How often should I run CCleaner to clean my laptop? I have many programs on it like Gimp, UnFreez, Paint.net, Krita, Google Chrome, Apophysis, HP Dowloader, yahoo messeger, DVD Video Soft, maliawarebytes, rkill, Virtual DJ, Sony Vegas 11, aTubeCatcher, Play HP Games, HP Support, Norton Internet Security, Skype, & Microsoft Office 2010 Suite. My question is, if I run CCleaner will it delete the programs or just clean them up?

Sorry for the long winded message. My brother was on my mom's case about her laptop that she uses for school since she's a teacher and he dragged me into the conversation.

CCleaner has two main uses. It frees up disk space by deleting junk files and wipes out private usage data. For example, CCleaner will erase your browser history, cookies, and cache files for any browsers you have installed Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, ect. It will go beyond that, erasing the cookie data stored by the Flash Player. It will even wipe out other potentially privacy-risking data, such as the list of recently opened file names in Microsoft Word, Adobe Reader, Windows Media Player, VLC media player, and other common Windows applications.
However, if you were to constantly clear your browser’s cache, it would have to re-download the same files over and over. That means that clearing your browser’s cache constantly is a bad idea for performance reasons, constantly emptying the cache means you lose the benefits of having one.

Of course, the cache can also be a privacy concern. Someone with access to your computer could inspect your browser’s cache files to see what websites you’ve been visiting, just as they could look at your browser history. This is why browsers don’t save cache files when you browse in private-browsing mode.

If you want to run CCleaner regularly and aren’t worried about people with access to your computer snooping on your browsing, you should disable the Internet Cache-clearing options

I've been using CCleaner for a few years, I run it every day. Once when I start my day and once when I'm done. So I run it twice daily, and haven't had any issues with it. I may skip a day, but for the most part I run it as I described without issue.

CCleaner has a good reputation, I use to use it when I ran Windows. My only advice is to be careful with the registry cleaner module. I've never been a big fan of registry cleaners, but if your going to use one CCleaner's is a decent choice, just don't rely on it or use it too often.

Okay, I was just making sure. I do however clean out my internet history when I'm done with google chrome. Is that bad? I use CCleaner about once a month. I don't use the registry cleaner. What is the Intelligent Cookie Scan? I'm downloading the latest version of CCleaner.

Yeah, I don't use the registry cleaner.
What is the Intelligent Cookie Scan and should I include that in the download? I'm downloading the latest version of CCleaner.

Most users want to remove the cookies from their computer, so this is why they usually install software like CCleaner.

Each time that you visit a website (with any browser) a cookie will automatically be saved to your computer, containing all sorts of information about the website like login credentials and such. This will help the website to recognize you the next time you visit because the information from the cookie will be sent back to the website.
In order to keep Internet cookies on your computer while using CCleaner, you will have to enable the CCleaner Intelligent cookie scan. You can do that by going to the Options menu from CCleaner and then to the Cookies section. In this window, CCleaner will display all the cookies that are going to be removed from your computer in the ‘Cookies to delete’ box.

If you enabled CCleaner's Intelligent cookie scan. The application will automatically detect your cookies for Gmail, Yahoo or any other credentials based log-in website and will add them to a section called ‘Cookies to keep’. By doing this, you can be sure that your cookies will be skipped when running CCleaner.

Alternatively, you can always search manually a cookie and once you find it you can right click on it. Then you can select from the menu to keep the cookie or use the CCleaner Intelligent cookie scan option. The same applies for cookies that you do not want to keep in your computer.

That's good to know. I guess I'll install the Intelligent Cookie Scan. With the cleaner option, under applications, if I choose all of them, would ccleaner just clean them or actually delete them?

I've used CCleaner for years now. I've used the registry cleaner many times, with no issues at all. I primarily run it after I uninstall a program, to get the stuff out the uninstaller didn't.

As stated above... If you enabled CCleaner's Intelligent cookie scan. It will automatically detect your cookies for credential based log-in website and will add them to a section called "Cookies to keep".

For more about how to use CCleaner, check out this link...
"How to Use CCleaner Like a Pro: 9 Tips & Tricks" http://www.howtogeek.com/113382/how-to- ... ps-tricks/

Just learned that CCleaner will delete programs if you decide to put a check in the box next to said program.

If you use the CCleaner's "uninstall feature" this will be done automatically, with no need to run the "registry cleaner" function.

Yes it's the "uninstall feature".

I will clarify my comment on registry cleaners. They can either cure you or kill you. In other words sometimes you will find Windows in a funk and the only alternative is either a total reinstall or (if all goes well) a registry cleaner solves the issue. So weight your options and treat their plus as a gamble. A registry that is a little bit messed up may benefit, but then again it may not. Registry’s are not equal, that's why it's your registry.
How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

That's the only uninstaller I ever use, then I run the registry cleaner. More times than not, there's leftovers from the uninstaller.

That's good advice.
Always back-up your registry before making any changes or running any kind of reg cleaning software, CCleaner included.

Note... CCleaner will give you the option to save a back-up copy of your registry before it runs the reg cleaning tool.
"Better safe then sorry"

I notice Windows uninstallers mentioned.
I would suggest a look at, Revo Uninstaller (freeware version).
It's a very good program, just make sure you choose the right download button.

Same here, I just don't bother running the reg cleaner tool when using CC to uninstall. If you do a lot of installing and uninstalling, you could benefit from using the reg cleaning tool. As long as you know what to look for and make back-up copies of the registry.



Revo Uninstall, good program.

Hi,
I was reading this topic and read the article "How to Use", indicated by Wallace ("How to Use CCleaner Like a Pro: 9 Tips & Tricks")
When I tried to download the program found that it is in a free version with limited resources.

Worth it (It is Worth) using the free version? Or is very limited?
Thx for these tips

When I was on Windows, I used "Hijack This!" to clean the registry. The rest is cleanable from your browser (all good browsers have "incognito mode" these days, and can be told the handful of sites (24 in my case) for which cookies should be kept).