Can You Advise About Using Any of the Fix It Tools?

[dutch98]

My 5 years young PC is running slow and I am considering trying one of the Fix It Tools that are advertised as cleaning up PCs so they run like new again. Can anybody advise me, from personal experience, which product is the best alternative or maybe which one(s) to avoid trying to use? I have kept up with all system updates and have had no Blue Scree Issues, just slow response times. I have kept my system secured using avast!Free. I work on this computer all day but only to work with files and review posted information. I listen to Internet Radio while I work. I do no gaming or social networking on this computer. Thank you.

My aVast Free Current Version is: 6.0.1367
My specs: MSIE version 8.0.6001.18702 ; 128-bit ; Build 86001
System Info: Windows XP Home Edition, 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600; x86 Based Dell PC, Physical Memory 1,024.00 MB Available 488.08MB;
Total Virtual memory 2.00 GB, Available Virtual memory 1.96 GB, Page File Space 2.30 GB

[DJBone]

You could try this: http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

DJBone

[dutch98]

Thank you DJBone. Is CCleaner compatible with avast!Free AV ?
Is there anything major that it is incompatible with?
For example, I use Adobe Reader 9 to view and edit files all day and
I use MSIE to access web sites  I keep my data in Wordpad for easy desktop access.
Thanks for any folowup.
 

[DJBone]

Thank you DJBone. Is CCleaner compatible with avast!Free AV ?

CCleaner is fully compatible with avast!Free AV.

DJBone

[ady4um]

Just a comment. Not everyone recommends CCleaner (or any cleaner for that matter) as a general-goal tool. The use of CCleaner is recommended when you already know what you are doing or when you analyze the system and know which items to actually clean. Applying the cleaning items "by default" may have some "cons" too.

A simpler (and safer) method is to use the built in cleaner of Windows, uninstall old software not being used, defrag once in a while...

Windows usually needs at least 20 or 30% of free HDD space to work "normally". For example, a 500GB disk(or volume or partition) with less than 100GB of free space might cause some slow behaviour on Windows, even if clearly 100GB is not a "small free space" ( 100 / 500 = 20% ).

If you still want to try CCleaner anyway, use it only in "analyze", and UNcheck any item that you are not 100% sure about what it cleans or what the consequences are.

Of course, this is my personal opinion, and others may recommend it with no reservations.

[DJBone]

Just a comment. Not everyone recommends CCleaner (or any cleaner for that matter) as a general-goal tool. The use of CCleaner is recommended when you already know what you are doing or when you analyze the system and know which items to actually clean. Applying the cleaning items "by default" may have some "cons" too.

A simpler (and safer) method is to use the built in cleaner of Windows, uninstall old software not being used, defrag once in a while...

Windows usually needs at least 20 or 30% of free HDD space to work "normally". For example, a 500GB disk(or volume or partition) with less than 100GB of free space might cause some slow behaviour on Windows, even if clearly 100GB is not a "small free space" ( 100 / 500 = 20% ).

If you still want to try CCleaner anyway, use it only in "analyze", and UNcheck any item that you are not 100% sure about what it cleans or what the consequences are.

Of course, this is my personal opinion, and others may recommend it with no reservations.

I agree with you ady4um. Always be careful what you are deleting with cleaning tools!

DJBone

[Tetsuo]

As for CCleaner, I would recommend that you uncheck any item related to security software.

You can find any supported security software (including Avast) in the Applications tab of CCleaner and then uncheck it.

[YoKenny]

As for CCleaner, I would recommend that you uncheck any item related to security software.

You can find any supported security software (including Avast) in the Applications tab of CCleaner and then uncheck it.

I have not had a problem with CClener on my systems other than not letting it clean avast! or WinPatrol logs.

[kcs]

we use a lot of tools in our service company and my guys there test everything, and In my personal opinion only and my guys we don't like CCleaner, we used to use it but after you run it on a pc, if you go into the profile and look under the temp folder there the rubbish is still there, and same with windows temp, so we found what we call a better product and its free and works like a gem.

Temp File Cleaner v3.1.1
Developed by Justin Murray
http://software.addpcs.com/tfc

it just works and it dose remove all the rubbish, and you can customize it to not hit AV apps ect.

(Just a note : i don't have any ties to temp file cleaner or to CCleaner, and these are just my opinions)

[dutch98]

Thank you all very much for this information. Pardon my ignorance but what is meant by the "built in cleaner of Windows" as mentioned in the response by ady4um, posted on 2-2-12?
I run checks of my installed programs from time to time and uninstall the obvious programs that are noted as being "rarely" used. I defrag too but only when Windows tells me that it is advisable. Am I NOT doing something that I could be doing myself to regain lost speed? Again, Thank you for any advice. 

