Copyright: (C) Steven R. Gould, 1998-2005
Citation: (C) Steven R. Gould, 1998-2005


Introduction to CleanUp!

Background

I originally wrote CleanUp! in response to a number of inquiries I had from friends who themselves were not developers. They had a computer - usually laptops - from work on which they had been surfing the web and wanted to know how to clean up the hard disk before handing it back into their employers. [I wonder what sort of sites they'd been visiting that they didn't want their employer to know about?!!!! :-) ] Out of these requests was born CleanUp!.

CleanUp! 1.1 was a great success, and was rated a 4 out of 5 by ZDNet. I then updated it to support the then latest version of Internet Explorer, as well as add support for Netscape Navigator – this was released as CleanUp! 2.0. When CleanUp! 3.0 was released it added support for the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, and additionally support for versions 2.x through 6.x of the Opera browser, as well as a many other new features.

CleanUp! 4.0 is the latest release of this handy utility. Refer to What's New in Version 4.0 for a detailed list of enhancements.

Overview

CleanUp! is a useful little utility for those people who like the freedom of information on the web but also like a little privacy and don't want anyone to know where they've been surfing. It has been written to clean up any evidence - in particular, the cache, history and any cookies - that Internet Explorer (versions 1.x-6.x), Netscape Navigator (3.x-7.x), Mozilla (1.x), Firefox (1.x) and Opera (2.x-7.x) leave behind.

CleanUp! 4.0 was designed and developed so as to run under 10 different major versions of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems (see system requirements for details), as well as all the minor updates, service packs, OEM releases and so on. It supports many versions of the 5 major browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera), as well as all the minor releases of each of these browsers. That's more than 18 different major browser versions in all and many more minor versions.

The new CleanUp! version 4.0 performs the following clean up of your system:

•	Empties the Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera caches.

•	Empties the Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera History files.

•	Erases the Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera URL History.

•	Empties the Recent Documents folder.

•	Removes temporary files from the temporary directories. These are often left behind by programs that don't properly clean up after themselves, or sometimes when a program or Windows crashes.

•	Removes temporary files sometimes created when running SCANDISK.

•	Cleans up various registry settings storing some of the above information.

The above can be done any number of times because they don't change any of your settings - in fact, it doesn't hurt to run CleanUp! on a regular basis (weekly or even daily) anyway.

In addition, CleanUp! can also optionally perform the following clean up:

•	Any custom files and directories specified in the Options dialog.

•	Any custom registry entries specified in the Options dialog.

•	Empties all Recycle Bins on local drives.

•	Empties all newsgroup caches.

•	Removes all newsgroup subscriptions.

•	Deletes all cookies from your hard disk. You can also configure CleanUp! to preserve certain cookies through the Cookies tab of the Options dialog.

•	Deletes all Windows Prefetch Files from your hard disk (Windows XP only).

•	A scan of all files on your local hard disks looking for temporary files. The list of what qualifies as a temporary file is also configurable in the Options dialog. Additionally, when a scan is performed, any TEMP or TMP directories found on any fixed drive - for example D:\TEMP - will also be emptied.

•	Delete temporary files for all users accounts on the machine (provided you have sufficient privileges to access these files).

•	Deletes the Internet Explorer Favorites, the Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera Bookmarks file. Note that this is optional - and not enabled by default - so your bookmarks will not be touched unless you tell CleanUp! to delete them. [As an extra precaution, you'll actually be warned when you enable this option.]

•	Resets the high scores and current scores for the standard Windows games (to make it look like you've never even bothered playing them!) These games include Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts (Windows 95/98/ME), FreeCell and PinBall (Windows NT/2000/XP).

•	A secure deletion of all files. By overwriting each file several times with different data, then renaming the file up to 27 times, the "Wipe Clean" option ensures that deleted files cannot be recovered.

This last set of options tends to be more the type of clean up you would want to do before you hand your computer back to your employer or, at least, on a less frequent basis. Some of these do affect the settings on your computer, albeit in a fairly minor way. For example, the Favorites folder stores a list of your favorite web sites - something you probably don't want to reset on a regular basis! :-)

Don't worry if you don't understand what all the above things are or how they affect your computer. CleanUp! makes cleaning up your computer so much easier for non-techy computer users.

See Also:

Quick Start

System Requirements

What's new in CleanUp! 3.1?


System Requirements

You need to be running one of the following Operating Systems:

•	Windows XP (any edition)

•	Windows 2000 (Professional, Server or Advanced Server)

•	Windows NT 4.0 (Workstation or Server)

•	Windows ME

•	Windows 98

•	Windows 95

You'll also need about 2MB of free hard disk space to perform the installation, though once installed CleanUp! occupies less than 0.6 MB (600KB). It can even be installed onto, and run from, a 3½" floppy disk.

That's about all there is to it. There are no other special hardware or software requirements. CleanUp! was designed with simplicity and ease-of-use in mind.


Quick Start

This section is deliberately brief to help more advanced computer users get started quickly. For more information on any of the topics follow the hyperlinks or search the help index.

1.	From the Start menu, click on Start, Programs, the CleanUp! folder then the CleanUp! icon. This will start CleanUp!

You can even set up a Windows shortcut key combination - such that pressing Ctrl+Alt+C - to invoke CleanUp! directly. [Setting up a Windows shortcut key is outside of the scope of this Help file.]

2.	From the main CleanUp! dialog, click on the Options button and check that the settings are as required. (The Standard CleanUp! option is the preferred one for most purposes.)

You might also want to take a quick look at the other Options tabs to see what other functionality CleanUp! provides. Though you may not use these initially, they are custom settings that you might want to make use of once you become more familiar with CleanUp!

3.	Click on CleanUp! to start the clean up process. This typically takes a couple of minutes to complete (possibly much more), depending on just how much work CleanUp! has to do, whether you've run something like CleanUp! recently, and the speed of your machine.

Once CleanUp! is complete, you might be interested to look at the summary statistics that will show you summary information about how much disk space CleanUp! was able to free and how many files were deleted.

4.	To close CleanUp!, click on the Close button. You will be prompted to restart (Windows 95/98/ME) or log out (Windows NT/2000/XP). Click Yes to complete CleanUp!

When Windows restarts CleanUp! deletes the last few files it could not delete earlier (since they were in use).

You're done - you should now have a lean, clean, mean machine.


CleanUp! Dialog

The main CleanUp! dialog is shown below. Click on the part of the dialog you are interested in learning more about.

The lower part of this dialog is taken up by the log window which is where CleanUp! reports its progress when it is running. Don't worry if you don't understand anything in this window - it's basically a list of the files deleted, and is intended more for the curious and/or intermediate users. One interesting thing to notice however is that when CleanUp! has completed successfully, the last couple of lines provide some summary information telling you how much disk space CleanUp! freed up for you and how many temporary files were deleted. This information is also displayed in the Statistics area above the log window.

