1.	Introduction
2.	Using the program
3.	Preserving specific folders and files
4.	Gathered files
5.	Options
5.1.	General
5.2.	Ignore folders
5.3.	Ignore files
5.4.	Unnecessary files
5.5.	User defined folders
5.6.	User defined files
5.7.	Keep cookies
5.8.	Backups
6.	Tools
6.1.	Start-up programs
6.2.	File associations
6.3.	Uninstall programs
6.4.	Invalid file/path references
6.5.	Orphaned DLL's
6.6.	Orphaned fonts
6.7.	Orphaned help files
6.8.	Orphaned applications
6.9.	Orphaned ActiveX controls
6.10.	Orphaned sound scheme files
6.11.	Duplicate files
6.12.	Internet Explorer cache
6.13.	Internet Options
7.	Plug-ins
7.1.	General
7.2.	Using
7.3.	Description of default plug-ins
8.	Default items
8.1.	Files and folders
8.2.	Internet Explorer
8.3.	Miscellaneous
9.	Purchase full version
10.	License agreement
11.	Some file types
12.	Satisfied users
13.	Disclaimer

1.	Introduction

Unnecessary Files
For Windows 98/ME/NT4/2000/XP

Copyright (C) 2001-2002 by Jonathan Clark, all rights reserved.

e-mail: jsoftware@ntlworld.com
web site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ufiles

Unnecessary Files (UF) is a program for finding and deleting unnecessary files and folders on your computer, consequently restoring hard-drive space and keeping your system running smoother.

Such files may include those created by internet activity, installation programs or by applications for storing temporary data. After time these files build up, wasting disk space and this can impede disk drive performance, lead to superfluous disk fragmentation, and even cause some applications to function improperly. Deleting these files is usually safe and can recover megabytes of disk space

Temporary/unnecessary files can get left on your computer for a number of reasons: 

•	While some applications clean up after themselves, others don't and leave temporary files behind. This can happen each time you use a particular application.
•	If a program crashes, or the system fails, all temporary files currently being used get left behind. 
•	Installing and uninstalling programs can leave behind such files. 
•	Internet cache, history, cookies and file links to recent documents store up over time.

Some of the symptoms of not deleting unnecessary/temporary files can include:

•	Wasted disk space which can impede disk drive performance
•	Superfluous fragmentation of disk(s)
•	Some applications may begin to function improperly (including lock up and fatal errors)
•	Lost internet and network connections 

Unnecessary Files is fully configurable, allowing you to control what is deleted. Files and folders can be either sent to the recycle bin, deleted, wiped or backed up in a zip file.

•	Recycling enables you to recover files/folders which the program deleted. 
•	Deleting means the files are not sent to the recycle bin, but still may be recovered using specialised software programs. 
•	Wiping files provides security by firstly erasing the contents of the file and then deleting it, so even if the file is recovered the contents are useless.
•	Backing up the files to a zip file provides a safety measure in case you need to restore a file/group of files. Once you are reasonably sure you no longer need the files you can delete the backup file(s) created by the program.  

Some files might not be deleted if they are be being used by Windows or other applications. In this instance, you can set Unnecessary Files to attempt to delete them during the next system restarted. In this instance, it is important to restart the computer so the files are properly deleted, otherwise they will remain in place. Switching users will not have the same effect as completely logging off and then back on.

The program can detect many areas which can be cleaned, and can be easily configured to protect or delete specific areas.

Internet activities
Unnecessary Files can also clean up all files created when surfing the internet using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (version 4 and above). These include cookies (files placed on your hard disk by web sites you have visited), cache (pages of sites you have visited, and any images from those sites), history (a history of all the sites you have visited) and much more. Not only does this cleaning up protect your privacy from others, but it also restores disk space.

The cache, cookies and history for the Opera browser (versions 3 to 6) can also be cleaned.

The computer must be restarted to fully delete internet cache, cookies and history.

Plug-ins
Unnecessary Files supports 'plug-in' files. This feature means that users can write a plug-in file to specifically delete certain files or folders, or registry entries. This enables users to further configure Unnecessary Files to their particular system.

The program comes with a number of plug-in files (which can be edited if desired) but you also have the ability to create your own plug-in files or use those created by others. This offers unlimited cleaning possibilities. Each plug-in can be turned on or off so that certain plug-ins can be ignored during a cleaning session. (we cannot be responsible for any problems caused by plug-in files modified or created by third parties. Always check a plug-in file before using it in a cleaning session to make sure you want the areas specified to be deleted).

Tools
The program also comes with a set of built-in tools for:
•	Uninstalling programs
•	Manipulating start-up programs
•	Edit file associations (also see which might be orphaned associations)
•	Find and delete invalid file and path entries from the registry
•	Find, delete and reconcile orphaned shared DLL entries in the registry
•	Find and delete orphaned font entries referenced in the registry 
•	Find, delete and reconcile orphaned help files referenced in the registry
•	Find and delete orphaned font files referenced in the registry
•	Find and delete orphaned application paths referenced in the registry.
•	Find and delete orphaned ActiveX controls referenced in the registry.
•	Find, delete and reconcile orphaned sound scheme files referenced in the registry.
•	Find and delete duplicate files.
•	View/delete Internet Explorer cache
•	Use Internet Options control panel applet.

Certain files/folders and registry entries may not exist on your system for a number of reasons, including operating system type, whether or not particular software and versions are installed.

 

2.	Using the program

When Unnecessary Files (UF) is used for the first time it attempts to detect all the standard areas to be cleaned on your system, such as temporary folders and recent document folders. 

