Window Washer is a very useful program for cleaning up the history of your activities on a computer. Many people do not realize that Windows and other software programs store information about what they have done, what documents they have used, what web sites they have visited, and various other activities they have performed. Therefore, anyone else can see what you have been doing on your computer, which raises several privacy concerns. Furthermore, much of your activity information takes up valuable disk space, and recovering this space can be very beneficial.

     Cleaning up the history of your activities can be a tedious chore of manually removing each history file or entry. If privacy and disk space are to be maintained, this process must be performed every time you use your computer. Window Washer can automate this process for you! Window Washer will automatically run in the background and clean up whatever tracks you want removed, whenever you want. You can have Window Washer automatically clean your files either when Windows is started or shutdown, as well as schedule timed cleanings. Window Washer integrates with the standard Microsoft Windows places where your tracks are kept, such as the document menu and the Recycle Bin. It also integrates with popular programs like Netscape and Internet Explorer. What’s more, with the flexible "Custom Items" feature, you can specify other files, folders, or registry entries that you would like to be automatically cleaned!

After installing Window Washer, whenever Window Washer is running there will be a small squeegee icon next to your clock on the Windows Taskbar. If you click once on the squeegee icon, a pop-up menu will appear with 4 options. Select Wash Now from the menu to wash all your items. Select Settings from the menu to open Window Washer's settings window to configure your wash items and other features of Window Washer. Select Download Plugins to open your browser to our Free Plugins page (you must be connected to the internet to open this page). Select Quit to close the Window Washer program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Window Washer automatically removes certain information from your computer, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with Window Washer's features and options, and check the Standard Wash Item paths (see 4 - Verifying and changing…) before "running a wash".

When changing any of the settings listed in the following sections, open Window Washer's main settings window either by clicking the small squeegee icon in the Taskbar and selecting Settings. If you do not see the small squeegee icon in the Taskbar, you can open Window Washer by double-clicking the Window Washer icon on the desktop or by clicking Start | Programs | Window Washer | Window Washer.

The cost to register Window Washer is $29.95 (U.S. Dollars). There are several ways to Register and Pay for Window Washer:

1. Register Online by Credit Card (we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover): http://www.webroot.com/weborder2.htm
   Once your credit card is processed, a receipt page will be displayed (please print this page for your records). To download the registered software, click the Continue button on the receipt page, and the downloading and installation instructions will be displayed (we also recommend pringing this page).
   
   
2. Register by telephone (Credit Card): Call our toll-free sales line at 1-800-772-9383 (outside the U.S.A. call 1-303-554-6528), Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, MST.
   
   
3. Register by check or money order (U.S. Dollars only, please): Fill out the form at http://www.webroot.com/orderprint.htm and click Total My Order. This will generate a completed order form that you can print and send with your check or money order to:
   
   Webroot Software
   P.O. Box 3531
   Boulder, CO 80307-3531
   U.S.A.
   No information is submitted to us when you click Total My Order, but as an alternative to filling out the form, you may simply write down the information requested and send it with your payment.

To change these options, open Window Washer's Settings window. This group of options is located towards the bottom of the Settings window. Please Note: In order for any of the automatic options to function, Window Washer must be running (you will see the small squeegee icon next to the clock when it is running).

Checking this box will cause Window Washer to automatically clean up your selected items every time Microsoft Windows is started.

Checking this box will cause Window Washer to automatically clean up your selected items every time Microsoft Windows is shutdown.

Clicking the Options button next to the "Automatically Wash When Windows is Shut Down" option will open a dialog box with two options: Prompt For Shut Down/Restart Method and Automatically Shut Down Computer. When Windows is shut down and Cache & Cookie Washer runs a wash, if the first option is checked, Windows will display the Shut Down prompt again once the wash is completed, whereas if the second option is checked, Windows will simply proceed automatically to shut down/restart once the wash is complete.

After checking the Automatic Wash Every box, the pull down menu to the right of the box will become active. Using the pull down menu, you can select the time interval in which you would like Window Washer to clean your items. Time intervals range from every 15 minutes to once a month. Once you have selected a time, Window Washer will clean your items automatically when the time is reached.

Checking the Close After a Wash option will close Window Washer completely once it has finished washing. If this option is checked, and Window Washer closes, it will not perform any automatic washes unless it is restarted.

