Cleanup Utilities

[Rahwgwar]

What cleanup utilities (in general) do you use? I'm just curious and I may be able to pick up a couple along the way, although I am fairly content on what I have. :)

My list of tools:
Ad-Aware
Bootvis <------should only be used with xp
Jv16powertools
Mr. TechSysTray
Norton SystemWorks 2002
Ontrack SystemSuite
RegClean
RegCleaner
Reg ScrubXP
Spider Bite
Spybot Search and Destroy
Window Washer 4.7
Xp Anti-Spy
Free Ram XP Pro

Here are the locations where you can find these products:

Ad-Aware (www.lavasoftusa.com)
Jv16powertools (http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/jv16powertools.shtml)
Mr TechSysTray
(http://www.mrtech.com/)
Norton Systemworks (http://www.symantec.com/sabu/sysworks/basic/)
Ontrack Systemsuite (www.ontrack.com)

RegCleaner (http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/jv16powertools.shtml)
RegClean (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,4666,00.asp)
RegScrubXp (http://home.carolina.rr.com/lexunfreeware/RegScrubXP/RegScrubXP.htm)
Spider Bite (http://www.fsm.nl/ward/)
Spybot (http://spybot.safer-networking.de/)
Window washer (http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/windowwasher/index.php)

Bootvis (http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/platform/performance/fastboot/BootVis.asp)
Anti Spy (http://www.xp-antispy.de/)
FreeRam (http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/products.html#WhatisFreeRAMXPPro)

Note: If it isn't too much hassle, try to post links. :)

[Krell]

You have enough to bury you for the rest of your life as it is.

: )

[ryan2_2]

Here's all my cleanup utilities:

Norton SystemWorks 2003
Window Washer 4.7
FreeRAM XP Pro
Diskeeper 7 Workstation
Ad-aware 6
Spybot Search & Destroy
Dimension 4

[method77]

You need a clean up tool for all the clean up tools that you have! I just use Jv16 power tools and spybot and that is enough! relax! Nobody is after you!

[overdo]

lol. i use Adaware, disk defragmenter and disk cleanup. i also use regcleaner as well. i also have a look in the various temp folders once in a while and see if any old files etc are lurking around.

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

Originally posted by Krell
You have enough to bury you for the rest of your life as it is.

: )

lol. he needs all those clean up tools to clean up the mess left behind by all the clean up tools he installs and uninstalls.

[Koffee Bean]

Ad-Aware 6.0
Spybot - Search & Destroy
Norton SystemWorks 2003
Window Washer 4.8
RegCleaner
FreeRAM XP Pro 1.30
Spider Bite

and if they count:
DiskChk
Disk Defrager (hardly use it anymore now that I have Norton Disk Keeper)
Add/Remove
And of course just my mouse and I

[tree hugging hippie crap]

when i need to clean my junk up, i use Window Washer 4.5 and follow it up with a reboot. I use adaware and spybot for my spy/ad junk. WindowWasher has so many features that i like that convincin me to use something else in place of it would be difficult. But hey, thats just me !!!

I try to defrag/scandisk my drives once a month as well.

[endersgame21]

Thanx for the links Rahwgwar. I already had a few although some were outdated I think I will try a few new ones.

[MusikBeatz23]

have any of you tried evidence eliminator ??? http://www.evidence-eliminator.com

[PornMaster]

Mine:
Ad-aware 6.0
RegScrubXP
And the windows utilities. Thats it!

[Theinfamousone]

Rahwgwar, if you could only choose, which would it be?

[jolton]

i use system mechanic and it does seem to work pretty well. I also have that quick clean that comes w' mcafee but don't use it that often...ad aware 6....diskeeper (runs n background, works good so far-low resources)

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by Theinfamousone
Rahwgwar, if you could only choose, which would it be?

That's a difficult one to answer. I'm prolly going overboard on all my tools, but I like to keep things under control. Each tool has its own strengths which I feel are unique in themselves. That way I make sure my comp is really clutter-free, lol.

BUT, if I had to go with one, I would say Ontrack's SystemSuite, simply becuase it packs a punch with all its features and really does a good job overall. I think you no how to *cough cough* obtain it. :)

BTW, thanks for mentioning Free Ram, Koffee and Ryan. It looks useful and I'm gonna download it when I get the chance. I'm also gonna check out Dimension 4 (the synched time server).

Believe it or not, I used to have even more cleanup tools. Of course, I defrag every couple weeks and scan disk. I ALMOST always use the Ontrack defrag. It has a good auto defrag and utilizes SMART technology.

EDIT: I remember having a program entitled 'Wash and Go.' Was this the old title of Window Washer or are they two separate programs? I'm not sure on this one, nothing came up at webattack, and I didn't get any relevant hits for it on google. Thanks.

[Wings_of_Azrael]

Just a few...

Ad-Aware (Spyware, Adware)
SpyBot (Spyware, Adware)
Acronis PrivacyExpert (System, Internet)
jv16 PowerTools (Registry)
Eraser (File Deletion)

[googlestein]

Originally posted by method77
You need a clean up tool for all the clean up tools that you have! I just use Jv16 power tools and spybot and that is enough! relax! Nobody is after you!


ha ha ha

[Koffee Bean]

Originally posted by tree hugging hippie crap
I try to defrag/scandisk my drives once a month as well.

