Skip to main content
Search

Including files and folders for cleaning

You can choose specific files, file types, and folders to be included in Cleaner operations.

Note: If you add an inclusion, you must select the Custom Files and Folders check box on the CCleaner screen.

(This will be checked automatically for you when you add a new file or folder.)

CCleaner - Including Files and FoldersSelecting Custom Files and Folders in CCleaner.

The easiest way to include items is to select items in the Cleaner window that you want to clean. Then, use the Options section to include additional files, folders, and filetypes to be scanned by the Cleaner.

You can add as many Include statements as necessary by repeating the following process.

To include files or folders in the Cleaner process:

  1. In CCleaner, click the Options icon at left.
  2. Click the Include button.
  3. Add a new include statement by clicking Add.
  4. Work with the the Include dialog box as follows:

CCleaner - Include Dialog BoxThe Include Dialog box.

To Work with the Include Dialog Box

Field

Explanation

Include

To choose a drive or folder to include, select Drive or Folder, click Browse and then click the folder or drive.

To choose a file to include, select File, click Browse and then click the file. You can only add one file at a time.

File Types

This selection is only relevant when you have selected Drive or Folder.

By default, CCleaner will include all files in the selected drive or folder. You can choose to include only files of a certain type. To do so, click File Types: and type one or more file extensions. For example,

  • *.doc to include all .DOC files
  • *.exe;*.bat to include all .EXE and .BAT files

Options

This selection is only relevant when you have selected Drive or Folder and have selected a folder. If you select Include files only, CCleaner will only delete files located in the folder you have included. Selecting Include files and subfolders will cause CCleaner to search all subfolders within the selected folder for the files to be deleted. Finally if the Include files, subfolders and the folder itself option is selected CCleaner will first delete all the files that match the criteria, just like in the previous option and after that will delete every empty folder within the included one.

Note: If you are working with CCleaner's INI files, you have access to the same functionality.