The Add Bleach to Wash Items option instructs Washer to "shred" the files it washes by overwriting each file a set number of times with random characters. This will render the files unrecoverable by utilities such as undelete and unerase. The default setting for bleach will overwrite a file 2 times, which is usually enough. The higher the number of overwrites the longer the wash cycle will take. Overwriting a file 3 times respects the DOD 5220.22-M directive for sanitizing a file on a Non-Removable Rigid Disk or a Removable Rigid Disk and overwriting a file 7 times respects the NSA approved seven-pass file erasure method. You can set the number of times to overwrite a file by clicking on the Info button next to the Add Bleach to Wash Items checkbox.

You can use the Windows System Agent: Task Scheduler to automate cleanings for Window Washer. Simply add the full path of the "autowash.exe" file to the Task Scheduler. For example: "c:\program files\washer\autowash.exe" would be a valid path for an automated wash from within the Task Scheduler. Also, entering "c:\program files\washer\autowash.exe" at the DOS prompt or from within a batch file would also be valid. The "autowash.exe" file instructs Window Washer to wash all selected items and then close itself after washing is completed. When the autowash is run, by default you will see the washing status window as each item is washed. You can turn off the washing status window for an autowash by using the switch: /hide . Example: If you use the hide option, the command would be "c:\program files\washer\autowash.exe /hide" from within a DOS window, or batch file.

When Window Washer is installed it attempts to detect all the Standard Wash Items directory locations, such as the Netscape or IE cache directory. Clicking on the CHANGE WASH DIRECTORIES button on Window Washer's settings window will display a listing of all the detected paths to each standard wash item that is to be cleaned. Below is a list of the standard directories as detected on most (but not all) system configurations:

To change any of the above detected directories, simply click on the Change button located next to the directory and then browse to the new directory and click on OK.

If you want to reset all the directories back to the original detected directories, click on Re-Detect All.

When you are through verifying or changing your default directories, click on Done. This will return you to Window Washer's settings window.

This cleans the history of recent documents that you have opened. The document history is stored under the Microsoft Windows Start Button under the Documents menu item (Start | Documents).

Using this option will also clean "streams" in Windows 98. Streams store information in the Windows registry about what a user has been doing on a system, such as which programs they run, what images they view, and which files they open.

This cleans the history of files you have searched for using the Find program. The Find history is stored under the Microsoft Windows Start Button under Find, then File/Folders menu item (Start | Find | Files/Folders).

This cleans the history of files you have run using the Run command. The Run history is stored under the Microsoft Windows Start Button under the Run menu item (Start | Run).

This cleans the Windows temporary directory (usually located at C:\windows\temp). This directory should not be confused with the Internet Explorer "Temporary Internet Files Directory". The Windows temporary directory stores temporary files that are used during installation of programs and at other various times. Cleaning this directory regularly is generally a good idea. (Note: All contents of this directory are purged during a wash, so be sure that no files contained in this directory are needed).

The Windows utility Scan Disk creates .CHK files at the root directory of drives. These files usually contain junk data and can be erased to help keep drives clean. This option will have Window Washer erase the .CHK files (if they exist) for you.

If you have MS-Office 97 or 2000 installed on your system, this option will clean up the "Most Recently Used" (MRU) lists that are stored. The MRU lists contain links to the last 5 or 10 items that have been used and are found in MS-Office applications under the OPEN, SAVE AS, Insert Picture, and other options. This will clean the MRU lists under Word, Excel, Access, Photo Editor and PowerPoint. The actual documents or files themselves are not removed, only the references to these items in the MRU are removed.

If you have Netscape installed on your system, you can use this Standard Wash Item to clean up Netscape cookies, cache, history, and trash mailbox. Checking this box will activate the Options button next to the Netscape entry. Clicking the Options button allows you to select which Netscape items you would like cleaned: cookies, cache, history, and/or trash mailbox. NOTE: You must close Netscape before Window Washer will be able to clean the Netscape History items.

Once Netscape has been correctly detected (see 4 - Verifying & Changing...), you may choose to have Window Washer save certain cookies on your system. Clicking the Options button next to Netscape on Window Washer's settings window will bring up a list of Netscape options. Click the Cookies to Keep button to display all the cookies currently in your profile. Select a cookie and click Add or Remove in order to add or remove "Keepers" to and from the list in the bottom window. When you have finished selecting the Cookies to Keep, click the Done button to return to the Netscape Options (clicking OK on the Options screen will return you to Window Washer's settings window).

