How can I keep my computer clean and tidy?
When we are asked by friends and family how can they keep their computer clean, the one tool we always recommend is CCleaner. CCleaner differs from antivirus tools as it designed to keep your computer tidy - think Jacques from Finding Nemo!
CCleaner will search through your computer and clear out all of the files that have been created when you surf the internet or install software. The majority of these files are benign and pose no threat to you, but they do take up space on your computer so let CCleaner remove them for you. CCleaner will not delete documents and photos from your desktop of the common document folders.
CCleaner will work on Windows; IOS (Apple) and Android mobiles.
Tell me more about CCleaner and what it can do for me!
When you open CCleaner, you will immediately see an 'Analyse' button which when pressed, CCleaner will calculate how much space can be recovered from deleting temporary system files. Once you are happy, press the 'Run Cleaner' button and all will be removed from your system. NOTE - if you have an internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Chrome open while you run the CCleaner tool, you will be asked to close the browser to allow the files to be removed.
Under the 'Tools' button (the spanner icon), you will find some very useful tools that you may, depending on your technical knowledge or confidence,
Uninstall - Click on Uninstall and CCleaner will show you all the different programs that have been installed on your machine and when this was installed. Some of the very common names you may wish to look for and remove include:
Delta Search
MyWebSearch Toolbar
If you do stumble across a program name that you would like to remove, click on the program name and select the 'Uninstall' button on the top right of the CCleaner screen.
Startup - This is a great feature, but you will need to understand what it is you are doing before pressing any buttons in here. Startup, as the name suggests, will list all the software that will start when your computer starts; web browser(s) and Scheduled Tasks. It is very likely that when you click on the Windows tab you will see a substantial list of names of software that starts each time your Windows computer starts. You can disable software by selecting it and pressing the 'Disable' button. We will not be advising which you should or shouldn't disable as each computer is very different.
When you click on the 'Scheduled Tasks' within Startup, this is where you will get a good feel as to whether or not your computer is running malicious software. The individuals or organisations that produce malicious software often use your computer to schedule the infection to run at certain times, and CCleaner will help you see this. Again we cannot advise you which to disable as each computer will have different tasks running depending on the software you have running. One to look out for though will be listed as just "At1" although the numerical digit may differ from one; if you have this please backup all your precious documents and photos then run antivirus.
We strongly suggest that you do not use the 'Registry fix' tool with the CCleaner software unless you are very competent system user and you have a full backup of your data.
Like most software tools, CCleaner also offers a 'Pro' version of the software that comes with a charge. The Pro version will offer you support via the Piriform (the people behind CCleaner) and the software will automatically update itself. The free version will notify you when an update is released, but you will need to visit their website and download the latest version.
BIG NOTE - CCleaner is a tried and tested software that is a must have but I would like to say we cannot be held responsible for any system issues or data loss as a result of running this or any other software we recommend.