Help! Ccleaner makes me nervous!

fitzroy

I downloaded Ccleaner couple weeks ago but haven't yet used it. I've read and re-read the instructions on the Piriform website but I just don't understand which boxes to check/uncheck as the description beside each box is practically meaningless to me. I had to look up to see what a "cookie" is - but I don't know whether to check/uncheck. Ditto URLs. Can I just hit a button, close my eyes and hope it does a bit of cleaning? Or is there an instruction guide out there which assumes the reader has been in hibernation for last 20 years?

shandypants5

I run it just as it installed itself (I dont know what the techy stuff is either)

One thing to be carefull of though..

It wipes all your log ins and passwords so make sure you can remember them before you run it, or you wont be able to log back in here and complain at me..:D

HTML200

Probably the most 'dangerous' thing CCleaner does is tidy up the Windows registry, but it does make a backup in My Documents so you can reverse any damage. And I think you have to specifically run the registry tool for any of this to happen anyway. Unless you have some specific problem with the PC, the usual advice is to leave it alone.

I spent a while checking all the options before running CC, but ended up with the defaults anyway.

It's unlikely to cause any damage (but nothing's absolutely certain with these things), it's just clearing away clutter. If you don't want to lose your internet history, uncheck that. If you don't want to lose the handy drop-down internet address thingy in the bar, then uncheck 'recently typed URLs'

If you have any websites that log you in automatically and you don't want to have to type you username/password in again after CC has done its stuff, uncheck cookies.

I haven't seen CC run on Vista or W7, so there could be some differences I don't know about.

Last bit of advice - if you're not experiencing any particular problems or issues with Windows, not running out of space etc then consider whether you really need to run it at all.

fitzroy

HTML200 wrote: »

Last bit of advice - if you're not experiencing any particular problems or issues with Windows, not running out of space etc then consider whether you really need to run it at all.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I may need to run it because the system seems to have slowed down this past week and I think I read somewhere that if this happens then have a clear out.

HTML200

That is sometimes true, though the usual culprit is unneeded programs running at startup. CCleaner does have a section for switching off those programs (tools... startup) but you need to know which ones are safe to switch off and which aren't.

You can google the names that come up in the list and find out which ones you really need - there are entire websites devoted to listing them

esuhl

I really, really would steer clear of the registry cleaner section. Prior to Windows XP registry cleaners were a necessary evil, but I've never needed to use one with XP (or later). Given the fact that they can cause problems, I would avoid them.

The file cleaner bit is really useful, though. You probably don't want to tick "Start Menu Shortcuts" or "Desktop Shortcuts", and I can't imagine that the "Advanced" section is of much use to the average user.

If you don't need your browser to remember your history (i.e. previously visited websites), passwords, log you in automatically, etc. then ticking everything there is probably fine.

fitzroy

HTML200 wrote: »

That is sometimes true, though the usual culprit is unneeded programs running at startup. CCleaner does have a section for switching off those programs (tools... startup) but you need to know which ones are safe to switch off and which aren't.

You can google the names that come up in the list and find out which ones you really need - there are entire websites devoted to listing them

Thanks I'm learning so much! I didn't realise there was more than one programme running when I start up; the homepage appears (BBC) and that's it but from what you say there may be programmes running that I'm not aware of?

HTML200

Typically there well over 30 little programs busy doing their thing in the background. Some of them you can see in the bottom right corner as symbols, while others only appear if you use task manager.

A lot of them don't do anything very useful, and just use up memory and your computer's time.

fitzroy

HTML200 wrote: »

Some of them you can see in the bottom right corner as symbols

Of course!

GunJack

CCleaner is probably the safest available, including the registry cleaner. Yes, you can uncheck some of the options as described by html above, the only one I would reccomend is to go to Options > Cookies, and choose which ones (i.e. which website logons) you wish to keep by moving them into the Keep side by highlighting and clicking the arrow to move them.

Other than that, use the default setup and away you go

Oh, and it's just as good & safe with Vista.....

Sooler

well it is called crap cleaner:D, so it just depends on how much crap you want to keep , and how much crap you want to get rid off.