If you have Internet Explorer installed on your system, you can use this Standard Wash Item to clean up Internet Explorer cookies, cache, and history. Checking this box will activate the Options button next to the Internet Explorer entry. Clicking the Options button allows you to select which Internet Explorer items you would like cleaned: cookies, cache, and/or history. There is also an option to exclude cookies from being washed. This option is helpful if you visit sites that store useful cookies that you wish to keep.

Once IE has been correctly detected (see 4 - Verifying & Changing...), you may choose to have Window Washer save certain cookies on your system. Clicking the Options button next to Internet Explorer on Window Washer's settings window will bring up a list of IE/AOL options. Click the Cookies to Keep button to display all the cookies currently in your profile.Click on a cookie title in the upper-left window to display its contents to the right. Click Add to add the displayed cookie to the list in the bottom window. Select a cookie in the bottom window and click Remove in order to remove it from the list. When you have finished selecting the Cookies to Keep, click the Done button to return to the IE Options (clicking OK on the Options screen will return you to Window Washer's settings window).

This directory is where Internet Explorer stores ActiveX and Java applets that have been downloaded from the web. Checking this item will instruct Window Washer to clean out this directory.

Normally the TIF directory does not appear empty after a wash. This is because the IE cache database file still stores pointers to the files that were there. After washing, when you view the TIF directory you will still see the pointers from this database while the actual files are gone.

This option clears the database by opening the IE Internet Control Panel and automatically clicking the Clear History and Delete Files buttons. This will make the TIF directory appear empty immediately after a wash.

If you have America Online or Compuserve installed on your system, once Window Washer has correctly detected AOL (see 4 - Verifying & Changing...), this option will clean out the Drop Down List and Cache that is displayed at the top of the main AOL/Compuserve window.

Internet Explorer 5.x can store a record of almost everything that you type into any web site form. Form data can be things such as all the keywords you have ever typed into a search engine and personal information such as your name and address. Selecting this option will wash all IE 5 auto complete form data.

Custom Wash Items gives you the flexibility of adding files, folders, and registry entries to be automatically cleaned for you. The Custom Wash Items and Plugins are displayed in a list on the right side of the Window Washer settings window. Use the Add, Edit, and Delete buttons below the list to taylor your Custom Wash Items. Click the Add button if you wish to add a new custom item. If you wish to edit or delete a current item, highlight the item on the Custom Wash Items list and then click the Edit or Delete button.

Clicking the Add button will open the Add Item dialog. In the Item Name field, type in a Name that easily reminds you of what the new item will wash. Checking the box next to "Clean Files" or "Clean Reg Entries" will allow you to select which Files/Entries to clean. Once you have defined the Custom Wash Item, click the Save button to save the Custom Wash Item and return to the Window Washer settings window.

There are two options for adding files to be washed listed below, and you may add several individual items to each Custom Wash Item. To remove files or directories from your cleaning list, highlight the files and/or directories in your Cleaning List (bottom middle) and then click on the Remove From List button.

Once you are satisfied with the files/folders in the Wash Item, click Done to return to the Add Item window.

WARNING: THIS IS INTENDED FOR ADVANCED WINDOWS USERS ONLY. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EDITING AND CHANGING REGISTRY KEYS, DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE. YOU COULD RISK DAMAGING YOUR WINDOWS INSTALLATION.

Example: Let's say we want to remove the value "THISONE" from the registry entry Hkey_Current_User\Software\Washer\Example1

1. Select the TOP LEVEL KEY OF REGISTRY ENTRY TO BE ERASED at the top of the window. For our example we would click on Hkey_Current_User.
2. Type the sub-key path in the edit box at the middle of the window. For our example we would type Software\Washer\Example1.
3. Select whether Window Washer should delete the entire sub-key (EXAMPLE1) or erase a specific value contained within that sub-key. For our example we want to remove a specific value, not the entire key, so check Erase Value Within Sub-Key.

(If you are erasing an entire sub-key and not a specific value, just click on Done to save your entry).

4. Type the value that you would like to erase within the Sub-Key. For our example, the value is "THISONE".
5. Click on Done to save your entry.