If it's your first time running CleanUp! you may be surprised at just how much disk space can be recovered. I've managed to free up 1.89 GB - that's like 1,890 million characters or a fairly sizable book! Several other users of CleanUp! 3.0 have managed to free up over 2.0 GB (over 2,000,000,000 characters) from thousands of files all in matter of minutes.

For a Top 10 list of the record recoveries, see the CleanUp! homepage (at http://cleanup.stevengould.org).

Just below the log window there is a status bar which, when CleanUp! is running, lets you know what files CleanUp! is attempting to clean up. For example, it may say something like Deleting Netscape Navigator 4.x cache. The details of the files being deleted will appear in the log window.

The buttons in this dialog are as follows:

CleanUp!

Clicking on this button starts CleanUp! In about a minute or so you will have a nice, clean machine.

The amount of time its takes for CleanUp! to run depends on how much work it has to do. This is determined by a number of factors including when you last ran CleanUp!, when you last emptied your Internet Explorer and/or Netscape Navigator cache, how much you have surfed the web since the last CleanUp!, and so on.

Detailed information about what CleanUp! is doing is output in the log window.

Cancel / Close

Exits CleanUp!  Note that once you have run CleanUp! the label changes from Cancel to Close since the CleanUp! operation cannot be undone.

Options

Displays the CleanUp! Options dialog which allows you more control over the operation of CleanUp!  This is intended for intermediate and advanced users only.

Register

Displays the CleanUp! Registration dialog which allows you to register and show your support for CleanUp!

Help

Displays this Help file!

Finally, to see the detailed version of CleanUp! you're using, click on the system menu (that's the small icon in the top-left of the CleanUp! dialog), and select the "About Windows CleanUp! . . ." menu option. This will display the About dialog.

See Also:

Quick Start

Options Dialog

Registration Dialog


Displays summary statistics about how much disk space and how many files CleanUp! has recovered this run, and the totals across all runs since you installed it (or last reset the counters).


Log window. When CleanUp! is running this shows a log of CleanUp! activity.


Status bar. When CleanUp! is running, keeps you informed of what part of the system it is cleaning.


Progress indicator. When CleanUp! is running, let's you know how far through its cleaning process CleanUp! is.


Clicking this button performs the main CleanUp! It typically takes about a minute or so to run on the machines on which I've tested it. See the description below for more information.


Closes this dialog and exits CleanUp!


Displays the Options dialog allowing you to customize the tasks performed by CleanUp!


Displays the Registration dialog allowing you to register your support for CleanUp!


No surprises here. Clicking the Help button displays this Help file!


About Dialog

The About dialog includes the detailed version of CleanUp! you're using, as well as other useful information about CleanUp!.The About dialog is shown below.

To display the About dialog from the main CleanUp! dialog, click on the system menu (that's the small icon in the top-left of the CleanUp! dialog), and select the "About Windows CleanUp! . . ." menu option. This will display the About dialog.


Options dialog
Options Dialog - General tab

This will describe the Options dialog. Click on the part of the dialog you are interested in learning more about.

The various options available are described below. Note that the Detailed Settings in the remainder of the dialog are set for you if you choose to use the slider on the left-hand side of the dialog to select one of the predefined configurations.

For more information on a particular detailed setting, click on the option in the above graphic.

Most users will find the slider gives them sufficient control over CleanUp!  The predefined configurations are as follows:

Thorough CleanUp!

Sets the options to perform the most thorough CleanUp!. In addition to the basic CleanUp!, this option deletes all newsgroup subscriptions, cookies and favorite places/bookmarks and resets all game scores. Use this option before handing your computer back into your employer, or minutes before an audit! :-)

IMPORTANT: Note that when performing a "Thorough CleanUp!" the Favorites folder and Bookmarks will be emptied. This is intentional and provides a quick-and-easy way to reset this list to the way it probably was when you got your computer. Once your Favorites/Bookmarks have been deleted using the thorough CleanUp! (which also fully erases the files) you will not be able to retrieve them. Use this option with caution - it is very powerful!

Standard CleanUp!

This deletes all newsgroup subscriptions and cookies for all users, but leaves the favorite places and bookmarks in tact and does not reset the game scores. It also performs an aggressive scan of the local hard drives looking for additional temporary files to delete.

This option is intended to be used on a regular basis (say, weekly or monthly). It is the default upon installation and is more than likely the option you should use. If in doubt, use Standard CleanUp!

Basic CleanUp!

Sets the options to perform the most basic CleanUp!  This involves emptying the Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Opera caches, history folders, temporary directories, etc. but does not unsubscribe you from any newsgroups, delete any cookies or Favorites/Bookmarks or reset any of the scores on the standard games. Additionally, it only cleans up files for the current user and does not attempt to delete files belonging to other users of the machine. Nor does it perform a scan of the local hard drives looking for additional temporary files.

This option can be used as often as you wish without any side effects.

Custom CleanUp!

This option is automatically selected if you change any of the "Detailed Settings" into a configuration that does not match either the Thorough, Standard or Basic CleanUp!

Use this option if you want more control over what CleanUp! should clean up and how. This tends to be more for intermediate and advanced users. Try it if you want.

See Also:

Options Dialog - Custom Files tab

Options Dialog - Custom Registry Entries tab

Options Dialog - Cookies tab

Options Dialog - Temporary Files tab


Options Dialog - Custom Files tab

The Custom Files tab of the Options dialog allows you to add custom directories and files to be cleaned (i.e. deleted) during each run of CleanUp!. This allows you to add support for any application that is not directly supported by CleanUp!. For example, when the Firefox browser was first released the current version of CleanUp! was 3.1 - it did not directly support Firefox. However, users on the CleanUp! discussion list came up with the appropriate directories and files to add to this field to get CleanUp! to include preliminary support for Firefox.

Note that CleanUp! 4.0 - developed since Firefox 1.x was released - does include support for Firefox 1.x.

Adding Custom Files

The recommended way to add custom files and directories to this dialog is by clicking on the Add... button on the Custom Files tab and following through the steps of the Wizard. [Note that if the Add... button appears disabled, you will need to check the Custom Directories and Files checkbox to enable this option.]

Once you are familiar with the format of the Custom Directories and Files entries you can - optionally - edit them manually by directly typing into the text field. You can continue to use the Add... button if you prefer.

If you make a mistake editing the list of Custom Directories and Files and want to cancel your changes, simply click on the Cancel button. [Note that this will cancel any other changes you have made to the options since you last opened the Options dialog.]

The Custom Directories and Files defined in this tab will be deleted next time you run CleanUp! provided that the Custom Directories and Files checkbox is checked.