WOW!!!! You should do a scan like once a week, and then defrag every couple of days, at the latest once a week. Once a month is a looooooooooooooooooooooong time to go w/o doing those 2 things.

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by Koffee Bean
WOW!!!! You should do a scan like once a week, and then defrag every couple of days, at the latest once a week. Once a month is a looooooooooooooooooooooong time to go w/o doing those 2 things.

Well, it really depends on the user. The more uninstalling, reinstalling, and modifying of files you do, the more often you should defrag. Nonetheless, you should defrag on a regular basis. I defrag about every 1-2 weeks. It really keeps your computer healthy and going. I'd say, if you generally run your computer enough every day and use quite a lot of programs and activity, you should defrag once a week.

But, even for average users, defragging once every three months is sufficient. These are people who don't use the computer much, really only when it's necessary. If you are less than 10% fragmented, there really is no need to defrag. Just an FYI, I guess. Every case is different, but those are some general rules.

[ryan2_2]

One of the reasons why I use Diskeeper is that it montors the system and defrags automatically whenever it feels it need too while still doing your regular PC tasks without any slowdown. Even when you do a full defrag, you can still continue your regular PC tasks. This is why Diskeeper is frequently used in office, graphics design, etc. It is simply the most advanced.

[el_omega]

I use:

Ad-Aware Pro.
Spybot Search&Destroy.
SuperCleaner.
Ace Utilities.
TweakXp Pro



Best of them all TweakXP pro.

[MusikBeatz23]

Ad-Aware
Removes Spyware & Ad-Aware
www.lavasoftusa.com

Window Washer
Clears most of your computer activities
www.webroot.com

AdSubtract PRO
Stops Annoying Pop Up Ads
Stops Sneaky Pop Under Ads
Blocks standard banner ads
Blocks king-size ads, like skyscrapers and double wides
Blocks multimedia Flash ads
Freezes distracting animated GIF images
Speeds up surfing by avoiding ad downloads
Protects online Privacy, by blocking spying cookies
Erases browsing history for local privacy
Deletes Internet cache files, freeing disk space
Unlimited customizable Ad database
Supports Sound schemes
and more...
www.adsubtract.com

[Rahwgwar]

Thanks everyone. I haved added FreeRamXP and xp-AntiSpy to my cleanup utilities.

Who knows.......after going through webattack's sections, I may find more, lol.

Anti Spy (http://www.xp-antispy.de/)

FreeRam (http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/products.html#WhatisFreeRAMXPPro)

[Rahwgwar]

..........

[RJ5500]

I used to use Norton Systemworks as my primary utility, but I switched to Ontrack Systemsuite a few months ago. It's great.

For spyware, I use spycop.

As for pop-ups, I really like Earthlink's built-in "pop-up blocker".

The only drawback of the pop-up blocker is that I have to surf with IE to use it.

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by RJ5500
I used to use Norton Systemworks as my primary utility, but I switched to Ontrack Systemsuite a few months ago. It's great.

For spyware, I use spycop.

As for pop-ups, I really like Earthlink's built-in "pop-up blocker".

The only drawback of the pop-up blocker is that I have to surf with IE to use it.

I use Earthlink's pop-up blocker too, but 99 % of the time I don't even use IE. You can always use Mozilla or MyIE2, which both come with great pop-up blockers. I haven't seen one in quite some time now.

[metale]

I used Adaware.... i think is the best...

I tired Spybot... and is... crap.

[MoonMan]

I use a couple... recently I stopped using Ad-Aware 6.0 all together and just use Spybot (no reason to use Ad-Aware anymore, it catches nothing that Spybot doesn't).

I also use McAfree Virus Scan, Ontrack SystemSuite, Mr Tech System Tray, pop-up killer, and uh.. I think that's it. I really like pop-up killer but sometimes it gets weird errors and crashes Internet Explorer (rarely though).

[TwoZigzagColt45]

EasyCleaner (http://www.toniarts.com/ecleane.htm)

not bad for freeware

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by TwoZigzagColt45
EasyCleaner (http://www.toniarts.com/ecleane.htm)

not bad for freeware

Cool.........I'm downloading it now

@Ryan: I would try Diskeeper if not for all the negative reviews from download.com and other similar places. It has less than a 70% approval rating and I hear nothing but horror stories from it, lol.

[backmann]

For popups, er..... nothing. Just Mozilla.

Ivan
"In the dark we make a brighter light"

[MusikBeatz23]

Originally posted by TwoZigzagColt45
EasyCleaner (http://www.toniarts.com/ecleane.htm)

not bad for freeware I downloaded it and i liked it... thanx

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

All are current and keeped up to date - If you have any suggestions on what i might be able to add or forgetting about - let me know.

Ad-Aware 6
Spy-Bot
CleanTray
McAfee
Window Washer 8

Others:

Pop-Up Stopper
PeerGuardian ( still waiting for the new version ....)
PC Booster ( worked for me )

O and if you cant find any of these for free - check kazaa - and always scan before opening...

