ActiveWindows -- Quarterdeck CleanSweep Deluxe Review

Software Reviews

Quarterdeck CleanSweep Deluxe

CleanSweep Deluxe from Quarterdeck is a must have for all Shareware and download junkies. It is a first rate uninstaller which removes installed applications, redundant DLL's and orphaned registry entries. Its Internet Sweep feature also helps in removing ActiveX controls and plug-ins installed over the Internet.

Setup

The setup is straightforward and uncomplicated. All you have to do is specify an installation location and the rest is magic.

Interface

The CleanSweep Deluxe's interface is not a standard Windows 95. It is innovative, uncluttered and easy to use. It consists of various tabs. Clicking each tab brings up the various sub menus associated with each tab.

Usage

CleanSweep Deluxe loads three components on Windows 95/98 startup. The Smart Sweep module takes care of monitoring all the setup programs being run. On detecting the execution of a setup program it makes a note of the program files location, changes to Registry and other details. The Internet Sweep module monitors the installation of ActiveX controls and Plug-ins. This simplifies the removal of ActiveX components. The third module Usage Watch keeps track of files which are being accessed. The Unused and Low Usage File Finders use this information to determine which files are infrequently accessed and thus may no longer be needed. The three components use just around 20K of memory.

The main CleanSweep program consists of various wizards. For uninstalling a program an Uninstall Wizard is provided. The Wizard allows you to uninstall programs monitored by Smart Sweep and Internet Sweep. If the program in question has not been monitored you can point the wizard to the main EXE file or the main program group. The patented Safety Sweep feature does not allow the deletion of sensitive files. But even if you did delete an important file CleanSweep keeps an archive of all uninstalled programs for a certain period of as specified by the user. This allows you to restore the file. The Archive Wizard can be used for compressing infrequently used program for later use. The Backup Wizard allows you to make a backup of a program but does not uninstall it. Two wizards that really come in handy are the Move and Transport wizard. The Move Wizard allows you to move programs between drives or to a new folder. The Transport Wizard helps in moving programs across computers.

CleanSweep also comes with various cleanup utilities, which help in removing hard disk clutter. You can remove duplicate files, redundant DLL's and orphaned files. The Internet Sweep feature helps in clearing up Internet junk. Cookies, browser cache, plug-ins can all be managed from the same interface. The registry, the mysterious part of Windows 9x has not been ignored. The Registry Genie is a useful tool for registry tweaking and editing. It gives on the fly information on the entry being edited. Registry Sweep scans the registry and removes unused entries. The Update-It feature gives you easy access to updates on the Quarterdeck site.

Summary

On the whole CleanSweep Deluxe is an efficient uninstaller which can be used by both the power user and the beginner. Full marks to the tabbed interface that allows easy access to all facets of the program. Uninstalling is smooth and rarely does a sensitive file get deleted.

For more details check out www.quarterdeck.com

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