You must check all options before performing a clean up and make sure UF is set up to your needs. To do this, start the program and click on the "Options" button, then examine the information in each 'tab' to make sure the settings are set to your requirements, and that the folders listed for deletion and protection are also set to your requirements Refer to the "Options" section of this help for information on how to do this). It is wise to deselect any cleaning options you are unsure about until you are familiar with your system and UF. 

Any other open applications should be closed before running UF to ensure a proper clean up is achieved.

When you run UF you are presented with the main window. From here you can select which drives to perform the search for unnecessary, empty and dead link files. 

There are three tabs which allow you to: control areas to clean, use plug-ins and tools:

Default Items
Plug-ins
Tools

Simply click on the tab headings to see the options available. Each of these tab areas are described in detail in this help.

Select the areas you want cleaned by 'checking' the relevant check boxes in the "Default Items" tab, and which plug-in files to process by checking the relevant files in the "Plug-ins" tab. Cleaning will only take place when you click on the "Clean" button. You can configure which files and folders are searched for (and deleted) by using "Options".

Cleaning can be stopped by pressing the "Stop" button. After cleaning, the amount of disk space recovered is displayed on the status bar at the bottom of the window unless the clean was aborted by pressing the "Stop" button.

Click on "About" (top-right of UF window) to display program and registration details. The demo/registration details will differ between demo and fully licensed versions of the program.

 

3.	Preserving specific folders and files

To avoid deleting specific files or folders, UF allows you to specify any number of folder names, file names and file extensions to IGNORE during deletion/searching.

This is achieved by using the "Ignore folders" and "Ignore files" sections in the "Options", and making sure to select "Ignore specified folders" and "Ignore specified filenames and extensions" respectively.

To preserve certain Internet Explorer cookies use the "Keep cookies" option. 

Note that this is NOT applicable to the items in the recycle bin, where all contents will be destroyed.

Please look under the help section relating to "Options" for information on using the ignore file/folder lists.

 

4.	Gathered files

When you choose to confirm the deletion of any unnecessary, empty or dead link files ("Options"/"General") they are 'gathered' and displayed for you to view.

The main menu options available are as follows (there is also a pop-up menu accessible by right-clicking the mouse on the file list):

Options menu
Delete all: Deletes all the files shown in the list. Some files might not be deleted if they are being used by Windows or another application, or if they contain non-standard characters in their filename.

Delete selected: Deletes all the selected (highlighted) files in the list. See above for reasons why some files might not be deleted.

Properties: Displays the Windows Explorer properties dialog box for the currently highlighted file.

Abort clean: Selecting this will not delete any of the files listed, and aborts the cleaning process - no other cleaning tasks will be performed until the "Clean" button on the main window is pressed again.

Exit gathered files window: Selecting this will not delete any of the files listed, the gathered file window closes, but any areas still due to be cleaned will be cleaned.

Select menu
Select all: Highlights all the files in the list.

Deselect all: Deselects all the files in the list.

View menu
Small icon view / large icon view / list view / detail view: These options alter the way in which the files are displayed in the list. Detail view provides the most details!

Sort: This opens a submenu with options to sort the list by name, extension, size, type, date/time, attributes and path. The list of files can also be sorted by clicking on the relevant column title of the list.

It is useful to sort the list by "path" and also sometimes by "type" to 'group' particular files.

Help
Displays this help.

 

5.	Options

5.1.	General

Clean all user profiles (where applicable) when cleaning certain areas
Each user registered on a computer will have their own recent document folder, internet folders and registry history lists. UF tries to identify as many possible locations for these folders and entries. However, you can specify whether to delete other users files/entries by using this option. If you do not set this option, only the currently logged on user and default locations will be searched/cleaned for certain areas.

Bear in mind that other users may not want their files deleted or history lists emptied. When you have the above option set, all the locations relative to each user will be searched/cleaned. Such areas include internet cache/cookies/history files and registry entries, temporary folders/files, recent file histories etc.

Automatically attempt to clean stubborn files during next system start up
If during a clean UF cannot delete any folders or files, it will make a note of the them. If you select this option UF can attempt to delete them the next time your computer is started (rebooted).

Even after a clean it is possible that certain files and history lists will not be gone unless the system is restarted.

'Stubborn' files will only be logged when you have selected this option.

Ask for confirmation before deleting
Here you can decide whether or not you want to give confirmation for the deletion of files or folders. This only applies to all the options under "Files & Folders" under "Default Areas".

How to delete files
This option tells UF to either send found files to the recycle bin, delete, wipe or back them up. 

When you chose the "delete" method the file is not sent to the recycle bin, but even so it may still be recovered using specialised software programs, so if you have sensitive information which you do not want to be recovered then use the wipe method of deletion. Wiping a file enables the contents to be completely overwritten before deletion thus making recovery of the file pointless because the data will be useless. Added wiping security can be specified in the form of "extra security" which overwrites the contents more than once ensuring total data eradication, and also "rename" which chooses a random name for the file prior to wiping it and deleting it, making it even harder for someone to trace the file with an "undelete" utility.

Note: Sending the internet cache/cookies/history files and folders to the recycle bin may cause a slow response from the program as Windows will inform you of each file/folder it cannot send to the recycle bin because they are still 'in use'. This is because Windows 'locks' on certain files (e.g. index.dat) and the only way of deleting them is during a reboot (which UF can do for you). However the files may be recreated by Windows after reboot, but they should contain none of the data prior to the reboot. Deleting or wiping the cache/cookies/history - instead of sending it to the recycle bin - will not have this slow-down effect.

Backing up 'deleted' files will store them in a compressed file (ZIP format) in the folder/drive of your choosing. Ensure the media on which you are backing up to has enough free space available for the backup file created. It is best to stick to one backup folder (the default is \BACKUP in the folder where you installed Unnecessary Files).