Enabling/Disabling cleaning of the Custom Files

To enable direct editing of the Custom Directories and Files text field, it is necessary to first check the Custom Directories and Files checkbox immediately above the text field. Checking this checkbox also ensures that CleanUp! will clean the custom directories and files that you have specified next time it is run.

To temporarily disable the cleaning of the custom directories and files you can uncheck the Custom Directories and Files checkbox. This will tell CleanUp! not to clean these when it is run, yet will preserve the entries in the text field in case you want to re-enable them at a later date.

Deleting custom files in any directory

You may have an application - such as a text editor, or word processor - that works on files in a variety of directories. In this case, it is not uncommon for such applications to create temporary files in the same directory as the file it is working on. Such files may be given common extensions - for example, they may all match *.tmp or *.??~, etc. If you would like to set up CleanUp! to remove these files then, obviously, it would be impractical to specify every possible directory in the Custom Files tab.

Consequently, CleanUp! provides a better way of addressing this problem. All you need to is tell CleanUp! what kinds of files on your hard disk are to be considered temporary files - and hence can be deleted - then let CleanUp! scan your hard disk(s) searching for such files. This can be done via the Temporary Files tab in the Options Dialog.


Options Dialog - Custom Registry Entries tab

Just as you can configure CleanUp! to delete any custom directories and files specific to your setup, you can use the Custom Registry Entries tab to instruct CleanUp! to delete specific registry entries.

The Custom Registry Entries tab of the Options dialog allows you to add custom registry entries to be cleaned (i.e. deleted) during each run of CleanUp!. This allows you to add support for any application that is not directly supported by CleanUp!.

Adding Custom Registry Entries

The recommended way to add custom registry entries to this dialog is by clicking on the Add... button on the Custom Registry Entries tab and following through the steps of the Wizard. [Note that if the Add... button appears disabled, you will need to check the Custom Registry Entries checkbox to enable this option.]

Once you are familiar with the format of the entries in the Custom Registry Entries text area you can - optionally - edit them manually by directly typing into the text field. You can continue to use the Add... button if you prefer. In fact, it is probably still strongly recommended to do so.

If you make a mistake editing the list of Custom Registry Entries and want to cancel your changes, simply click on the Cancel button. [Note that this will cancel any other changes you have made to the options since you last opened the Options dialog.]

The Custom Registry Entries defined in this tab will be deleted next time you run CleanUp! provided that the Custom Registry Entries checkbox is checked.

Enabling/Disabling cleaning of the Custom Registry Entries

To enable direct editing of the Custom Registry Entries text field, it is necessary to first check the Custom Registry Entries checkbox immediately above the text field. Checking this checkbox also ensures that CleanUp! will clean the custom registry entries that you have specified next time it is run.

To temporarily disable the cleaning of the custom registry entries you can uncheck the Custom Registry Entries checkbox. This will tell CleanUp! not to clean these when it is run, yet will preserve the entries in the text field in case you want to re-enable them at a later date.

Note:

In order to make certain changes to the registry the user running CleanUp! must have the appropriate permissions.


Options Dialog - Cookies tab

One of the most requested additional features of earlier versions of CleanUp! was the ability to preserver certain, user-specified cookies whilst deleting all others. Therefore, CleanUp! 4.0 introduced the ability to preserve cookies - at least cookies created by Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, and Firefox. When it comes to preserving cookies, Opera browsers are handled a little differently. See Customizing CleanUp! of Opera cookies for details.

The Cookies tab of the Options dialog allows you to define a list of cookies that should be preserved (i.e. not deleted) during each run of CleanUp!. All other cookies will be deleted.

Defining which cookies to preserve

In the text field on the Cookies tab, you should enter any of the following:

•	The full name of an individual cookie that you want to keep. For example, you could enter something like jwalker@yahoo.com on a line by itself.

•	The domain name of a set of related cookies that you want to keep. For example, to keep all cookies from mybank.com, you could enter @mybank.com on a line by itself.

•	Any partial name of a set of loosely related cookies that you want to keep. For example, the user Johnny Walker may have a user id of jwalker on many systems. To keep all cookies with this id as part of the cookie name, that user could enter jwalker on a line by itself.

[Note that wildcards are not supported in any of these entries.]

When a CleanUp! is performed, all Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox cookie names are compared against the list of cookies you have entered as described above. If any part of the cookie name matches any of the lines you've entered then the cookie will not be deleted. Therefore, it is recommended that you be as specific as possible when defining the cookies to keep.

Note that while the last option may sound like the most flexible - and it is - you may want to think twice before using it. If you want cookies deleted in the first place it is often because you don't want anyone tracking your Internet activities. In which case, you should consider why are you trying to preserve certain cookies? If it is to save you having to log into certain sites - like My Yahoo! or your Hotmail account, etc., then you should probably consider trying to identify the individual cookie or cookies that you need to save to avoid logging in. Then instruct CleanUp! to preserve just that cookie - using the first option above.

In other words, the more specific you can be about what cookies you keep, the fewer cookies that will be preserved, resulting in better privacy protection.

Personally, when I run CleanUp! I choose not to preserve any cookies.

Enabling/Disabling preservation of cookies

To enable editing of the cookies to preserve text field, it is necessary to first check the checkbox immediately above the text field. Checking this checkbox also ensures that CleanUp! will preserve the cookies that you have specified next time it is run.

To temporarily disable the preservation of the cookies - in other words, to temporarily enable deletion of all cookies - you can uncheck the checkbox on the Cookies tab. This will tell CleanUp! not to preserve these cookies when it is run, yet will keep the entries in the text field in case you want to re-enable them at a later date.


Options Dialog - Temporary Files tab

The Temporary Files tab of the Options dialog allows you to customize the types of files that CleanUp! should treat as temporary files. The files specifications defined in this tab are matched against files only, not directories. To customize the directories and files that CleanUp! cleans when run, use the Custom Files tab.

When you enable the Scan drives for temporary files option - on the General tab of the Options dialog - then run CleanUp!, it will scan your hard disk(s) for any temporary files.

Temporary files can be specified using the DOS/Windows wildcard characters. Refer to the Windows documentation for complete details. However, the main things to remember are summarized below:

•	* matches zero or more characters

•	? matches just one character in a filename

•	any other character matches only that character

So, for example, *.tmp will match MyDoc.tmp, but will not match MyDoc.txt. Similarly, MyDoc.t?? will match both MyDoc.tmp and MyDoc.txt, but not match MyDoc.doc.

By default, the following patterns are used to define temporary files:

•	~*.*

•	*.*~

•	*.bak

•	*.chk

•	*.tmp

Remove any of these entries, or add your own custom entries to suite your system requirements.


Sets the options to perform the most thorough clean up.


Sets the options to perform a "standard CleanUp!". This is the default upon installation and is more than likely the option you should use. If in doubt, use Standard CleanUp!


