I want to clean my computer... files.. programs.. everything
I'm not selling it, I just want to start from scratch
I've backed up all my important files onto a hard drive, so no worries there
Will drive wipe do this? as in clean all that but keeping essentials like windows (as a whole), explorer and so on?
And if so.. which settings do I put it on? thanks x
Will drive wipe do this? as in clean all that but keeping essentials like windows (as a whole), explorer and so on?
Yes.
. . . which settings do I put it on? . . .
If you haven't read the doc (method 2), here it is. http://www.piriform....free-disk-space
In the past I've ☑ ticked an HDD partition I want wiped, select Free Space Only, Simple Overwrite (1 pass). It overwites the free space, including Master File Table free space.
It doesn't mess with the operating system or any fiiles I want to keep.
No. Drive wiping will do one of two things.
1- Erase the entire disk with zeros or a random pattern. Everything is gone, the computer will not boot. Everything, 100% gone.
2- Erase free (currently unused) space only. All user data, OS, applications, everything is left intact. This is more a basic security feature than anything else.
The drive wiper feature in CCleaner will not selectively erase user data or applications or add-on programs, and leave the OS(windows, explorer, calculator, wordpad) intact.
You either blast the entire disk, or just the currently unused portions.
I want to clean my computer... files.. programs.. everything
I'm not selling it, I just want to start from scratch
I've backed up all my important files onto a hard drive, so no worries there
Will drive wipe do this? as in clean all that but keeping essentials like windows (as a whole), explorer and so on?
And if so.. which settings do I put it on? thanks x
There are 3 desired outcomes listed in your post. They are all different. You said:
1. I want to clean my computer... files.. programs.. everything
2. . . . I just want to start from scratch
3. . . . but keeping essentials like windows (as a whole), explorer and so on?
This is just me talking, I'm not a tekkie nor a Piriform rep. But I have done what you're trying. And if I have somehow garbled this communication, someone more knowledgable will set us straight.
If I wanted outcome # 1 or 2, I would just reinstall from a system image or the original installation disks. Probably will not be fast. You'll need to update the OS and reinstall desired apps, certainly an AV and a firewall.
If I wanted outcome # 3, I would use Ccleaner to uninstall any programs, apps, etc I wanted to lose. A little bit at a time. Be CAREFUL with the registry cleaner. One option at a time. Save the registry backups to someplace you can remember. You have to go over the steps more than once, usually. Also will not be fast.
I have never used Ccleaner to delete files, don't even know if it will, always did that manually.
Then, after you have cleaned out all that, use the wipe free space option to remove leftover stuff in the, well, errr, free space.
And there still might be files that none of these steps removed. Not a bug in Ccleaner, just a fact of life with windows. No "cleaner" is guaranteed to get everything.
If you are worried about malware, go look here: http://forum.pirifor...showtopic=34786 before anything else.