This method of backup provides a safety measure of sorts, enabling you to restore a file/group of files should you need to. When you are satisfied you no longer need the files which have been backed up, you can delete the old backup files. It is up to you to maintain the backup files, remember that each time you perform a clean, using the 'backup to zip file' option, a backup file will be created. See the "Backups" section under "Options" in this help for more information.

Caution: Some files may not be able to be backed up if they are locked (being used by Windows), these can include internet and system files.

Ignore dead links with blank...
These two options, when selected, provide a safety measure of sorts by preventing certain shortcuts (which may be useful) from being deleted. For example, shortcuts which point to drives on the computer.

File search options (for Unnecessary, empty and dead-link files)
Select specific search criteria when UF looks for unnecessary, empty and dead link files. You can instruct UF to look for files dated between two specific dates, and to search for files of a certain size in kilobytes (KB).

You can also ignore files whose attributes include read-only, hidden or system.

 

5.2.	Ignore folders

A configurable list of folders to ignore when cleaning. You can add and remove folder names from this list using the relative buttons. To activate this option make sure you check the "Ignore specific folders" check box.

To add a folder, you can either type in the name of a folder and click the "Add" button, or click the "Browse" button to look for the desired folder and press "Ok". The folder will be added to the list. 

If you want to ignore any subfolders of the folder you have specified, check the tick box next to the folder name in the list. 

To remove a folder, highlight the desired folder in the list click the "Remove" button. To highlight random multiple folders hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

The "Remove redundant folders from list" option will remove any folders from the list whose path does not exist.

 

5.3.	Ignore files

A configurable list of filenames and extension to ignore when cleaning. You can add and remove names from this list using the relative buttons. To activate this option make sure you check the "Ignore specific filenames and extension" check box.

To add a filename or extension type in the name in the relative edit box and click the relative "Add" button to add the name to the list. In the case of filenames, you can click the browse button (small button next to the filename edit box) and then browse to the desired file, highlight it and press "Open" or double click on the file. 

To remove a filename or extension from the list, highlight the desired item and click the "Remove" button. To highlight random multiple items hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

Note: You cannot use wildcards (i.e. * and ? characters) in the filenames or extensions, and extensions must not contain a period character (.) 

 

5.4.	Unnecessary files

A configurable list of file types to search for when identifying unnecessary/useless files for deletion. Here you can select which files to search for, add your own file types (and descriptions) by using the input boxes, and reset to the program defaults.

Please note that the default descriptions next to each file type relate to the 'usual' usage for the relative file and are provided as a rough guide and should not be taken for granted. Other applications may have different uses for certain file types.

Deciding which file types to include in a clean-up operation
Simply check the file types in the list you want UF to look for.

Adding a file type to the list
To add a file type, click the "Add" button to browse for a filename. Double-click on the file you want (or highlight it and press the "Open" button) to add it directly to the bottom of the list. Note that it will automatically be selected ('checked') and therefore included in the next clean-up operation.

Alternatively, if you want to define a filemask to search for, use the "Add your own file type" edit box to supply the mask (eg *.TMP) and click the "Add to list" button. You can also create a brief description of the file type you added using the, wait for it, "Description" edit box.

Removing a file type from the list
Highlight the desired file type and click the "Remove" button. To highlight random multiple file types hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required entries.

Defaults
This button will clear the list and replace it with the default list and selection (as used when you run UF for the very first time). Any file types you personally added will be lost, you will have to add them again.

 

5.5.	User defined folders

A configurable list of folders to completely clean out. Please note, everything inside the specified folders is deleted, including subfolders. The specified folder itself is not deleted. Some files may not be deleted if they are be being used by Windows or other applications. 

You should check this list and remove any folder you don't want to be cleaned out, and add any folders you do want cleaned out. You must make sure this list contains only folders you want to empty, carefully go through the list and identify each folder. You can explore the contents of each folder listed by selecting the "Explore" button.

Defaults button
Pressing the "Defaults" button provides a list of folders UF suggests to clean out. When you run UF for the very first time, this default list is automatically created. Check which folders you want to add to the list and UF will attempt to locate them when you press the "OK" button (you may have to add some folders manually using the "Add folder" button). 

If the "Clean all user profiles where applicable" option is selected ("General" tab in "Options") - which it is by default - UF will try and locate all relevant folders for each user profiled on the computer. Otherwise just the currently logged on user folders and default folders will be displayed (the exception being AIM urlcache folders).

Some of the default folders identified are:

Windows temporary folder 
Usually located at C:\Windows\temp, this folder stores temporary files that are used by applications and during the installation of programs. All contents of this folder are deleted during a clean by UF, so be sure that no files contained in this directory are needed. This folder should not be confused with the Internet Explorer Temporary Internet Files folder.

It is unwise to delete the contents of this folder at bootup because some installations expect their temporary files to still be there following a reboot after installation (and if they are not, the installation may fail). So make sure you only clean this when all applications have been fully installed and you have rebooted the machine as requested by the application. This folder should then be safe to empty.

There will be a Windows temporary folder (usually "Temp") for each user profiled on a computer. 

Note: Normally the Windows temporary folder is the folder specified by the TMP or TEMP environment variable. If TMP and TEMP do not exist then for Windows 95/98 the result is the current directory and for Windows NT/2000 the result is the Windows directory. BE CAREFUL - check the "User Defined Folders" list before cleaning anything, make sure a system folder or other important folder is not specified in the list.

AOL AIM 4.7 url cache 
This folder is used to store various cache information during an AIM session (cookie.dat,
urlcache.dat, *.tmp and any subfolders etc). Please note that the url cache folders for every user will be identified regardless of whether or not the "Clean all user profiles where applicable" option is set.

