What Is PC Privacy Cleaner?

When you log onto the Internet, some of the websites you visit will place small files on your computer's hard drive called "cookies." The Windows operating system also stores a history of the sites visited. All of these files (and more) are not usually shown, but they can be deleted as a way of preserving privacy of the PC owner.

Your Computer Stores More Information Than You Think

The Internet cache in Windows stores a file that lists recent Internet activity. You can view this file by opening Internet Explorer, then click on "Tools," "Internet Options," "Settings" "Temporary Internet Files" and "View Files." This is one example of how every site you visit, every file you open and every person you email is stored somewhere on your hard drive.

Clearing Files By The Owner

As a PC owner, you can clear your Windows history file and empty your recycle bin. More experienced users can open the "cookie" file and, using a text editor, selectively delete certain "cookies."

PC Cleaners Do A More Thorough Job

Commercial PC cleaning programs dig deeper and can erase hidden history data such as details stored in a Windows index.dat file, browser history and Windows clipboard, providing more privacy protection than the average PC owner would be able to do himself.

Fundamental Cleaner Tasks

At the very least, PC cleaner programs delete temporary Internet files, auto-complete forms, lists of visited websites, lists of recently opened documents and "cookie" files. Some PC cleaners will not only delete Windows Explorer history files but also those created by Outlook and Netscape.

Other Features

Some commercial privacy cleaner software will also give you the ability to easily erase the tracks of applications such as the playlists of Realplayer, Mediaplayer and QuickTime, and recent files of Office, Acrobat, and Winzip.

The Cost

Most commercial PC cleaning programs are inexpensive and are easy to use. They also have additional features that make them a good value and are a utility PC owners should have in their software library.

Resources

• Popular PC Privacy Cleaner Program