by Claudia Ludwig
Quarterdeck’s CleanSweep is an uninstaller containing several components that helps keep and maintain a clean hard drive.
It works best if installed on a new system so that it can monitor program installations.
In this regard, the system on which it was installed for evaluation was fairly close, containing only the operating system, utilities such as Partition Magic, Internet access through HALNET, Netscape and Lotus Smart Suite.
Installation was reasonably simple. There are several admonitions. Quarterdeck Safe does not function on Windows98. CleanSweep does not support HPFS, which is available in WinNT. Be sure and read the “Readme” file if you use NT. A message also advises against removing MS Plus Pack, Internet Explorer 4, or Word Perfect Suite 8. The installation placed shortcuts to CleanSweep, Fast and Safe Cleanup, and the Quarterdeck Safe on the desktop. Before installation “C” had 1.27 GB free and after installation, 1.25 GB free
The Fast and Safe Cleanup was reviewed first. It is designed to find and delete specific file types: temporary files, Internet browser cache, Windows recycle bin, and lost cluster files.
The program stated that there was “8.48 GB free on all non-removable drives” and that “85.36 MB can be freed on all removable drives”. Note that when it says “Scan Done”, it really is not. It takes a short time (enough that you start to wonder why your mouse will not respond) to list each drive and the amount of space that can be freed on each. In the test case, 34.47 MG on “C”, 50.67 on “D”, and zero on “E”. Those were the partitions that had Windows programs and data. It did not list “K” which had DOS programs. After allowing it to “sweep”, “C” had 1.29 GB free. Fast and Clean should be used on a periodic basis to clean the non-essential files off the hard drives and can be scheduled under settings to do so automatically.
CleanSweep has five wizards: Uninstall which uninstalls a program and provides an option for backing up the program first; Archive which compresses infrequently used programs for later use; Backup which creates a compressed backup but does not delete; Move which moves a program to a different drive of folder; and Transport which replicates a program to another computer. Two of these were evaluated.
The next test was to install a program and then uninstall it. Micrografx Small Business was used, the program itself being installed on “D”. CleanSweep asked if it should monitor the installation and this was accepted.
A file, “cdcache.emd”, which was 5 KB, was not removed from “D” and therefore the directory (folder name) was not removed. However, the directory was removed from the program files on “C”.
It is unknown where the .01 GB was lost on “C”. Fast and Clean was rerun and it noted that nothing could be freed from “D” but that 2.16 MG could be freed on “C”.
The Move Wizard was also tested. Netscape had inadvertently been installed on “C”, so the Move Wizard was used to move it to “D”. First, the Quarterdeck Safe was used to backup the program. It was then moved to “D”. After the program move, only the directory name was left under programs folder - the directory was empty. With reservations, HALNET was launched and when the connection was established, a click on the Netscape icon brought up Netscape. There was no problem with the pathway to it.
The program generally performed as represented. The results were very satisfactory. In questioning those that have used it on a fully loaded computer prior to installation of CleanSweep, the results have been similar except that directory names and other minor things have had to be manually cleaned off since the program did not monitor the installation.
Support can be obtained from a Forum on CompuServe (Go Quarterdeck) or from the Quarterdeck wed site (www.quarterdeck.com/). Tech support can also be contacted on the Internet at forum.quarterdeck.com/. Address and phone numbers are also provided however the 1-800 number is for “Pay Support”.
Longtime HAL-PC MEMBER Claudia Ludwig is active in a number of SIGs including the Build or Buy and helps with the monthly General Meeting. She can be reached at claudia_ludwig@hotmail.com
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