Adding a folder to the list
To add a folder, you can either type in the name of a folder and click the "Add" button, or click the "Browse" button to look for the desired folder and press "Ok". The folder will be added to the list. 

Removing a folder to the list
Click the "Remove" button to delete a folder from the list. To highlight random multiple folders for deletion, hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required folders.

The "Remove redundant" button will remove any folders from the list whose path does not exist.

Explore
This option lets you explore (view) the contents of the currently highlighted folder in the list. This is convenient if you want to double check it really is the folder you want to clean out.

Pop-up menu
A pop-up menu is provided to access the above commands from the list. Simply highlight a folder in the list and right click on it to bring up the menu.

 

5.6.	User defined files

This list is for specific files in specific locations that you want to delete, i.e. files that you know the whereabouts of and that you want deleted, and cannot be deleted safely using any other method in UF. You can select as many files as you like using the "Add file" button (you can select single or multiple files using the Open file dialog). This list will contain the complete path to each file listed.

As a precaution these files ARE, by default, checked against the ignore list file/extension names and folder names. There is an option in the "User defined files" window to turn this checking OFF so that the files are ALWAYS deleted (if found), regardless of whether or not they appear in the ignore lists.

Adding entries to the list
To add one or more files, you can either type in the name of a file (including the path to it) and click the "Add" button, or click the "Browse" button to look for the desired file(s) and press "Ok". The file(s) will be added to the list. Using the browse method, you can select more than one file to add to the list.

Deleting entries from the list
Use the "Remove" button to delete any selected entries from the list. To highlight random multiple files for deletion, hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required entries.

When attempting to delete these files, check whether they are in ignore files/folder lists

 

5.7.	Keep cookies

This option allows you to make sure certain cookies are not deleted from your system when/if the cookie folder(s) are cleaned out. Support for MS Internet Explorer browser (version 4 and upwards) only. 

Cookies are small files created by some web sites that you visit and stored on your computer. A cookie can be read back by the site which made it (but not other sites), for example to see which areas of the site you have visited, what you have purchased, or to remember login/membership details. Some people see cookies as a means for web sites to 'spy' on visitors, compromising privacy. 

The type of cookies which remember membership details are useful merely because you don't have to keep entering your membership details when you return to the site in question. You may wish to save these and other cookies from being deleted when cleaning Internet Explorer's cookie folders with UF.

Note: Although you can turn off and block cookies with Internet Explorer, some sites cannot be navigated unless cookies are accepted.

User cookie path
Any cookie paths that were located will be displayed here. If there is more than one cookie store location use the drop down list to select other folders. Any cookies stored in the selected folder will be displayed under "Current IE cookies". The number of cookies in the folder will be displayed above the folder name.

Cookies from the Internet Explorer (IE) browser are stored in standard locations, locations which may vary depending on the browser version. The IE browser will maintain separate cookie folder locations for each of a computer's users. UF will attempt to find these locations. 

You can use the small "..." browse button to locate a path you might think contains cookies.

Current IE cookies
This window lists the cookies created by Internet Explorer found in the selected user cookie path. The size (in bytes), date/time and path of the cookie are also shown. A pop-up menu can be accessed by right-clicking the mouse on the list.

Beneath the current IE cookies window are the following buttons:

Delete
This will delete the currently highlighted cookie files. 

Refresh
This button will refresh the display, to account for any cookies which have arrived (if you are online - but we recommend you do not perform any cleaning while online), or any cookies which have expired.

View
Press this button to view the actual contents of a highlighted cookie. You can find out what information web sites have stored on your computer, and also decide if you wish to keep the cookie in question. A cookie file will contain:

•	A security flag. If this flag is set, the information inside the cookie file will only be transmitted via encrypted web connections.
•	The name of the web site that created the cookie file.
•	Data value. This is the actual data stored in the cookie file. It might be a name, an account number or any other information a web site can deem memorable.
•	Data name. This is simply a name given to this information to distinguish it from other information the web site might also store in the cookie.  	

Most cookies have a single data name and value pair, but a can have more. You to see all the data name and value pairs stored in a cookie by using the small spin control (up and down arrows).

Please be aware that UF may mistake a normal file for a cookie file, in which case the output will be meaningless and the program may even crash (in which case there will be no damage done to either your computer or cookie files). 

IE cookies to keep
This window lists the cookies you have decided to keep. To add a cookie file to the list, select the cookie from the "Current IE cookies" window and click on the right pointing arrow between the windows.

Select multiple cookies to copy by holding down the Ctrl key and left-clicking the mouse on the desired cookies (then click the right pointing arrow to add them to the keep list). A pop-up menu can be accessed by right-clicking the mouse on the list.

Reset
Click this button to remove ALL cookies from the keep list.

Remove
Click this button to remove the selected cookies from the keep list. 

 

5.8.	Backups

This section enables you to manage the backup (ZIP) files created when you use the 'backup to zip file' deletion method (under "Options"/"General").

This method of backup provides a safety measure of sorts, enabling you to restore a file/group of files should you need to. When you are satisfied you no longer need the files which have been backed up, you can delete the old backup files. It is up to you to maintain the backup files, remember that each time you perform a clean, using the 'backup to zip file' option, a backup file will be created. 

Ensure the media on which you are backing up to has enough free space available for the backup file created. It is best to stick to one backup folder (the default is \BACKUP in the folder where you installed Unnecessary Files). The backup folder specified (under "Options"/"General"/"Deletion method") will not be searched by the program when a clean is performed.

The backup files created by the program are listed with the most recent first (by date).

Note: Using this method of 'deletion' will create a temporary file(s) in the Windows temporary folder (or equivalent). The file(s) created will not be deleted by Unnecessary Files as they are required by the program.

Backup folder
Specify the folder which contains your backup files. Any files found will be listed by date order. By default this folder is the folder specified under "Options"/"General"/"Deletion method". 