[DJBone]

Thank you all very much for this information. Pardon my ignorance but what is meant by the "built in cleaner of Windows" as mentioned in the response by ady4um, posted on 2-2-12?

Look here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312/en-us

DJBone

[daaf]

we use a lot of tools in our service company and my guys there test everything, and In my personal opinion only and my guys we don't like CCleaner, we used to use it but after you run it on a pc, if you go into the profile and look under the temp folder there the rubbish is still there

(Just a note : i don't have any ties to temp file cleaner or to CCleaner, and these are just my opinions)

Well the reason why there are temp files left is because the default settings in Ccleaner doesn't delete temp files that are younger than 24 hours.

you have to go to advanced settings and untick the box to delete all temp files.


So imho Ccleaner is a great program easy and save to use, i never had a problem with it and i'm using it est. windows 95

System cleanup is also a nice little gem that is in my toolbox for years.
check everything exept: empty prefetch applications cache
it does remove things Ccleaner leaves behind.

http://franckey.home.xs4all.nl/franckey/software/systemcleanup.htm

I also would recommend Puran defrag free: http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag.html

Again imho the best free easy to use defragger with boottime registry/mft/metadata defrag iv'e ditched Perfectdisk (paid)  for it

daaf

[dagrev]

For a little more varity...
I've used SlimCleaner lately a few times and it seems to do a good job.  You need to know what you are going to clean or it may get rid of a few things you want to keep.  But you can specify what kinds of things and areas to clean.  So far I've had no problems with it and it seems to get more than CCleaner (which is also good program).

http://slimcleaner.com/


I also use Oldtimers Temp File cleaner from time to time.  Seems to clean a little more than they others, generally speaking.
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/files/file/187-tfc-temp-file-cleaner-by-oldtimer/

Your preference and mileage may vary.

[dutch98]

Again, many thanks for this information and for providing these links.
Can anyone advise, from personal experience, what it is that these programs do (or claim to do) that are advertised on TV so often for making your old PC speed up and run like new again?
Could it be that all that these programs do is run the built in Windows Cleanup Tool? Or do they use a custom defrag utility, such as the one by Puran that was recommended by daaf (and thank you, daaf!).
I had thought that too much defragging was a bad thing for the average home based PC and especially the Boot Time defragging that the Puran Product claims to do. Am I  mistaken?
 

[mchain]

Can anyone advise, from personal experience, what it is that these programs do (or claim to do) that are advertised on TV so often for making your old PC speed up and run like new again?

I would never run that sort of program on my pc.  Ever.

Could it be that all that these programs do is run the built in Windows Cleanup Tool?

Exactly.  If not the same program code, then the same principle would apply.

You do not need these other programs at the moment.

To run Windows Cleanup Tool, go to My Computer>double-click that>right-click the drive you want to clean up>go to Properties>click that and run the Disk Cleanup Tool in 'Local Disk (C:) Properties'.  NOTE:  Run only the Disk Cleanup tool; do not have the 'Compress drive to save space' option ticked off.  Very important to not check this off.

This what I think ady4um meant by a built-in Windows maintenance program.  Use that instead of the other programs suggested.

Reason I say this is because the skill and competence level of the user is very important.  If one is a beginner, one should stick with programs provided with Windows, i.e., use the Windows defragger program to defragment the drive, and so on.

I had thought that too much defragging was a bad thing for the average home based PC

If one does not defrag a Windows XP or Vista system periodically, a system slowdown can result simply from excessive fragmentation.  Fragmentation is the result of Windows writing a file to disk in open available data spaces; not all files are written in complete sections without being broken up into several smaller parts.

Excessive fragmentation can result in the hard drive working too hard to retrieve the file(s) being asked for; this will impact system speed noticeably.

These instructions are for XP, Vista may differ to some extent.

Running Microsoft Disk Defragmenter, do  Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter.  Note that Disk Cleanup is also available here as well (for XP) 

If your system is badly fragmented, (I suspect it is) this will take some time, go have a cup of brew and wait for it to finish.

As before, work within your competence and comfort level.  Advanced tools are just that, for advanced users.

Windows 7, as I understand it, is set to automatically defragment the drive(s) periodically without the user being involved.  Hence, Windows 7 usually does not require defragmentation maintenance, as it does it for you.