CCleaner Beginner's Guide

Registry

On your left you have check boxes to select what you would like to clean or not to clean. By default, all are selected.

Tip: I recommend having them all checked.

Clicking on Scan for Issues will create a check list of everything CCleaner is going to remove from the registry.

Problem - Will tell you what the problem is. You can click on the check box next to Problem to check or uncheck all the problems.

Data - What the registry key is.

Registry Key - What the full path of the registry key is.

Right clicking on a Problem:

Select All will select everything.

Select All of Type will select everything with the same Problem. Example: Missing MUI Reference

Deselect All will deselect everything.

Deselect All of Type will deselect everything with the same Problem. Example: Missing MUI Reference

Open in Regedit... will open the selected entry in regedit. This feature may not work if your Windows XP account is limited and regedit has been disabled on it.

Clicking on Fix selected issues... will remove everything selected. Once you click on Fix selected issues... you will be asked "Do you want to backup changes to the registry?" It's up to you, if you want to or not, but I never had any problems with not backing up. But, I backup my full registry every now and then anyways.

Now a window will pop up saying how many there are and what it is. In the top left, it will say what the problem is, and at the top is will describe the problem in full. At the bottom you have 5 buttons. << >> will scroll through all of the problems. Fix Issue will fix each issue one by one. Fix All Selected Issues will fix all of the issues you have selected. I tend to click on Fix All Selected Issues, because there are so many... Once you are done, just click on Close. Many of them might recreate themselves once you restart your computer, but it's ok. It's a Windows thing.... Lastly, Close will close the Issue Fix window.

Issue Scanning Information

Registry Integrity

Missing Shared DLLs - Invalid paths to missing shared DLLs.

Unused File Extensions - File extensions no longer used by programs.

ActiveX and Class Issues - Invalid paths to ActiveX and Class components that no longer installed.

Type Libraries - Invalid paths to type libraries that no loner exist.

Applications - Invalid paths to frequently-used programs in the Start Menu.

Fonts - Invalid paths to fonts that no longer installed.

Application Paths - Invalid paths to applications that no longer installed.

Help Files - Invalid paths to help files that no longer installed.

Installer - Invalid paths to .exe files that no longer there.

Obsolete Software - Invalid paths to programs that are that no longer in use.

Run At Startup - Invalid paths to programs that no longer startup with Windows.

Start Menu Ordering - Invalid folders referenced in the Start Menu.

MUI Cache - Invalid icons and their string descriptions for various internal Windows uses.

Restoring Issues Backup

Go to the folder where your Issues backup is located (default location is My Documents). The backup file will be something like this cc_20080818_230043. cc (CCleaner) 2008, 08, 18 (Year, Month, Day) 2300, 43 (Time/24 hour clock, Seconds). Right click on the file and click on Merge, you will be asked if you would like to add the information or not.

Keyboard Shortcuts

ALT+S Scan for Issues
ALT+C Cancel
ALT+F Fix selected issues