Overwrite method
This allows you to specify some control over files when they are extracted from a backup (restored). The options are:

Always: The file will be overwritten.  

If newer: The file will only overwrite the existing one if the archived file is newer than the existing one.  

If older: 	The file will only overwrite the existing one if the archived file is older than the existing one.  

Never: The file will not be extracted if it would overwrite a file.  

Prompt: Allows you to decide whether to overwrite the file.  

Restore
Pressing this button will restore the currently selected backup file. All archived files will be placed back in their original location. If the original location no longer exists it will be created.

Delete
Using this button will delete the highlighted backup file(s).

View
This button will allow you to view the contents of the currently selected file. This way, you can select specific files to extract.

The details of each file stored in the archive will be displayed (size, compression size, date/time, path etc). You can sort the files by name, size, compressed size, date/time and path by either clicking on the relevant list headings or right-clicking the mouse on the list to bring up a pop-up menu.

The following buttons are available under this view mode:

Restore: Restores the currently highlighted file(s) to their original location.

Extract to: Allow you to extract the highlighted file(s) to a folder of your chosing (folder can be created if it doesn't exist). You will be asked whether to use the folder information (if any) for each file being extracted. If you select "Yes", the file's original folder path will be created beneath the folder you are extracting to. If you select "No", the file will just be extracted to the folder you have specified. In this case, if there is more than one file with the same name being extracted to the same folder, and the overwrite preference has been set to "Always", files with the same name will be overwritten. You are warned of this should the situation arise.

Select all: Highlights all the files in the archive.

Deselect all: Deselects all the files in the archive.

 

6.	Tools

6.1.	Start-up programs

This tool displays all the programs scheduled to start when Windows starts (at boot up). It also displays the location these commands are stored, such as the Windows Start-up folder, or various registry locations. If you don't want a particular program to start-up with Windows, simply highlight it and click the "Remove" button.

When some programs are installed, they automatically configure themselves to start when Windows does. Although this may be handy, it can be annoying when there are lots of programs starting with Windows, especially if you don't use them often. Deleting any truly unnecessary start-up commands can improve the speed at which your system boots up and is ready to use.

To highlight multiple programs hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

The types of areas UF will look for such programs are the registry ("R" will appear under the "Origin" column on the Start-up Programs" tools window), INI files ("I" will appear under "Origin"), various files ("F" will appear under "Origin"), and ActiveX controls ("X" will appear under "Origin").

Places searched by UF to identify start-up applications include:

•	Start-up folders
•	Registry "run" entries
•	WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files (they use the "load", "run" and "shell" commands to launch applications)
•	Included in the list (depending on operating system) are AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, and some other batch files. It is important not to go ahead and delete these but instead to edit them and see which (if any) programs are launched from inside them.
•	ActiveX controls. This option is for advanced users and it is recommended that you do not delete/alter these entries. There is an option on the Start-up Programs screen to view these - "Show ActiveX controls", or keep them hidden from view. They are hidden by default. Also, you can chose how you want an ActiveX item to be prevented from loading at start-up when you chose to delete it. When you select the "Only delete ActiveX StubPath" only the StubPath will be deleted from the registry entry relative to the ActiveX control, otherwise the entire ActiveX control entry will be deleted from the registry - this is not recommended unless you know the ActiveX to be troublesome (like a virus/trojan). This start-up method does start the specified file in "StubPath" (which is displayed by UF) BEFORE the shell and any other program normally started using the registry "run" method.

Registry shell spawning is another way to launch an application in 'stealth', particularly a virus/trojan, but UF does not attempt to detect such a method.

Also, just a note for ICQ users. Some applications might be launched when ICQNET detects an internet connection. The registry location which stores a list of these applications (if any) is:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\Agent\Apps\

For example:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\Agent\Apps\MyProg
"Path"="myprog.exe"
"Startup"="c:\myprog"
"Parameters"=""
"Enable"="Yes"

 

6.2.	File associations

The file association tool lists all file types recognised and registered with Windows. Registration of file types can occur when you install new applications (it occurs either automatically or manually). For example, when you click on a picture file using Windows Explorer, the registered application for the file will be loaded and display the file (if there is no registered file type, no application will run and you may be asked to select one).

By using this tool you can maintain what applications are associated with which file types, edit and deleting associations where necessary. Only delete associations you KNOW are no longer needed.

To sort the list, right click the mouse on the list to bring up a sort menu.

To highlight random multiple entries hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

 

6.3.	Uninstall programs

This tool enables you to uninstall applications (like the "Add/Remove Programs" feature in Windows). 

As a guide, icons will appear next to each entry in the list:

•	Green circle: indicates the application has not been uninstalled.
•	Windows flag: indicates the same as green circle but the entry is a system component 
•	Red cross: indicates it appears the application has already been uninstalled. If not, this could be due to the uninstall program not being found, or an error in the uninstall command (which, incidentally, can be edited by clicking on the entry and then the "Edit" button").

Delete
You can remove 'orphaned' entries which remain in the uninstall list even though they have previously been uninstalled.

Edit
You can edit the uninstall information for each application.

Refresh
Enables you to refresh the list. 

Highlighting/selecting applications
To highlight random multiple programs hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

Sorting the entries
To sort the list, right click the mouse on the list to bring up a sort menu.

 

6.4.	Invalid file/path references

This tool scans the system registry for seemingly invalid file and path references and displays them. Often after a few installations/deinstallations of software the registry can become full of file/path references which point nowhere because the files have since been moved/deleted.

Decide which entries are invalid (unnecessary) and press the "Delete" button. It is usually safe to remove these entries, but only remove those you are certain about, and always make a backup of the registry before deleting anything from it. Some entries may seem like invalid file/path references but can actually be very important references.

