Cleaner Means Faster

This article is also available in Spanish: Más limpio es más rápido

It's a well-known and proven fact that keeping your computer clean of unnecessary files will improve its performance. This is one of those ''less means more'' situations where, if you take out superfluous information, you will get a boost in processing data in return. The domino effect of this cleaning operation can go as far as having a positive impact on productivity if the PC that receives the good treatment is the one at your workplace.

Erasing the files that are no longer needed but still present and clogging the workstation can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially when done manually, that is, searching and deleting temporary files, cookies and history entries by hand. To avoid this, you can use the ''Disk Cleanup'' tool that is built-in in Windows or go for another application that will automate the procedure and save you precious time.

Quite a few apps out there were built to be able to help users remove those items no longer required, so one definitely has where to choose from. Even if they want the no-cost, freeware solution, there's surely something that can get the job done for them. Such a tool is Moo0 DiskCleaner, a handy freebie that will enable users to wipe out those redundant files with a few clicks. No complicated settings to tinker with, just a checklist and one is good to go.

Simplicity may be the keyword and ease of use the concept that this software was built upon because you can see what it's all about at a glance. The interface is user friendly, nice looking and customizable with various skins, 15 to be more precise. There are also several languages available that can be accessed from the ''View'' menu, where you'll find an interesting option that, when activated, allows you to close the application using the wheel button on your mouse. All the functions are in plain sight, so, as soon as you open the utility, it is ready to run at full speed and free up valuable space in no time.

At program startup, Moo0 DiskCleaner automatically scans for anything that can be deleted to claim disk space, an operation that takes only a few seconds. It will show you the total amount of space occupied, as well as the number of files identified during the examination it performed in the lower-left corner. When it comes to selecting the items to be removed, you are faced with a long list that includes over 130 targets by default. However, by checking a box in the lower-right corner, you can have on display just the ones related to software installed onto your computer and this setting will be preserved the next time you run the application, so it doesn't require special attention every time.

This tool can handle the traces left behind by dozens of programs that are likely to be found on an average user's PC, like Internet browsers, multimedia players, archivers, anti-virus or file-sharing tools, to name a few software categories. The types of items it can clean are also varied and include registry values (for history), temporary, cache, log, update, memory dump and downloaded files, cookies, as well as the visited links. An option one can use to ensure that even the most stubborn listed entries will be gone is ''Always Clean on System Boot.'' If the user ticks this box, they will be able to erase the files currently in use or locked, provided they have enough administrative privileges.

Once you've marked the items that you want to be wiped off your hard drive, it's time to hit the ''Clean Now!'' button and have them permanently removed. Running this task will be barely noticeable in terms of system usage because Moo0 DiskCleaner will only put to work under 10 MB of memory. A confirmation box notifies you when the job is complete and informs you of how many files will be erased on the next system boot. It's worth mentioning that you will get the same speedy results even if your system runs Windows XP, where the path for the temporary files is different from that in Windows 7, the OS employed during our testing.

The Good The main strong point of this utility is its ability to handle a wide range of traces left by over 130 software applications. It works fast and requires few resources while providing an interface with options easy to understand and employ even by less experienced computer users. Also on the positive side are the multiple supported languages and the skins that can be utilized to change the appearance to one’s liking.

The Bad On the downside, there is little to be said, except for the fact that there is no option to select and deselect all items at once. Such a feature would help even more in automating the process of cleaning the unwanted files. Also, the utility doesn't currently offer to wipe zero-byte files or shortcuts that are no longer functional.

The Truth