Sets the options to perform the most basic CleanUp!


This option is automatically selected if you change any of the "Detailed Settings" into a non-standard configuration. This tends to be more for advanced users.


When checked, CleanUp! will play a sound when starting a CleanUp! run and on completion. See Customizing CleanUp! sounds for more information on how to customize the sounds that CleanUp! uses.


When checked, CleanUp! will empty the Recycle Bins on all local hard drives. When unchecked, the Recycle Bins are not emptied.


When checked, CleanUp! will delete the newsgroup cache(s) next time it is run.


When checked, CleanUp! will unsubscribe you from all newsgroups next time it is run.


When checked, CleanUp! will delete all cookies next time it is run.


When checked, CleanUp! will delete all Prefetch files next time it is run. Disabled on machines that don't have Prefetch files (typically non-Windows XP machines, or Windows XP machines with Prefetch disabled).


When the "Scan local drives for temporary files" option is checked, CleanUp! will do an aggressive scan of all local hard drives looking for temporary files to delete. You can modify the files that are considered temporary files under the "Temporary Files" options tab.


When checked, CleanUp! will attempt to clean up the temporary files for all users of this machine. Depending on the security settings it may or may not succeed in cleaning up for all users. In this case, run CleanUp! as an Administrator.


When checked, CleanUp! will delete all your Favorite places and Bookmarks next time it is run. Use with caution since you are unlikely to be able to recover these after using this option.


When checked, CleanUp! will reset the scores of all the standard games next time it is run. These include FreeCell, Hearts, Minesweeper, Solitaire (Windows 95, 98, ME) and Pinball (Windows NT, 2000, XP).


When checked, CleanUp! will overwrite all files it deletes before deleting them. Even the filename of each file is changed many times before deletion. This way the files cannot be recovered.

Using this option will mean that CleanUp! will take longer to complete. However, it will ensure that deleted files cannot be recovered.


Defines any custom directories and files that you want CleanUp! to remove when it is run. You can use wildcards for the filenames here. These files are only deleted when the "Custom Directories and Files" checkbox is checked. Click the Add... button on the "Custom Directories and Files" tab to add custom files and directories.


Defines any custom registry entries that you want CleanUp! to remove when it is run. These files are only deleted when the "Custom Registry Entries" checkbox is checked. Click the Add... button on the "Custom Registry Entries" tab to add custom settings.


Defines any custom registry entries that you want CleanUp! to remove when it is run. These files are only deleted when the "Custom Registry Entries" checkbox is checked. Click the Add... button on the "Custom Registry Entries" tab to add custom settings.


Closes this dialog and saves the settings.


Closes this dialog without saving any changes to the options. The options will reset themselves to those selected before invoking the Options dialog.


Register dialog
Registration Dialog

The Registration dialog allows you to show your support for CleanUp! Since CleanUp! is freeware, you are free to use this software on as many computers as you want without any enforced charge. However, the author incurs certain ongoing costs that he incurs in order to bring you this great, little utility. By registering, you can show your support for CleanUp!

CleanUp! is, and always has been, freeware. I receive absolutely no compensation for writing it. However, I do have some not insignificant costs associated with making it available to you.

You can help support continued development of CleanUp! by purchasing a CD, sending a donation, or offering to host the CleanUp! web site (http://cleanup.stevengould.org). For larger contributions (see below), I'd also be willing to add banner ads. to the CleanUp! site.

You can make a donation using the Registration dialog in CleanUp! or by visiting the CleanUp! web site and using PayPal or the Amazon Honor System to pay with any major credit card or debit card.

The CleanUp! Registration dialog is shown below:

To register your support for CleanUp!, you will need an internet connection. Select the amount you'd like to contribute from the drop-down - or type an amount if you prefer - then click on the OK button, or press Enter. A browser window should open up and take you to the PayPal page where you login and complete the transaction. Note that no donation will be made until you have received a confirmation from PayPal.

Note: If you need to sign up for a new PayPal account, then be sure to use the following URL:

https://www.paypal.com/refer/pal=payments%40stevengould.org

By doing so, the CleanUp! fund may be able to benefit from a referral bonus too - and at no cost to you.

Amazon Honor System

If you do not already have a PayPal account and don't want to create one then, provided you have an Amazon account you can make payments through that by visiting the CleanUp! web site and clicking on the Amazon Honor icon there. The CleanUp! web site is available at:

http://cleanup.stevengould.org


These costs include:

•	Domain registration and other services ($24.95/year)

•	Hosting the web site (currently using a free web hosting service but would like to "upgrade" to a more versatile one - estimated $10/month)

•	Broadband Internet connectivity (around $52/month)

•	Occasional software upgrades (in particular, Microsoft Visual Studio - around $500-$1,000/copy)

•	Other equipment costs (estimated $500/year).


Advanced Options

CleanUp! 3.1 and later have a few small "hidden" extras really intended for advanced users. These are summarized below:

•	CleanUp! Command Line options

•	Customizing CleanUp! sounds

•	Customizing CleanUp! of Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox

•	Customizing CleanUp! of Opera cookies


CleanUp! command line options

The following command line options are currently supported by CleanUp!:

•	-help (or -?)

Displays a dialog listing the available command line options. Note that other options may be added at a later date. Use the -help option for the most up-to-date list of supported options.

•	-autorun

Runs CleanUp! quietly in the background using the current set of Options. This does not display the CleanUp! dialog, and needs no user interaction. When finished, it does not restart or log out from Windows. This part you can do whenever it is convenient for you. Note that there is no harm in running CleanUp! this way many times between restarts.


Customizing CleanUp! sounds

One or two users of earlier versions of CleanUp! wanted some way to customize the sounds played by CleanUp! I deliberately do not register any CleanUp! sound events with Windows by default - required to allow the user to edit them through the Control Panel. This avoids unnecessary writing to the registry - something we're trying to clean - and it avoids leaving traces of CleanUp! hanging around on computers where CleanUp! is run from a floppy disk or other removable drive.

However, just because no sound events are registered by default, that doesn't mean CleanUp! does not support sound events. In fact it actually supports two different sound events - one for when CleanUp! starts cleaning and another for when CleanUp! finishes cleaning. To enable these however, you will need to register the events yourself, then customize them through the Control Panel. The following describes the steps for doing this:

1. From the Start menu, select run and type in regedit and press Enter.

2. Find the EventLabels key in the registry. In Windows 2000, it is under:

      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\EventLabels

3. Right click on the EventLabels key, and select New, Key. Name the new key, "CleanUp! Start" (without the quotes). [Be sure there are no leading or trailing spaces, and just one space between "CleanUp!" and "Start".]

4. Change the default entry (in the right hand window) under this registry entry to "Start CleanUp!" (again, without the quotes).