To highlight random multiple entries hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items.

 

6.5.	Orphaned DLL's

This tool will show all shared DLL's registered with the system registry. This will allow you to see which DLL's are orphaned.

Too many entries in this region of the registry may cause erroneous "registry corrupted" messages, and cause install and uninstall programs to misbehave.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry for all shared DLL's. Once this is complete, all DLL's will be listed along with their use count. Any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list using a menu by right clicking the mouse on the list.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer on your hard disk are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to delete them from the registry. During the delete process, an 'undo' file is created in UF's program folder which can be used to restore the deleted shared DLL entries in the registry should you make a drastic mistake and delete a valid entry. To perform an 'undo', click the "Undo" button and answer "yes" to restore the previous shared DLL list in the registry.

Click "Restore use count of entries with use count of zero, but whose file still exists" button to repair entries that appear to be orphans but in fact their relative DLL still exists.

"When deleting a reference whose file still exists, delete the file also"
Set this option if you wish to delete a DLL file along with its reference in the registry. This is not advisable for novice users. Some files may not be deleted depending on their nature.

 

6.6.	Orphaned fonts

This tool will show all fonts registered in the system registry for Windows. This will allow you to see which are orphaned.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry for the registered fonts. Once this is complete, any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list using a menu by right clicking the mouse on the list.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer on your hard disk are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to delete them from the registry. 

"When deleting a reference whose file still exists, delete the file also"
Set this option if you wish to delete a font along with its reference in the registry. This is not advisable for novice users. Some files may not be deleted depending on their nature.

 

6.7.	Orphaned help files

This tool will show all help files which are registered in the system registry. This will allow you to see which are orphaned.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry. Once this is complete, any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list using a menu by right clicking the mouse on the list.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer in the location specified in the registry (or even on your hard disk) are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to delete them from the registry. 

You can attempt to reconcile an orphaned help file entry by using the "Edit" button. Here you can type in the path where the file resides (if it still exists at all). You can use the "Browse" button to help select a folder where the file might exist, or better still use the "Search" button to locate all matching files (if any) on the drives you specify. Any matches will be listed and you can select which you think is the correct file.

"When deleting a reference whose file still exists, delete the file also"
Set this option if you wish to delete a help file along with its reference in the registry. This is not advisable for novice users. Some files may not be deleted depending on their nature.

 

6.8.	Orphaned applications

This tool will show all applications whose paths are registered in the system registry. This will allow you to see which are orphaned.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry. Once this is complete, any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list using a menu by right clicking the mouse on the list.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer on your hard disk are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to delete them from the registry. 

You can attempt to reconcile an orphaned help file entry by using the "Edit" button. Here you can type in the path where the file resides (if it still exists at all). You can use the "Browse" button to help select a folder where the file might exist, or better still use the "Search" button to locate all matching files (if any) on the drives you specify. Any matches will be listed and you can select which you think is the correct file.

"When deleting a reference whose file still exists, delete the file also"
Set this option if you wish to delete an application EXE file along with its reference in the registry. This is not advisable for novice users. Some files may not be deleted depending on their nature.

 

6.9.	Orphaned ActiveX controls

This tool will show all ActiveX controls which are registered in the system registry. This will allow you to see which are orphaned.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry. Once this is complete, any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list using a menu by right clicking the mouse on the list.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer on your hard disk are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to delete them from the registry. 

 

6.10.	Orphaned sound scheme files

This tool will show all sound scheme files which are registered in the system registry, allowing you to see which are orphaned.

Click the "Find" button to begin scanning the registry. Only the profile of the currently logged on user is searched. Once this is complete, any orphaned entries will automatically be placed at the top of the list so you can see them, but you can sort the list by filename using a menu obtained by right clicking the mouse on the list.

The "Description" column shows the area to which the sound file belongs. These names are obtained from the registry. "Default:" should be the main Windows items (MailBeep, WindowsLogOff etc), and there are also "Explorer:" areas too. The purpose of the sound file is also given (i.e. "Beep") and whether the entry is for the current configuration being used or the Windows default configuration.

The "File" column shows the path and filename. An environment string may be used in some instances. For example, %SystemRoot% should refer to the Windows folder.

Those entries whose corresponding file is no longer in the location specified in the registry (or even on your hard disk) are displayed with a cross icon. You can select these orphaned entries and press the "Delete" button to erase the filename from the registry. When an entry is "deleted" the registry key remains but the value (which stores the filename) is 'cleared' meaning there is no filename specified for the sound in question.

You can attempt to reconcile an orphaned sound file entry by using the "Edit" button. Here you can type in the path where the file resides (if it still exists at all). You can use the "Browse" button to help select a folder where the file might exist, or better still use the "Search" button to locate all matching files (if any) on the drives you specify. Any matches will be listed and you can select which you think is the correct file.

After modifying a filename, you will be asked if you wish to also modify any other filenames matching the one you just changed. This is useful if there are more than one instance of a 'wrong' filename/path - it saves you modifying them all.

"When deleting a reference whose file still exists, delete the file also"
Set this option if you wish to delete a sound file along with its reference in the registry. This is not advisable for novice users. Some files may not be deleted depending on their nature.

 

6.11.	Duplicate files

This tool will locate all duplicate files on your system.

Duplicate files can have the same name but different contents, or the same contents but different names. Some files are space wasters (identical in size and contents but stored on disk under different names). Other files with the same name can be different versions of an ActiveX control or DLL (dynamic link library)  - these can cause system problems. 

You must select which drives to search, and select a comparison method (at the very least "Filenames" or "Sizes"). You must also select a group of files to locate. This can be a wild card like *.* (all files) *.DLL (for all dynamic link libraries) readme.* (for all readme files) or a whole filename like "myprog.exe" (without quotes).

