you to either disable a startup application or service or delete it, which could lead to problems if you’re not absolutely sure of what you’re deleting.
- Use of the Drive Wiper is further described on this CTLS page.
Options
The Options section allows you to customize the way CCleaner runs. For example, there’s an option to run CCleaner when Windows starts.
CCleaner is definitely a handy tool. It provides a level of discriminate system cleaning that Windows simply doesn’t provide, and even though some of its capabilities are built into Windows, it still saves you time by providing a convenient launch point for a number of system housekeeping chores.
For more information about CCleaner and to download it for free, go to http://www.ccleaner.com/