5. Find AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default entry. In Windows 2000, it is under:

      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default

6. Right click on the .Default key, and select New, Key. Name the new key, "CleanUp! Start" (same as in step 3). You can now close regedit.

7. In the Control Panel, open the Sounds dialog. Find the "Start CleanUp!" sound event, and associate with it whatever sound you'd like.

As a bonus, you can also specify a "CleanUp! Complete" sound in the same way - this gets played when CleanUp! is finished.


Customizing CleanUp! of Netscape
Customizing CleanUp! of Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox

Customizing cleaning of prefs.js

Netscape Navigator, Mozilla and Firefox store information such as the URL History in a file named prefs.js. Normally, when CleanUp! is run, the URL History is stripped from this file. If you'd like to customize this even further, edit a copy of prefs.js and save it as prefs.js.clean (in the same directory). You can even leave in some URL History entries if you want.

When you run CleanUp!, if it finds a file named prefs.js.clean for any user, then this file will be used to overwrite prefs.js. Note that prefs.js.clean will not be deleted, so that it will then take affect every time you run CleanUp!

Customizing cleaning of localstore.rdf

Netscape 6.x and Mozilla 1.x use localstore.rdf to store additional URL History information. As with prefs.js (described above), you can create a pre-cleaned version of this file. Save it as localstore.rdf.clean (in the same directory as localstore.rdf).

When you run CleanUp!, if it finds a file named localstore.rdf.clean for any user, then this file will be used to overwrite localstore.rdf. Note that localstore.rdf.clean will not be deleted, so that it will then take affect every time you run CleanUp!


Customizing CleanUp! of Opera cookies

Customizing CleanUp! of Opera cookies

Opera stores all cookies in a file named cookies.dat or similar. Since this is a binary file internal to Opera, CleanUp! is unable to remove individual cookies from it. [CleanUp! can erase all Opera cookies simply by deleting the file which then gets recreated in the correct format next time you run Opera.]

Since some cookies store information to make browsing the web quicker and easier - such as login information for some web sites - you may not always want to delete all cookies. Though CleanUp! allows you to specify which cookies to keep with Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox, this does not work with Opera. Therefore, CleanUp! provides an alternate means to preserving cookies with Opera. To do so:

1. Close Opera if it is open.

2. Delete the cookies.dat file from the Opera directory.

3. Now start up Opera as normal. (This recreates the default cookies file for use by Opera.)

4. Visit the sites for which you want cookies saved. Log in if necessary.

5. Close Opera.

6. Make a copy of the cookies.dat (in the same directory) and rename it cookies.dat.clean.

Now when you run CleanUp! and tell it to delete cookies, it will see the file named cookies.dat.clean and use this file to overwrite cookies.dat. Note that cookies.dat.clean will not be deleted, so that it will then take affect every time you run CleanUp!


What's New in Version 4.0

CleanUp! 4.0 was a major update over CleanUp! 3.x. One of the most requested features from users was more control over what CleanUp! does - as well as does not - delete during a run. With CleanUp! 4.0, I have tried to address these requests while, at the same time, trying to keep the interface simple and intuitive for less experienced computer users. Hopefully you'll like the new look.

Listed below are the new features and improvements made for version 4.0:

•	Summary statistics added along the top of the main dialog, so you can now see how often you use CleanUp! and what is doing for you over time.

•	New more extensive Options dialog, with separate tabs for defining General options, Custom Files, Custom Registry Entries, Cookies (to keep) and Temporary File Specifications.

•	Added wizards to help users define custom directories and files, as well as custom registry entries, in the correct format - and to save typing.

•	Implemented support for deleting custom registry entries (specified in the new Options dialog, under the Custom Registry Entries tab).

•	Allow users to define cookies that should be preserved - for Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox only. You can specify individual cookies or all cookies from a specific domain (e.g. @yahoo.com).

•	When deleting cookies from Opera 2-7, now uses a "clean" cookies file named cookies*.dat.clean if one is found. In other words, if a "clean" cookies file is found then it is used to overwrite the existing cookies file - effectively erasing all cookies not in the "clean" cookies file. More...

•	Allow users to specify/edit temporary file specifications. Removed option to delete *.GID files, since this is now included in the temporary file specifications list by default, and the user can choose whether or not to include it.
Added index.dat to the default list of files searched for and cleaned when scanning hard disks.

•	Modified not to delete any .bak file from any of the ...\Application Data\Microsoft\ directories and their subdirectories. This caused conflicts with Microsoft Office/Outlook XP because someone at Microsoft went against common convention and used the .bak file extension for something other than a (temporary) backup!

•	Initial implementation of a "stealth mode": Options button is disabled, and files that cannot be deleted are not deleted on restart. When running in "stealth mode", the CleanUp! executable is deleted on restart.
Important: note that "stealth mode" is activated when running the CleanUp! executable from a temporary directory (such as Temporary Internet Files). More details on this will be available on the CleanUp! web site (http://cleanup.stevengould.org).

•	Made emptying of Recycle Bins optional.

•	Added an option to enable/disable sound.

•	Made deletion of newsgroup cache optional.

•	Improved secure deletion of IE cookies, history and URL History.

•	Changed to prompt the user to logoff/restart after closing the main dialog, not immediately upon completion of a run of CleanUp!.

•	Added support for Firefox 1.x, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x and Opera 7.x.

•	Added support for cleaning more than 4.2GB. A handful of users ran into this limitation with earlier versions of CleanUp!

•	Fixed bug in CleanUp! 3.1.x where the same instance of CleanUp! could not be re-run after aborting a run.


What's New in Version 3.1

[Note that this page is left here for historical reasons. You're probably more interested in What's New in Version 4.0.]

CleanUp! 3.1 was a minor update over CleanUp! 3.0, adding just a few new features and paving the way for development of CleanUp! 4.0. Listed below are the new features and improvements made for version 3.1:

•	Made deletion of Windows Prefetch Files an option that can be enabled/disabled through the Options dialog. This option is only available if you are running on a machine that has Prefetch enabled (typically under Windows XP, unless it has been disabled).

•	Optionally searches for and deletes *.gid files (Windows Help index files). These are temporary index files created by the Windows Help engine to make searching of the Help files quicker. They can safely be deleted and you will be prompted to recreate them later, if needed.
This option is automatically enabled if you select either the Standard and Thorough clean up in the Options dialog.

•	Added an "AutoRun" option to quietly run CleanUp! in the background and quit. That it, run in a non-interactive manner.

•	Clean up WinZip's most recently used lists (extract and file) from the registry.

•	Fixed minor memory leaks (some exceptions were not being deleted when handled).

•	Added support for cleaning the Windows Media Player Recent File List entries from the registry.