BUTTONS

Find
Press this button to begin locating duplicate files matching the criteria specified. You must at least specify one drive, compare filenames or compare sizes, and a file specification to search for.

Stop
Press this button to stop a search.

Delete
Press this button to delete any selected files in the list. The deletion method depends on the settings in "Options", and whether or not you have selected "When deleting move files to backup folder" (see below).

Properties
Displays the Windows properties dialog for the highlighted file.

Select
Highlight all the files.

Deselect
Deselect all highlighted files.

Select group except one
Highlight all the files in the current group except the currently highlighted file (if there is one).

Deselect group
Deselect all the highlighted files in the current group.

COMPARISON OPTIONS

Compare filenames
Will locate files which have the same name. Either this and/or the "Compare sizes" option must be selected before a search can be conducted.

Compare sizes
Will locate files whose size is the same. Either this and/or the "Compare filenames" option must be selected before a search can be conducted.

...also compare contents
This option can be selected when you have also chosen "Compare sizes". It will compare the contents of all files matching the search criteria. Some files may be of the same size (and even name) but have different contents. This option slows down the search but will confirm which files on your system are true duplicates.

Compare last modified date/times
Will help refine a search by making sure the date and time of any files found also match up.

Show version number
This option will display the file version number for each file located (where applicable), helping you decide which duplicate files are older versions. This option will slow down the search process.

When deleting move files to backup folder
This is a safety precaution, and when selected it will make sure any files you delete are 'moved' to the backup folder under their appropriate paths, allowing you to restore them (manually) if necessary. The backup folder is UFDUPLICATES and will be created in the root folder of the drive where the file resides. Any existing files already stored in the backup folder which have the same name and path as the one being deleted WILL be replaced.

Use ignore folder, file & extension lists
When selected, this option will compare any folders, files and file extensions to the ignore lists in the "Options", and any matches will be ignored (not displayed).

WARNINGS
•	Do not use on a network drive, attempting to send files on a network drive to the recycle bin may result in permanently deleting them despite appearing successful. Attempting to move files to the backup folder may or may not succeed depending on your access privileges. 
•	You may get an I/O error when comparing and/or deleting locked files (such as system or internet files).
•	When a search is aborted during the sorting process the temporary files created by UF may not get deleted. If this happens, you will be notified and in order to use the duplicate file finder tool again the program must be closed and restarted.

 

6.12.	Internet Explorer cache

This tool will display the Internet Explorer cache for the currently logged on user. This includes the history, cookies and visited url's. However you can choose to display only history, cookies or visited urls.

The information displayed includes the size of the file, how many times the site has been visited (hit rate), when the site was accessed and when the file will expire. The information is dependent on the type of cache entry being viewed.

Pop-up menu
Right click the mouse on an entry in the list to view a pop-up menu of commands.

Sorting the list
You can sort the entries by clicking on the titles ("Source", "Local filename", "Hit rate" etc).

Delete
Click the "Delete" button to delete the selected entry. To highlight random multiple entries hold down Ctrl and left-click the mouse on the required items, then click "Delete". Pressing the "Del" key will also delete any highlighted entries.

Cookies which you has specified not to delete (in "Options") will be kept.

Clear
Click the "Clear" button to delete the entire cache. Click "Refresh" to make sure the cache is deleted, if not, try clicking "Clear" again. 

Refreshing the cache list
Click the "Refresh" button to update the list in case the cache has changed.

View
Click "View" to try and display the contents of the cache in the web browser window below the list. The type of items which can usually be displayed are picture files, web pages and cookies. 

Note: Maximize the cache window to full screen to make viewing the cache much easier. 

 

6.13.	Internet Options

This option simply invokes the Windows control panel applet for Internet Options. Here you can tinker with various internet (Internet Explorer) settings, including the history, cookie and cache settings.

 

7.	Plug-ins

7.1.	General

Plug-ins are designed for experienced users only. It can be very easy to make a mistake and delete files and registry entries that you actually need, leading to application and/or system failure. Be extremely careful. In order to prevent loss of important data, always check the paths, files and registry entries in plug-ins before using them. You resume all responsibility for any lost data/damages that may result from using plug-ins. The author of Unnecessary Files cannot guarantee plug-ins are free from bugs/errors.

The plug-ins which come with UF are designed to clean default locations, which may or may not be the correct locations for your system. However if a location specified by a plug-in is not found, then no action will be taken by UF. You may need to change certain plug-ins so that they are configured to your particular system configuration.

Installing further plug-ins
If you have third-party plug-in files for UF that you want to install, you must copy them to the PLUGINS folder inside the folder where you installed UF. This location is where the default plug-in files are stored. If you do not place plug-ins in this folder they will not be recognised by UF. For example, if you installed UF in this location:

C:\Program Files\Unnecessary Files

The plug-in folder is located at

C:\Program Files\Unnecessary Files\PLUGINS

Plug-ins are designed to clean the default locations of applications, if you have applications which are installed in non-default locations then you will have to edit (or create) the relevant plug-in to search the alternate folder.

 

7.2.	Using

Process plug-ins when cleaning
This option is provided as a convenient way for you to ignore plug-in files during a clean-up operation should the need arise. By default this option is on, so that the selected plug-in files will be processed when the "Clean" button is clicked. If you switch this option off, the plug-ins will not be processed, but your list of plug-ins will remain set-up the way you have them.

Creating a plug-in
Click on the "New" button (found on the Plug-in tab). 

Give the plug-in a description (optional).

Deleting files and folders
If you want to delete files/folders then use the "Files" tab and select which files/folders you want to delete/clean out.