[Krell]

I use Sygate Personal Fireall Pro, and I import the Peer Gaurdian IP addresses in to the Advanced Rules for a block list.

Ontrack SystemSuite

Spybot Search & Destroy

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

Does anyone have something better than WIndows Washer 8 or a good clean utility to clean up history and so on - i would not mind adding another item to my list . whats worth adding ?

[mr-g]

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/eraser/Eraser56Setup.zip

[el_omega]

Does anyone have something better than WIndows Washer 8 or a good clean utility to clean up history and so on - i would not mind adding another item to my list . whats worth adding ?

Have you heard of Ultra Wincleaner?

Take a look at it:

Ultra Wincleaner (http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/idg.us.pcw.downloads/today_file;pos=textbox;sec=today_file;sz=160x42;ti le=25;ord=877421219?)

[Winphuk]

I use Window Waher 4.8 and Bullet Proof Spyware Remover.

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by el_omega
Have you heard of Ultra Wincleaner?

Take a look at it:

Ultra Wincleaner (http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/idg.us.pcw.downloads/today_file;pos=textbox;sec=today_file;sz=160x42;ti le=25;ord=877421219?)

I'm getting a web error every time I click that.........

I'll search it on google though, thanks

[Winphuk]

Originally posted by ThePillarOfAutumn
Does anyone have something better than WIndows Washer 8 or a good clean utility to clean up history and so on - i would not mind adding another item to my list . whats worth adding ?

If you want to wipe shit out real good, you can use Evidence Eliminator, but be careful, it's quite unpredictable

[Rahwgwar]

Originally posted by Winphuk
I use Window Waher 4.8 and Bullet Proof Spyware Remover.

I would uninstall Bullet Proof..............Get the reliable, more updated Spybot from a hard working, do-it-yourself developer......

http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=9847

That should be of interest to you........

[Djm912]

Originally posted by Winphuk
If you want to wipe shit out real good, you can use Evidence Eliminator, but be careful, it's quite unpredictable

I used Evidence Eliminator for a while. It wasn't bad, it just seemed to not want to be not corrupt. Whenever I tried opening it after the first 2 or 3 times it worked, I'd get a corrupt message about something.

And as for the rest of my cleanup thingies, I have just about all but 2 or 3 of the same ones that rahwgwar mentioned at the start of this thread.

[nasrules]

Originally posted by MusikBeatz23
have any of you tried evidence eliminator ??? http://www.evidence-eliminator.com

yeh, it's cool. i use:

adaware
spybot
"Add or Remove Programs" ;-)

[GATORIAN]

I used window washer 4.8 untill i found a bug:if you open the recycle bin and have something in this its empty.I found this bug in win98 ,now i have xp and i still have this malfunctioning.Anyoane found this thing,how to repair this?:bk

[el_omega]

I used window washer 4.8 untill i found a bug:if you open the recycle bin and have something in this its empty.I found this bug in win98 ,now i have xp and i still have this malfunctioning.Anyoane found this thing,how to repair this?


this happen to a guy I know:


After i used this program it made my recycle bin messed up, files were not visible. What i did is i made a new folder on the desktop, deleted it. Right clicked on the recycle bin and emptied. Then logged off/rebooted and everything was back to norm. In the program, disable the empty recycle bin feature so that this problem does not persist on happening. Cheers

Maybe if you do the same thing will help you out!!

[nasrules]

rofl i install/uninstall hundreds of programs a month, and my hd never gets defragged :-S

[GATORIAN]

:wings iIT WORKS!!!Thank you EL_OMEGA

[Kyle06]

Originally posted by el_omega
I use:

Ad-Aware Pro.
Spybot Search&Destroy.
SuperCleaner.
Ace Utilities.
TweakXp Pro



Best of them all TweakXP pro.



Hey could you give me a link for TweakXp Pro thanks

[BlueLieu]

I like System Mechanic. Easy, thurough, NISM?

BUT I have found that a MUCH more efficient defrag util is:

Executive Software International, Inc.

Version: 7.0.422.0
Diskeeper® for Windows(TM) XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95
Copyright© 2002 Executive Software Int'l Inc.
www.diskeeper.com

Supports boot time defrag, directory consolidation, defrag MFT, plus other stuff I haven't tried. I let Spybot monitor actively. And run it manually with Adaware twice a month.

[el_omega]

Kyle06 here is the link for proggie:

Tweak XP Pro (http://www.totalidea.de/frameset-tweakxp.htm)

[Kyle06]

Hey thanks

[chipperrox]

My all time favorite
was
McAfee Utilities
my license disapeeared and i was unwilling to buy another version so...
i use norton now
its allright
im not into the cleaning stuff
my computer is messsy and a i love it that way
it runs at the same slow speed with my disk defragged or fragged so whats the point.... *breaks down and crys at computer*

[ThePillarOfAutumn]

Man thats scary _ i wonder what kind of stuff you have living in side thier? hope thier not watching you.

Atleast use PC Booster _ Kazaa it .

Iam gonna run away now ............ I cant stand someone saying they dont care how thier computer runs..

Sad :mellow