McAfee QuickClean

QuickClean improves your computer's performance by deleting files that can create clutter on your computer. It empties your Recycle Bin and deletes temporary files, shortcuts, lost file fragments, registry files, cached files, cookies, browser history files, sent and deleted e-mail, recently used files, Active-X files, and system restore point files. QuickClean also protects your privacy by using the McAfee Shredder component to securely and permanently delete items that may contain sensitive, personal information, such as your name and address. For information about shredding files, see McAfee Shredder.

Disk Defragmenter arranges files and folders on your computer to ensure that they do not become scattered (that is, fragmented) when saved on your computer's hard drive. By defragmenting your hard drive periodically, you ensure that these fragmented files and folders are consolidated for quick retrieval later.

If you do not want to maintain your computer manually, you can schedule both QuickClean and Disk Defragmenter to run automatically, as independent tasks, at any frequency.

Note: SecurityCenter reports critical and non-critical protection problems as soon as it detects them. If you need help diagnosing your protection problems, you can run McAfee Virtual Technician.

In this chapter QuickClean features Cleaning your computer Defragmenting your computer Scheduling a task

QuickClean features

QuickClean provides various cleaners that delete unnecessary files safely and efficiently. By deleting these files, you increase the space on your computer's hard drive and improve its performance.

Cleaning your computer

QuickClean deletes files that can create clutter on your computer. It empties your Recycle Bin and deletes temporary files, shortcuts, lost file fragments, registry files, cached files, cookies, browser history files, sent and deleted e-mail, recently-used files, Active-X files, and system restore point files. QuickClean deletes these items without affecting other essential information.

You can use any of QuickClean's cleaners to delete unnecessary files from your computer. The following table describes the QuickClean cleaners:

Name	Function
Recycle Bin Cleaner	Deletes files in the Recycle Bin.
Temporary Files Cleaner	Deletes files stored in temporary folders.
Shortcut Cleaner	Deletes broken shortcuts and shortcuts that do not have a program associated with them.
Lost File Fragment Cleaner	Deletes lost file fragments on your computer.
Registry Cleaner	Deletes Windows® registry information for programs that no longer exist on your computer. The registry is a database in which Windows stores its configuration information. The registry contains profiles for each computer user and information about system hardware, installed programs, and property settings. Windows continually references this information during its operation.
Cache Cleaner	Deletes cached files that accumulate as you browse Web pages. These files are usually stored as temporary files in a cache folder. A cache folder is a temporary storage area on your computer. To increase Web browsing speed and efficiency, your browser can retrieve a Web page from its cache (rather than from a remote server) the next time you want to view it.
Cookie Cleaner	Deletes cookies. These files are usually stored as temporary files. A cookie is a small file containing information, usually including a user name and the current date and time, stored on the computer of a person browsing the Web. Cookies are primarily used by Web sites to identify users who have previously registered on or visited the site; however, they can also be a source of information for hackers.
Browser History Cleaner	Deletes your Web browser history.
Outlook Express and Outlook E-mail Cleaner (sent and deleted items)	Deletes sent and deleted e-mail from Outlook® and Outlook Express.
Recently Used Cleaner	Deletes recently used files that have been created with any of these programs: Adobe Acrobat® Corel® WordPerfect® Office (Corel Office) Jasc® Lotus® Microsoft® Office® RealPlayer™ Windows History Windows Media Player WinRAR® WinZip®
ActiveX Cleaner	Deletes ActiveX controls. ActiveX is a software component used by programs or Web pages to add functionality that blends in and appears as a normal part of the program or Web page. Most ActiveX controls are harmless; however, some may capture information from your computer.
System Restore Point Cleaner	Deletes old system restore points (except the most recent one) from your computer. System restore points are created by Windows to mark any changes made to your computer so that you can revert to a previous state if any problems occur.

In this section Clean your computer

Clean your computer

You can use any of QuickClean's cleaners to delete unnecessary files from your computer. When finished, under QuickClean Summary, you can view the amount of disk space reclaimed after cleanup, the number of files that were deleted, and the date and time when the last QuickClean operation ran on your computer.

1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter pane, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
2. Under McAfee QuickClean, click Start.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Click Next to accept the default cleaners in the list.
   • Select or clear the appropriate cleaners, and then click Next. If you select the Recently Used Cleaner, you can click Properties to select or clear the files that have been recently created with the programs in the list, and then click OK.
   • Click Restore Defaults to restore the default cleaners, and then click Next.
4. After the analysis is performed, click Next.
5. Click Next to confirm the file deletion.
6. Do one of the following:
   • Click Next to accept the default No, I want to delete files using standard Windows deletion.
   • Click Yes, I want to securely erase my files using Shredder, specify the number of passes, up to 10, and then click Next. Shredding files can be a lengthy process if there is a large amount of information being erased.
7. If any files or items were locked during cleanup, you may be prompted to restart your computer. Click OK to close the prompt.
8. Click Finish.

Note: Files deleted with Shredder cannot be recovered. For information about shredding files, see McAfee Shredder.