•	Resolve problem with CleanUp! 3.0 deleting cookies even when "Delete Cookies" option not checked.


What's New in Version 3.0

[Note that this page is left here for historical reasons. You're probably more interested in What's New in Version 4.0.]

With the release of version 2.0 of CleanUp! I saw the number of downloads, as well as the number of avid users grow tremendously - far more than I had ever expected. Due to the increased number of e-mails, as well as an increased workload (in my professional life), I neglected to enhance it for sometime. Eventually I made time to update it for the "latest" browsers (Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 6) and added support for the Opera browser too.

Thanks to all the users that have offered suggestions and ideas for future versions of CleanUp!. CleanUp! 3.0 includes many of these suggestions.

Here's a list of some of the main improvements and enhancements over CleanUp! 2.0:

Functionality Improvements:

•	Added support for removal of user-defined filenames (can use wildcards) from user-defined directories. This "future-proofs" CleanUp! against browsers updates and also includes support for any application not implicitly supported by CleanUp!.

•	Improved (more secure) file deletion when selecting the "Wipe Clean" option. CleanUp! now overwrites the file three times with different data, then renames it 27 times before deleting it.

•	Deletes all files from the Windows XP "prefetch" directory (Windows XP only).

•	Support for the Opera web browser, versions 2.x through 6.x. Cleans up Opera cache, download files, cookies and (optionally) the bookmarks.

•	Support for Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x. Cleans up Internet Explorer 5 and 6 cache, history file, cookies and (optionally) the bookmarks. CleanUp! nows supports Internet Explorer versions 1 through 6.

•	Support for Netscape Navigator 6.x. Cleans up Netscape Navigator 6 cache, history file, cookies and (optionally) the bookmarks.

•	Multi-user support: optionally, CleanUp! attempts to remove temporary files for all local users.

•	More advanced options for Netscape users.

•	Many under-the-hood changes to provide a better/cleaner implementation of the main cleaning engine, resulting in a more modular, more reliable and more flexible CleanUp!.

•	Improved emptying of recycle bins from all fixed, local drives.

•	Resets Paint and WordPad Most Recently Used (MRU) lists.

•	Resets ComputerNameMRU, ContainingTextMRU, and FilesNamedMRU (Windows 2000 and later).

•	More complete CleanUp! of various temporary files in the Windows directory.

•	Optionally deletes *.bak, *.chk, *.tmp, and *~ from each hard drive (not network drives) when performing a scan for temporary files.

Usability Improvements:

•	Allowed advanced users to customize the sound played when CleanUp! starts and when CleanUp! completes.

•	Suppressed all informational (INFO) messages – in earlier versions, these seemed to confuse too many users.

•	Added a welcome message to the CleanUp! log window at start-up.

•	CleanUp! now runs quietly in the background during restart.

•	Added hyperlinks for the CleanUp! web site, discussion list and my e-mail address to the About dialog.

•	Improved and expanded the Help and information available in this Help file.

•	Removed references to "The Strangely Green Chicken Co." and replaced with the more serious "stevengould.org". :-(

•	While not really to do with the CleanUp! program itself, I moved the CleanUp! web site to a more permanent home (http://cleanup.stevengould.org/).

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me for their comments and suggestions.


What's New in Version 2.0

[Note that this page is left here for historical reasons. You're probably more interested in What's New in Version 4.0.]

Although CleanUp! 1.x was written as a small, simple utility initially to help out a couple of friends, I decided to make it freely available on the web. The response I got was amazing. So much so that it inspired me to come out with a much enhanced version 2.0 of CleanUp!  Here's a list of some of the main improvements and enhancements over CleanUp! 1.1:

Functionality Improvements:

•	Support for Netscape Navigator 3.x and 4.x. This was one of the most requested enhancements. Cleans up Netscape Navigator 3.x and 4.x cache, history file, cookies and (optionally) the bookmarks.

•	Full support for cleaning up Outlook Express newsgroups. This includes emptying the newsgroup caches, as well as - optionally - unsubscribing from all newsgroups.

•	Improved - more complete - support for Internet Explorer 4.x. Clean up Internet Explorer 4.0's "Extensible Caches". These seem to store cached information for each channel you subscribe to.

•	CleanUp! now recurses down through Internet Explorer cache, History and Cookie folders.

•	A more thorough clean up of Microsoft's "Internet Mail and News" newreader evidence.

•	Deletes all MSN's "Typed URLs".

•	Empty all recycle bins (directories called \Recycled or \Recycler) from all fixed, local drives.

•	Deletes all files recursively from the directories pointed to by the TEMP and TMP environment variables provided the directory name ends with "\TEMP" - this is to avoid deleting c:\dos directory or similar on machines where TEMP=C:\DOS (argh! Not a good idea.)  Don't worry if you haven't set the TEMP or TMP environment variables to anything - no action will be taken if they are not set.

•	Deletes IE4 Error Log.txt from the WINDOWS directory.

•	Deletes \file*.chk from each hard disk (not network drives). These are files created by scandisk and are usually safe to delete.

•	Added an option to reset settings and scores in standard games: FreeCell, Hearts, Solitaire (Windows 95, 98), Minesweeper, Pinball (Windows NT).

•	A more complete uninstall program (does a better job of removing itself!).

Usability Improvements:

•	This Help file. Version 1.x had little Help available - just a README and FAQ that came with it. Version 2.0 now includes this Windows-style Help file (in addition to the README).

•	Netscape Navigator 4.x (for advanced users): When deleting the "URL history" from the prefs.js, if the file prefs.js.clean exists in the same directory then this file is copied over the top of the existing prefs.js file. Thanks to a number of users who suggested they use this approach as a way of cleaning up Netscape Navigator 4.x. (Note that if prefs.js.clean does not exist, the URL history is stripped from the existing prefs.js file as expected.)

•	Got rid of the dreaded DOS window at startup and replaced it with "real" Windows program!

•	Supports simpler (and cleaner) installation to floppy disk.

•	Added an uninstall icon to the CleanUp! program folder. Though uninstall was available with CleanUp! 1.1 through the Windows Control Panel many user's weren't aware of how to use this, so for version 2.0 the "Uninstall CleanUp!" icon is a shortcut for this.

•	No longer prompts to restart Windows if running Windows NT (since this usually failed under NT anyway). Instead, it is only necessary to log off and log back on again.

•	Added a warning when selecting "Delete Favorite Places" in the Options dialog.

•	Added an extended list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and a Troubleshooting section to the on-line Help.

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me for their comments and suggestions.


Credits

I'd like to thank the following people for their help during development of CleanUp!:

My wonderful wife and daughters for their support and understanding during the development of CleanUp! 4.0 (and later versions).

David May and Bob Crews - for their extensive help answering new user questions on the CleanUp! discussion list; as well as their tips and other constructive input to related discussions on the list.

