Windows Registry - clearing unused network & printer profiles

HP G72 253NR

WIN 7HP x64 SP1

CCLEANER FREE 4.15.4725 x64

My system registry contains information on unused networks and printers that in some cases, I never even connected to. This is a privacy concern, as it triangulates where and when I have been. Is this something CCleaner could address?

Following are registry paths on what I found so far:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Wpad\* (SSID, MAC)

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles* (SSID)

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Signatures\Unmanaged* (SSID)

Computer\HKEY_USERS\XXXX\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Wpad* (SSID, MAC)

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Hewlett-Packard\HPWarrentyChecker\Devices*

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM*ControlSet*\Control\Class\XXXX\0001*

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM*ControlSet*\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Drivers\Version-3*

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM*ControlSet*\Enum\PrinterBusEnumerator\UMB*

ANDY - Salt Lake, UT US

you may not have specifically connected to those networks, but the fact they are listed in your Registry means the PC has.

being a wifi laptop, that's not surprising.

having CC remove network entries from the Registry may fall into the 'too harsh' category as it would be removing stored wifi information, for example, which may tick people off.

you can always add those entries yourself to remove them.

BTW; the latest version is 4.17.4808

The Include section may allow specific custom files and folders to delete, but these are entries in the system registry file.

Piriform is expert at cleaning the registry, I am not.

Removing all inactive network and printer profiles seems reasonable.

If I use regedit to do this manually, I have a higher probably of killing my system. {bonk}

But how would ccleaner, using the logic it uses now as opposed to a complete rewrite of the existing code, know which are active and which are not

But how would ccleaner, using the logic it uses now as opposed to a complete rewrite of the existing code, know which are active and which are not

Well as I said, Piriform is expert at cleaning the registry, I am not. B)

Somehow, Windows shows active profiles under Manage Wireless Networks; Devices And Printers. Wouldn't that be the screening process for what to keep?

Many of the files and logs users trim with CCleaner are not just for the purpose of cleaning, but for privacy. This seems like a suggestion that fits with that.

I think the hurdle lies in the fact that, over time, PC's can accumulate many printers and network connections.

If the unit is a laptop, the network side of it, especially wireless ones, can grow very quickly.

There is no way I know where Windows (and the Registry) keeps tabs on which printer or network is 'inactive'.

It's too vague a concept to pin down. The registry for example doesn't stored the last time a printer was used so how do you define "that printer is unused so CC should remove it".

And some wifi networks may only be accessed once a week, or month, or so on. If the laptop gets moved around from school, work, uni, holidays etc it may only reconnect to networks intermittently so again, defining the criteria that makes something unused or inactive is going to be difficult.

I don't think CC's main function is privacy cleaning, it's crap cleaning. Sometimes removing the later helps with the former but that's more coincidence than anything else.

But how would ccleaner, using the logic it uses now as opposed to a complete rewrite of the existing code, know which are active and which are not

Exactly.

And if CCleaner had such abilities it would probably have to be manually done by the user through CCleaner like how Startups are dealt with.

If CCleaner was to automatically deal with them automatically I'd expect the forum to explode with angry posts and rightfully so.

Sorry, I confused the issue. Let me reframe the suggestion.

I want to suggest flushing network/printer “caches” from the registry as you do other caches.

These caches (that I was calling inactive-profiles) are not shown to the user. Active-profiles (recently used or long ago) would be left alone. Windows keeps track of those and shows them to the user under Manage Wireless Networks; Devices and Printers.

I would nominate the bountiful unlisted caches as definate registry crap.