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Cleaning your PC

CCleaner can clean unneeded files, settings, and Registry entries for Web browsers and many installed applications on your system, as well as Windows features.

Note: You should be logged into an administrator account to use CCleaner. You can still use it as a normal or restricted user, but Windows may prevent you from deleting certain files.

Before you clean your PC:

CCleaner will run well using its default options. You can change its settings extensively, which you might want to do if you want to keep some information, add more items to be cleaned, or make many other changes.

Some things to consider changing before you run CCleaner's cleaning process (make these changes before you run the cleaning):

  • To include or exclude files, folders, and Registry from the cleaning process, see this topic.
  • To choose to keep certain cookies, see this topic.
  • To change how CCleaner runs, including how secure the deletion is, see this topic.
  • To change advanced settings for CCleaner's operation, see this topic.

Note: CCleaner permanently modifies certain system and program files. Please be sure you know what the consequences can be.

To clean your PC:

  1. In CCleaner, click the Cleaner icon at left.
  2. Choose the Windows features you want to clean by selecting their check boxes (you can clean everything under Internet Explorer, for example, by selecting the check box next to the heading). When you select or clear certain options, warning text will appear. Read the text and click OK to dismiss the dialog box. For more information, see this section.
  3. Click the Applications tab. The programs listed on this tab will depend on the software you have installed on the system.
  4. Choose the applications or features you want to clean. For more information, see this topic.
  5. Click the Analyze button. CCleaner analyzes the files and Registry keys belonging to the Windows features and applications you have selected. This may take some time.
  6. Once the analysis is complete, you can review which files will be deleted in the text window. To save the list of items to be deleted, right-click in the text window and then click Save to text file... To clean an item right from the analysis list, right-click the item and then click Clean.
  7. Click Run Cleaner. You are warned that CCleaner is about to permanently remove files from the system. Click OK to proceed.
  8. When the cleaning is complete, CCleaner displays a report of deleted files in the text window. To save the list, right-click in the text window and then click Save to text file...

Notes:

  • If you have any problems while running CCleaner or afterwards, please see the Troubleshooting section.
  • You can quickly select or clear all sub-items for an item heading. For example, if you right-click the Internet Explorer heading, you have the option to Check All, Uncheck All, or Restore Default State.