Hard drive Cleaning, which one you use?

[ha14]

More we use windows with the regular exercise of instal/uninstal and more we leave traces of junk files and temp folder, it is known unless to be an expert that really to clean hard drive is a mathematical problem. So there are alot of soft as freewares and sharewares to help the cleaning. My question is that what to do to really to certify that hard drive cleaning went well and no junk/temp files are left. So which soft do you recommend and how to adjust filters?

[sajman99]

For basic Windows file and registry (MRUs only) cleaning, I prefer Nirsoft's CleanAfterMe--tiny, simple, and portable.

Less frequenty I'll use CCleaner for a more thorough cleaning. Piriform keeps adding features, and you can get a portable version if you want.

[rjbull]

I use Total Uninstall, but it sounds to me more like ha14 is asking for a tool that verifies that whatever uninstall system one has used has worked properly and temp directories etc. are clean.  And that's a question I hadn't thought of...  More like a directory tracker, system to compare before and after directory listings.

[sajman99]

... it sounds to me more like ha14 is asking for a tool that verifies that whatever uninstall system one has used has worked properly and temp directories etc. are clean...

Oh, well sonofagun. I thought he was asking about temp cleaning, junk files, history lists, etc.

Well, CCleaner can do a non-aggressive registry cleaning which removes leftover entries which uninstalls sometimes leave behind. See, I was on the right path all along...I think...maybe...kinda...sorta...

[hpearce]

for general file cleanup, I use CCleaner as a first step and also Diskmax

[Curt]

... which soft do you recommend and how to adjust filters?

1) which soft do you recommend? = none.
Once in a while, but rarely, I will run some cleaner...:

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2) how to adjust filters? = cautious & safe.
There is very little reason to remove a few extra bytes, because of the increased risk.

[ha14]

Wow that is a good list, in fact when I use Revo to uninstal some soft then I check with RTScan tool and I see left over reg keys which then I delete them. But not sure if this method is the ultimate one. Then I find out Hard Drive Powerwash(http://www.harddrivepowerwash.com/), this to clean hard drive from junks, well the free version do this but the premium shareware goes more

[MerleOne]

DiskMax and CCleaner are what I use on a regular basis.  when using DiskMax, use Quick mode first, Standard mode is already pretty extreme (it removes Windows hotfixes uninstallation files for instance).

[cyberdiva]

Then I find out Hard Drive Powerwash(http://www.harddrivepowerwash.com/), this to clean hard drive from junks, well the free version do this but the premium shareware goes more

I tried Hard Drive Powerwash not long ago and was rather unimpressed.  I kept having to re-enter all my settings each time I used it.  It wouldn't remember them from one use to the next.  Also, it looked for my Firefox cookies in the wrong place.  Two years ago, when Firefox came out with version 3, it changed where the cookies were stored, but Hard Drive Powerwash still looked in the location for version 2 and then reported that it couldn't find them.

[Carol Haynes]

CCleaner (but I don't bother with the registry bits) are a good way to clean up loads of crap safely (including unwanted system restore points).

[majoMO]

There is very little reason to remove a few extra bytes, because of the increased risk.

I agree. E.g. to delete all .bak files could mess with your Office.

I use:

- To clean: 1. CleanAfterMe in a diary base (command line: CleanAfterMe.exe /clean CleanAfterMe.log, shortcut in quick launcher); 2. Eusing Windows Washer; 3. Eusing Registry Cleaner.
- To  track installations and uninstall: ZSoft Uninstaller, that does an excellent work.
- To search: RegScanner to registry; SearchMyFiles to files (both from NirSoft).

[ha14]

Hi Cyberdiva, I think hard drive powerwash fixed that problems with MOzilla browser, myself I tried this soft and  for unknown reason cleaned some junk files that were preventing me to instal a soft. Well now I found a giveaway of Hard Drive Powerwash
http://www.techishare.com/blog/tech/clean-windows-with-hard-drive-powerwash-giveaway/

And yes NirSoft are generous for offering some interesting soft to us as freewares. Regscanner is nice but I use RTSCANTool and the reason is that I earlier uninstalled Regscanner and didnt put it back. But I am surprised that after uninstalling sodt with Revo and cleaning registry with some tools RTSCANTOOL finds left over reg keys!!!!

[cyberdiva]

Hi Cyberdiva, I think hard drive powerwash fixed that problems with MOzilla browser,

Hi, ha14, I'm glad to hear that the Firefox cookies problem has been fixed.  Thanks for letting me know.

[Smin]

CCleaner will be nice.

[sajman99]

...Regscanner is nice but I use RTSCANTool and the reason is that I earlier uninstalled Regscanner and didnt put it back. But I am surprised that after uninstalling soft with Revo and cleaning registry with some tools RTSCANTOOL finds left over reg keys!!!!

ha14, thanks for the mention of RT Scan Tool. I hadn't heard of it previously--looks like it's only in alpha stage.

I'm also surprised if it found something RegScanner didn't because NirSoft's tool covers more reg keys. Even so, RT Scan Tool is free, small, and portable so I guess I'll be keeping it.

[sajman99]

Hey, wait a minute. Process Explorer reveals that the author of RT Scan Tool is Miha Jakovac.

Hmmm...I have to ask ha14, are you the author of RT Scan Tool? No biggie if you are--I just like to know if you're mentioning your software or another person's software. Either way, it's a nice little registry search tool.

[ha14]

Well no I am not the author of RT Scan Tool, I have found about sometime ago, then started to check and indeed after that uninstal soft with revo uninstaller plus registry cleaning exercise then Rt SCAN TOOl finds some more that the other missed. Strange how sharewares miss those remaining reg keys.

[sajman99]

Well no I am not the author of RT Scan Tool...

OK, fair enough--I was just curious. I hope the development of RT Scan Tool continues--it's only alpha but it seems to work quite well.

[ha14]

Well me too i hope that RTscan tool develoment will continu. Also those who still wants to get a free copy of hard drive powerwash the giveaway contest on techishare.com is still going on until 15

[Curt]

... Hard Drive Powerwash(http://www.harddrivepowerwash.com/), ... the premium shareware ...

I just won a license for this premium powerwasher. The program is made by the  German company 1-abc.net, and the Powerwash 'GUI' was as such probably translated from German into English. Anyway, I had a bit of a laugh when I saw this one:


[attachimg=#]


--- "for the last time"? No, it is not from the trial version! And yes, I did run it one more time to see if it would say so again. Luckily, it did start again... However, they were sort of right, somehow it really was for the last time... kind of... because the clock had changed!

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Edited:
Thanks to ha14 for telling about the giveaway (which now has ended).

... I found a giveaway of Hard Drive Powerwash
http://www.techishare.com/blog/tech/clean-windows-with-hard-drive-powerwash-giveaway/

[ha14]

Congratulation for your winning Curt, well i didnt get this message or i didnt paid attention to it, yes its 1-abc GUI, cant really measure the difference although it should have different modules also. But for cleaning windows it does a good job.

[sajman99]

I've seen several mentions of FCleaner as a nice cleanup app.

The program "looks" great, has a portable/no install version, and I really want to like it.  But for some reason I cannot even get the blasted program to clear my IE history. I've closed the browser, re-launched--no dice.

Still, FCleaner is a nice program worth a mention as it may suit others.