Defragmenting your computer

Disk Defragmenter arranges files and folders on your computer so that they do not become scattered (that is, fragmented) when saved on your computer's hard drive. By defragmenting your hard drive periodically, you ensure that these fragmented files and folders are consolidated for quick retrieval later.

In this section Defragment your computer

Defragment your computer

You can defragment your computer to improve file and folder access and retrieval.

1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter pane, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
2. Under Disk Defragmenter, click Analyze.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: For more information about Disk Defragmenter, see the Windows Help.

Scheduling a task

Task Scheduler automates the frequency with which QuickClean or Disk Defragmenter runs on your computer. For example, you can schedule a QuickClean task to empty your Recycle Bin every Sunday at 9:00 P.M. or a Disk Defragmenter task to defragment your computer's hard drive on the last day of every month. You can create, modify, or delete a task at any time. You must be logged in to your computer for a scheduled task to run. If a task does not run for any reason, it will be rescheduled five minutes after you log in again.

In this section Schedule a QuickClean task Modify a QuickClean task Delete a QuickClean task Schedule a Disk Defragmenter task Modify a Disk Defragmenter task Delete a Disk Defragmenter task

Schedule a QuickClean task

You can schedule a QuickClean task to automatically clean your computer using one or more cleaners. When finished, under QuickClean Summary, you can view the date and time when your task is scheduled to run again.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click McAfee QuickClean.
3. Type a name for your task in the Task name box, and then click Create.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Click Next to accept the cleaners in the list.
   • Select or clear the appropriate cleaners, and then click Next. If you select the Recently Used Cleaner, you can click Properties to select or clear the files that have been recently created with the programs in the list, and then click OK.
   • Click Restore Defaults to restore the default cleaners, and then click Next.
5. Do one of the following:
   • Click Schedule to accept the default No, I want to delete files using standard Windows deletion.
   • Click Yes, I want to securely erase my files using Shredder, specify the number of passes, up to 10, and then click Schedule.
6. In the Schedule dialog box, select the frequency with which you want the task to run, and then click OK.
7. If you made changes to the Recently Used Cleaner properties, you may be prompted to restart your computer. Click OK to close the prompt.
8. Click Finish.

Note: Files deleted with Shredder cannot be recovered. For information about shredding files, see McAfee Shredder.

Modify a QuickClean task

You can modify a scheduled QuickClean task to change the cleaners it uses or the frequency with which it automatically runs on your computer. When finished, under QuickClean Summary, you can view the date and time when your task is scheduled to run again.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click McAfee QuickClean.
3. Select the task in the Select an existing task list, and then click Modify.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Click Next to accept the cleaners selected for the task.
   • Select or clear the appropriate cleaners, and then click Next. If you select the Recently Used Cleaner, you can click Properties to select or clear the files that have been recently created with the programs in the list, and then click OK.
   • Click Restore Defaults to restore the default cleaners, and then click Next.
5. Do one of the following:
   • Click Schedule to accept the default No, I want to delete files using standard Windows deletion.
   • Click Yes, I want to securely erase my files using Shredder, and specify the number of passes, up to 10, and then click Schedule.
6. In the Schedule dialog box, select the frequency with which you want the task to run, and then click OK.
7. If you made changes to the Recently Used Cleaner properties, you may be prompted to restart your computer. Click OK to close the prompt.
8. Click Finish.

Note: Files deleted with Shredder cannot be recovered. For information about shredding files, see McAfee Shredder.

Delete a QuickClean task

You can delete a scheduled QuickClean task if you no longer want it to run automatically.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click McAfee QuickClean.
3. Select the task in the Select an existing task list.
4. Click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion.
5. Click Finish.

Schedule a Disk Defragmenter task

You can schedule a Disk Defragmenter task to schedule the frequency with which your computer's hard drive is automatically defragmented. When finished, under Disk Defragmenter, you can view the date and time when your task is scheduled to run again.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click Disk Defragmenter.
3. Type a name for your task in the Task name box, and then click Create.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Click Schedule to accept the default Perform defragmentation even if the free space is low option.
   • Clear the Perform defragmentation even if the free space is low option, and then click Schedule.
5. In the Schedule dialog box, select the frequency with which you want the task to run, and then click OK.
6. Click Finish.

Modify a Disk Defragmenter task

You can modify a scheduled Disk Defragmenter task to change the frequency with which it automatically runs on your computer. When finished, under Disk Defragmenter, you can view the date and time when your task is scheduled to run again.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click Disk Defragmenter.
3. Select the task in the Select an existing task list, and then click Modify.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Click Schedule to accept the default Perform defragmentation even if the free space is low option.
   • Clear the Perform defragmentation even if the free space is low option, and then click Schedule.
5. In the Schedule dialog box, select the frequency with which you want the task to run, and then click OK.
6. Click Finish.

Delete a Disk Defragmenter task

You can delete a scheduled Disk Defragmenter task if you no longer want it to run automatically.

1. Open the Task Scheduler pane.

   How?

   1. On the McAfee SecurityCenter, under Common Tasks, click Maintain Computer.
      
   2. Under Task Scheduler, click Start.
      
2. In the Select operation to schedule list, click Disk Defragmenter.
3. Select the task in the Select an existing task list.
4. Click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion.
5. Click Finish.