Nick Gould and Gunthor - for helping me identify the need for such a utility.

Sam Taylor - for his extensive help early on answering questions from users on the CleanUp! discussion list, as well as his ideas for improvements to CleanUp!.

George S. Cole - for describing in detail some of the finer points of where and how Netscape stores some of its files, and for trying CleanUp! 1.1 even though he really wanted something that worked with Netscape!

Roxton Baker - also for help verifying where and how Netscape stores its settings, and sharing with me how he currently cleans up Netscape files.

The many enthusiastic users of CleanUp! that have sent in donations to help fund the development of CleanUp! Without your support, I would probably have retired CleanUp! with version 3.0.

And finally, everyone that has tried CleanUp! and sent me comments, thoughts and suggestions on how it could be improved. Your feedback is much appreciated, and I hope has helped me provide a better application for you.


Frequently Asked Questions

If your question does not appear below, then please review the Frequently Asked Questions on the CleanUp! web site (http://cleanup.stevengould.org). This has been significantly updated and expanded, and is always more up-to-date than this Help file. The primary resource for Frequently Asked Questions is now the CleanUp! web site.

Due to the large amount of e-mail I receive daily I am unable to personally respond to all of them. If you have a question, then please take a few moments to review the questions listed below to see if it is there.

Why does Internet Explorer/Netscape Navigator/Opera create all those temporary files anyway?

Can the files be retrieved after CleanUp! has deleted them?

How can I be sure the files cannot be retrieved?

Can I run CleanUp! from a floppy disk?

How can I get rid of the "toilet flushing" sound?

How can I uninstall CleanUp!

What does Windows use index.dat files for?

Does CleanUp! clean files if you are connecting to the internet over a proxy server?

Does it erase all those pesky .dll's?

How do I select which cookies I want to keep?

Do you have another upgrade version in the works?

How can I tell what version of CleanUp! I am running?

My question is not listed here. Where can I get more help?


Why are all those temporary files created?
Why does Internet Explorer/Netscape Navigator/Opera create all those temporary files anyway?

Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera and pretty much any browser for that matter create a number of files during their use to make your surfing quicker and easier. Some of the main types of files created are as follows:

Cache

History

Cookies

CleanUp! removes all these files. Removing them does not harm your computer since they are all "temporary files" anyway. In fact, it even frees up some disk space for you.


Retrieving files after running CleanUp!
Can the files be retrieved after CleanUp! has deleted them?

Sometimes, yes. Depending on the exact circumstances - in particular, what else you do with your computer after running CleanUp! - it is sometimes possible to retrieve some of the files.

Under normal circumstances it is unlikely that anyone looking at your computer will try to retrieve deleted files so the chances are that you're pretty safe just having run CleanUp!  However, if you really want to be sure that the files cannot be retrieved, see How can I be sure the files cannot be retrieved?

[If you're interested, the DOS undelete command (or the Norton undelete command or similar) can recover some deleted files some of the time. This is something for more advanced users and the details of it are beyond the scope of this FAQ.]


Securely deleting files
How can I be sure the files cannot be retrieved?

The easiest way to do this is to click on the Options button from CleanUp!'s main window. Then make sure the Fully Erase Files (Wipe Clean) checkbox is checked. Click OK, then run CleanUp! as normal. Then, when you run CleanUp!, instead of simply deleting files no longer needed, they will first be overwritten then deleted making them unrecoverable!  :-)  This will take a little longer but it helps protect your privacy even further.

Tip: After running CleanUp! with this option, restart Windows when prompted. Then, run a Disk Defragmenter utility.

Windows 95 users normally have one available by clicking on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

Windows NT users, unfortunately, will need a third party utility.  :-(


Running CleanUp! from a floppy disk
Can I run CleanUp! from a floppy disk?

Yes! Run the CleanUp! installation program as normal and specify the floppy disk as the installation destination. You will be asked whether or not you want CleanUp! icons created in the Start menu (you normally wouldn't when installing to floppy disk, but you have the choice).

Alternatively, for intermediate/advanced users, here's another way to do it:

•	Install CleanUp! as normal on any machine.

•	Insert your floppy disk into the disk drive - you'll need at least 600K free on the disk.

•	Copy all the files from the CleanUp! installation folder onto your floppy disk (it doesn't matter whether they go in the root directory or in a subdirectory on the floppy - it's up to you).

o	Please be sure to copy all the files - including this Help file, the license and the README files - so as to stay within the intent of the (freeware) license.

Now you can go to any machine, insert the disk just created and run CleanUp! directly from the floppy.

[You may also be interested to know that you can start CleanUp! directly from the DOS prompt.]


Customizing/Disabling the sound
How can I get rid of the "toilet flushing" sound?

With CleanUp! 4.0, you can disable sounds by unchecking the "Enable sounds" checkbox in the Options dialog.

If you don't want to disable sounds altogether, just customize them - to replace the toilet-flushing with something else - then refer to the section titled, Advanced Options. You can use this feature to "play" any wave file when CleanUp! starts a run, as well as when it completes a run.


Uninstalling CleanUp!
How can I uninstall CleanUp!

What? Why would you want to do that? :-) No, seriously now, it's pretty straightforward:

Click on Start, Programs, CleanUp!, Uninstall

[Alternatively, you can use the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel and select to uninstall CleanUp! from there.]

You will be asked to confirm the removal. Click Yes to confirm (or No to Cancel).

That's it. Simple, eh?


What are MM256.DAT and MM2048.DAT for?
What does Windows use index.dat files for?

These files are essentially an index to Internet Explorer's cached files. Internet Explorer also uses them in the history folder. They cannot usually be deleted while Windows is running but can be deleted at start-up - this is one reason why CleanUp! prompts you to restart Windows once it has finished.

In Internet Explorer 4.0 and later, these files changed name and format. The new replacement files are now called index.dat. If you're interested in viewing the contents of any index.dat files, another free utility called Index Dat Spy is available from the author of CleanUp! at:

http://indexdatspy.stevengould.org/


Running CleanUp! when using a proxy server
Does CleanUp! clean files if you are connecting to the internet over a proxy server?

Yes. It cleans up all files cached on your local hard disk.

Please note: it does not even attempt to clean up whatever caches - if any - your proxy server uses. You, as a regular user, would not have the correct privileges to do that, so it is still possible for your employer to see any files and information saved on/by the proxy server.


Removing DLLs
Does it erase all those pesky .dll's?

NO, and you shouldn't either!

DLLs - dynamically linked libraries - are used extensively by Windows. Do not delete any .dll files (DLLs) unless you really know what you are doing.


Selecting cookies to keep/delete
How do I select which cookies I want to keep?

