How To Clean UP Unused Files

[Barbee]

I download a lot of games, mostly from Big Fish Games. When I uninstall a game, I think all files are gone but if I redownload the game I find it lets me start where I left off before... therefore files are hidden that are not being removed. How can I remove all these files? I've been downloading games from them for 10 years so I must have a lot of trash to be disposed of. Is there a way to do this? My computer is probably 6 or 7 yrs old so I would like to clean as much as I can to keep it in good shape for a while longer.

These games are already uninstalled so iobituninstaller I do not think will work as I can only get a power uninstall when I uninstall something already there.

 

[richc46]

Barbee
You may want to try and download the free ccleaner. It should remove all the remanants of the game. When you are done use cc once or twice a month to keep your OS clean and operating efficiently.
After you are done, this is the proper way to maintain your computer.
To maintain your computer

10 Tips on How to Properly Maintain Your Computer
ignore, reg cleaners.

Steps that I did not notice on the guide include:

Running a scan disc before doing a defrag

Using Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes.

Making System Restore points, at least once a week

Makaing a system Image once a month (varies by user)

Not relying on your A/V common sense, should prevail. You know of many sites can cause a problem.

Do not use any reg cleaning or optimizing software.

Download and use Ccleaner about once every two months.
http://www.piriform.com/

Download and use PSI, to to be sure that all of your software is up to date
Free Computer Security - Personal Software Inspector (PSI) - Secunia

If you follow these instructions, you will be trouble free for a long time to come.

Be sure to back up your hard drive about once a month (varies by user) and to keeep system restore points up to date.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...er-performance

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html

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[Barbee]

I use CC cleanr all the time. The files are not being removed by it. I have a portable drive that has more space than my hard drive that I save everything to. Once burned twice shy.

Edit: Oops, I never did click on REGISTRY clean. It scared me. I just did it and made a back up before "fixing" files in registry. Maybe now they will be gone. Thank you.

 

[richc46]

I am sorry that cc did not work for you.
There is a limited amount of safe procedures that can be used. Try disc clean up
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76073-disk-cleanup.html
If that does not work the stronger, revo uninstaller should do the job.
If reg clean in cc does not work, do not try to clean the registry further. A mistake on the registry will turn your computer into a paper weight.

 

[Barbee]

Oops I did registry clean from cc. I hope I didn't hurt anything. I hate to try things I don't really understand. I never know what things to check when I use CC

 

[richc46]

CC is safe, many members use the reg cleaner in CC. You did not cause any problems. If your problem is not solved, however, do not tamper with the registry any further.

 

[Barbee]

Whew.... thank you. Computer seems to be running very good.

 

[richc46]

You are very welcome. The regular members here are very conservative and only suggest what is safe and usually effective.

 

[townsbg]

I have used ccleaner on my desktop but didn't use the registry cleaner. I don't trust any registry however I have heard that ccleaner's is less problematic than other. However I have also heard that if you use cclear's registry cleaner that you should do multiple scan until it didn't find anything. That could take 3-4 sweeps to do so. You gave where either storing the files somewhere it ccleaner is programmed not to touch due to safety reasons or in the registry.

 

[Barbee]

I have used ccleaner on my desktop but didn't use the registry cleaner. I don't trust any registry however I have heard that ccleaner's is less problematic than other. However I have also heard that if you use cclear's registry cleaner that you should do multiple scan until it didn't find anything. That could take 3-4 sweeps to do so. You gave where either storing the files somewhere it ccleaner is programmed not to touch due to safety reasons or in the registry.

Scan with what?

 

[townsbg]

I am referring to the registry cleaner in ccleaner if you choose to use it.

 

[richc46]

Even though cc registry cleaner is considered safe, and I even suggested it. I would say that if your only problem is the one mentioned in your first post, let it go. If you do attempt to continue trying, the first thing to do is back up your registry

 

[janicee]

There are many system cleaner software..but I prefer Ccleaner, one of the best software that helps to remove all unwanted file, cookies, temporary files etc. from the PC.

 

[pappi]

I've been using CCleaner for nearly a decade and as far as I know I have never encountered any problem attributable to its use, including registry fixing. Being a neat freak with obsessive fixation on free-space GB count, I tend to over use CCleaner(daily...mostly before quitting PC for the night).

I wonder if there is a downside to obsessive/compulsive disc cleaning.

 

[richc46]

I have suggested to many the use of CCleaner. In fact I use it myself, never had or heard of a problem. There is not harm to clean once a day, but it does not really help much either. If you want to keep your computer clean follow these instructions:

To maintain your computer

10 Tips on How to Properly Maintain Your Computer
ignore, reg cleaners.

Steps that I did not notice on the guide include:

Running a scan disc before doing a defrag

Using Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes.

Making System Restore points, at least once a week

Makaing a system Image once a month (varies by user)

Not relying on your A/V common sense, should prevail. You know of many sites can cause a problem.

Do not use any reg cleaning or optimizing software.

Download and use Ccleaner about once every two months. Untick any registry entries.
http://www.piriform.com/

Download and use PSI, to to be sure that all of your software is up to date
Free Computer Security - Personal Software Inspector (PSI) - Secunia

If you follow these instructions, you will be trouble free for a long time to come.

Be sure to back up your hard drive about once a month (varies by user) and to keeep system restore points up to date.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...er-performance

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html

---

 

[pappi]

Speaking of 3rd party maintenance tools: along with CCleaner, I regularly use Auslogic Disc and Registry defrags. When downloading them (separately)use piriform route and customize it to avoid unnecessary tag-along softwares(like toolbars, unwanted icons, installation in recycle bin and such). They perform in a fraction of time than built in tools'... with attractive interactive animations and dynamic graphs. Also, they offer trial period of registry clean-up speed boost(which I never tried 'cuzz the number "of "junk files" it purports to uncover for deletion is scaringly staggering (by the hundreds.... like more than 500. How can my registry be so junked? How can I delete so many files?)

 

[richc46]

I maintain my computer in the manner that I described in my previous post and I too use Aslogics Defrag and notice that they show a lot of junk files, which I ignore. Vista is not XP, it is self maintaining to a big extent. All the extras are not needed and may even cause problems. Its best to leave registry alone, with the exception of Cc reg cleaning.
Leave the reg files alone, they are not causing any harm, if they are even actually unneeded files.
Just follow my maintenance schedule and you will be trouble free and don't be concerned about "so called" junk files.

 

[Fiery]

I love Revo Uninstaller Pro, not only does it uninstall the programme, but it does keep the registry relativity clean, and removes unwanted and obsolete folders.

 

[townsbg]

I think that cleaning daily is a bit extreme.

 

[pappi]

Scan with what? With CCleaner: Open CCleaner window, click REGISTRY then run SCAN FOR ISSUES more than once until it does not find any more issues to fix(or delete from registry).

Sometimes after deleting a huge program, many orphaned components stay undeleted in registry...in which case CCleaner may not find all of them in one scan. (Make sure you save them. And take note where they are saved). After a while, if you keep running smoothly, you can track down saved files(always saved as CC) and delete them permanently. Or not... as they are saved in kb's(not MB's or GB's)...negligible amount of space in your hard drive.