The CleanUp! 4.0 the Cookies tab in the Options dialog allows you to define the cookies you'd like to keep. [This capability is not currently supported for the Opera browsers. They have a different mechanism for preserving cookies.]

See Also:

Options Dialog - Cookies tab

Preserving Opera cookies


CleanUp! upgrades
Do you have another upgrade version in the works?

Usually, yes. Due to the popularity of CleanUp! new development is pretty much on-going. There may be minor "bug fix" releases possibly with some small enhancements, as well as a behind-the-scenes effort to come up with the next version. Check out the official CleanUp! homepage for the latest development information:

  http://cleanup.stevengould.org/

Note that after CleanUp! 4.0, I've been considering changing the frequency with which I release updates. Based on a survey of users on the CleanUp! discussion list, it appears as if people in general would prefer more frequent releases introducing a few additional features in each release, as opposed to waiting longer for more features all bundled in a single release.

Therefore, I'm expecting to do more "point releases" such as, 4.1, 4.2, etc.

Note that the third digit - if any - in a version number generally refers to a bug fix release. So, for example, if a bug is found in version 4.0, then I may do a 4.0.1 release. This will be the same as the 4.0 release, plus any new bug fixes.


CleanUp! version
How can I tell what version of CleanUp! I am running?

The version of CleanUp! that you are running is displayed in the log window when you first start CleanUp!. Alternatively, to see the detailed version of CleanUp! you are running, click on the system menu (that's the small icon in the top-left of the CleanUp! dialog), and select the "About Windows CleanUp!..." menu option. This will display the About dialog that includes the CleanUp! version number and other useful information.


User Support
My question is not listed here. Where can I get more help?

If your question is not listed in these FAQs, then you have a couple of alternatives:

•	Send an e-mail to the CleanUp! discussion list at cleanup@yahoogroups.com (you'll need to subscribe to the group first, if you haven't already done so). There is an active and very helpful group of individuals often able to answer your questions much more quickly than I, individually, can.

•	Check out the updated list of FAQs on the CleanUp! web site: http://cleanup.stevengould.org/

Please do not e-mail me a question similar to one listed in the FAQs (either here or on the web site) - you are unlikely to get a response. Sorry, but that's what the FAQs are for!  :-)

If you still feel the need to contact me with Support questions (cleanup@stevengould.org), then you can significantly increase your changes of a response by first sending along a small donation to help fund future development of CleanUp! Again, see the CleanUp! web site for details, or click on the Register button from the main CleanUp! window.


Troubleshooting

Before reporting any problems with CleanUp!, please be sure to get the latest version available from the official CleanUp! web site:

  http://cleanup.stevengould.org/

If you have downloaded and installed the latest version and are still experiencing problems, then please take a few moments to review the Frequently Asked Questions on the CleanUp! web site. This has been significantly updated and expanded, and is always more up-to-date than this Help file.

Since CleanUp! 3.1, the troubleshooting guide has been removed from this Help file. The primary resource is now the CleanUp! web site.


Bookmarks. Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera browsers allow you to save the URL of web sites that you visit and may want to return to. In other words, you save a bookmark to the web site so that you can quickly-and-easily return to it. This is just another term for what Microsoft and Internet Explorer refer to as your Favorites (or Favorite Places).


Cache. Web pages viewed in your browser are saved - or "cached", in computer terms - so that if you go back to visit that page again it should be able to display that same page more quickly. The special places on your hard disk where such files are stored are called a "cache". Different browsers and even different versions of the same browser use different caches.

Similarly, newsgroup articles are also cached (but, again, newsgroup messages are cached in a different place on your hard disk).


Cookie. A cookie stores a small amount of information, specific to a particular web site, that can be retrieved next time you visit the site. Cookies have received much "hype" in the media because of their possible security risk and invasion of privacy. They store very small amounts of information - like user preferences - about some of the sites you've visited.

Cookies can be used by the sites you visit to help record various "information" about how often you visit the site and what pages you visit most. These are generally the "bad" cookies - some people consider them an invasion of privacy. Other cookies can be used to save you having to repeatedly log onto a password-protected area of a web site. These are generally considered "good" cookies, though they can also track your visits, etc. (so they're not all good).

CleanUp! also allows you to choose - in the Options dialog - whether or not to delete cookies, and also which cookies you'd like to keep.


Custom Directories and Files. CleanUp! 3.0 introduced support for cleaning up "custom files" from "custom directories". This allows you to enter in any additional directories and files that CleanUp! should remove each time it is run. You can use wildcards in the filenames, for example, to delete all files with an extension .xyz from the directory d:\myapp\, you could specify the following custom directory and file to delete:

d:\myapp\*.xyz

This feature provides support for future browsers (even before they are released), and any other application you may use that is not directly supported by CleanUp!.


Custom Registry Entries. CleanUp! 4.0 introduced support for cleaning up user-defined entries from the Windows registry - "custom registry entries". This allows you to enter in any additional registry entries that CleanUp! should remove each time it is run.

This feature provides support for future browsers (even before they are released), and any other application you may use that is not directly supported by CleanUp!.


Favorites. If you use Internet Explorer, this is a list of your favorite web sites, or web sites that you have "saved" to make them easily available in the future. This is just another term for what Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Firefox and Opera call bookmarks.


History. This is a list of web sites that you have visited recently stored so that you can more easily return to sites you've recently visited. Internet Explorer stores this information in a "History folder", whereas Netscape Navigator uses a "History file" (usually named netscape.hst).

Someone else using your computer can quickly and easily see some of the web sites you have visited recently by looking at the history. It is a little like a diary of places on the web that you've been. To help protect your privacy, CleanUp! removes these files.


Prefetch Files are temporary files periodically created by Windows and intended to help make your machine start programs more quickly. However, when there get to be too many Prefetch files, it can hinder performance - in which case you may want to delete them.


Recent Documents folder. The recent documents folder stores links to the 10 most recently used documents. It is usually accessible by clicking on Start, Documents. When CleanUp! empties this folder it only removes the links and not the actual files.


Registry. The registry stores various configuration about your system including some information that you may not want your employer to know about (for example, the fact that you've played 374 games of FreeCell and only won 101 of them).

CleanUp! resets quite a variety of registry settings, not just the game scores.


SCANDISK. This is an administrative program which is run automatically by Windows when the system does not shut down correctly. You can also run it directly yourself, though if you don't know what SCANDISK is it's probably best not to worry about it.

Occasionally SCANDISK may generate some files which are only sometimes of use to more advanced users. For most users however they just take up space unnecessarily - CleanUp! deletes these files for you.


Temporary directories. Directories pointed to by the TEMP and TMP environment variables, and others. Many applications create files in these directories that don't always get removed when they should; for example, when an application crashes or hangs.


URL History. The "URL History" is similar to the History of web sites visited but instead contains a list of URLs that you have typed into your browser.