There are two methods to use, the first method requires you to enter a "path" in the path edit box provided (you can use the small "..." browse button next to the edit box to locate a folder), and you must enter a "file" specification in the file edit box. The file specification can either be a complete file name (eg: MYFILE.DAT) or include wildcard symbols (* and ?) to specify multiple files (eg *.DAT).

UF supports the following variables which can be used to specify a particular drive or system path:

%WINDIR% 
This variable means use the Windows folder, eg: %WINDIR%\Temp could equate to C:\WINDOWS\Temp

%WINSYSDIR% 
This variable means use the Windows system folder, eg: %WINSYSDIR%\AnyFolder could equate to C:\WINDOWS\System\AnyFolder (or C:\WINDOWS\System32\AnyFolder)

%PROGDIR%
This means use the "Programs Folder" path, eg: %PROGDIR%\Widget could equate to C:\Program Files\Widget

%ALLUSERS%
This will make UF scan all the user profile folders on the system. These are usually under the folder "\WINDOWS\Profiles" or "\Documents and Settings".

?
Use a question mark in a path name to specify the operating system drive, eg: ?:\TEMPFILE.BAK could equate to C:\TEMPFILE.BAK

If you look at some of the plug-ins you will see examples of these variables, which should give you an idea of how to use them.

Next you can decide whether or not you want to recurse (search through) the specified path looking for further files matching your file specification, if so check the "Recurse subfolders" option. This feature means that when UF comes to delete the files specified it will also search any subfolders beneath the specified path for matching files.

If "Recurse subfolders" is selected, the "Delete subfolders" becomes available. This means that when UF recurses through a folder structure looking for matching files, any empty subfolder will also be delete. The starting-point folder remains.

When complete, click on the "Add" button to add the selected folder, file specification and settings to the list.

The second way to add a files to clean requires you to first select the drive which contains the file(s), do this by using the drive edit box which you can click on and select a drive.

Then select which folder (left window) contains the file(s) you want to delete, then select the files in the right window. Multiple files can be selected by either holding down the SHIFT key and using the cursor keys to highlight, or by holding down the CTRL key and left-clicking the mouse on the files you want to add.

When complete, click on the "Add" button to add the selected folder and file(s) to the list.

Deleting registry entries
If you want to delete registry entries use the "Registry" tab.

First select the registry root key under "Registry key". There is a special option included for UF called *ALL_USER_PROFILES* - when this is selected it means that any user profile keys specified in the system registry under HKEY_USERS will be searched. This is a quick way of deleting keys/values for all users profiled on a computer.

Next, under "Method", decide whether you intend to delete an entire subkey or just a value within a subkey. Deleting an entire subkey means that all values under the specified subkey will be deleted. By selecting the "Delete all subkeys" option you can also have any further subkeys and their values deleted (by recursing the original subkey). 

For example, under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, deleting the entire subkey: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\OpenSaveMRU, will mean all values names under "OpenSaveMRU" will be deleted. Having the "Delete all subkeys" option set will also delete any subkeys and value names under "OpenSaveMRU".

Deleting just a value within a subkey allows you to specify a subkey then a value name (eg: "OpenDir") to 'clear'. For example, deleting the value name "OpenDir" under HKEY_CURRENT_USER subkey 
Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\player\settings, will simply erase the value associated with "OpenDir" value name. 

The "Generate" button allows you to make a list of subkeys with numbers attached, for example:
Software\MyProg\OpenFile01
Software\MyProg\OpenFile02 etc

The numbers can range from 0 to 255, and be zero padded (zero's appear to the left, eg 001, 002 etc). If you want zero padded numbers, tick the option and enter in the number of zero's to pad with. When ready, press the "Make" button to generate the keys and add them to the list.

Deleting INI file entries
If you want to delete INI file entries (sections or values) use the "INI files" tab.

Specify an INI file in the "Filename" edit box. Just specifying a name (eg WIN.INI) will make UF assume the file is stored in the \WINDOWS folder, but you can specify the path to the file if the file resides elsewhere. You can use the small "..." browse button next to the "Filename" edit box to look for an INI file.

You can also use the %WINDIR%, %WINSYSDIR% and %PROGDIR% variables to specify particular system paths (see "Deleting files and folders" above).

The INI file you specify doesn't need to exist, but if it does the "Section" and "Value" drop down boxes will populate with any sections and values in the INI file (this makes choosing a section/value easier).

To delete en entire section, select or enter a section name and check the "Erase section" option.

To delete a value under a section, select or enter a section name (make sure the "Erase section" option is not checked) and then select or enter a value.

When you are happy with the information you have entered, press the "Add" button to add the information to the list. Use the "Remove" button to delete entries from the list.

Note: Usually INI files are stored in the \WINDOWS directory. To work with an INI file in another location, specify the full path name of the file in the "FileName" box.

Saving the plug-in file
Click on the "Save" button and select a file to save to. You can create a new file, or overwrite an existing one. You must save plug-in files to the \PLUGINS folder the default plug-ins are stored in, otherwise UF will not recognise them.

Editing a plug-in
Click on the "Edit" button (found on the Plug-in tab) and highlight the name of the plug-in you wish to edit.

Make any necessary alteration and save the file (details are given above, under "Creating a plug-in".

Adding a plug-in to the list
Click on the "Add" button (found on the Plug-in tab) and select a plug-in file (or number of files) from the window that appears. You must make sure the file you select is in the default PLUGIN folder, otherwise UF will not recognise the file(s).

Press the "Open" button to add the chosen file(s) to the plug-in list. By default the plug-ins will be 'checked' (in other words they will be processed next time a clean operation is carried out) - you must uncheck any plug-ins you don't want processed during the next clean.

Removing a plug-in from the list
Highlight which plug-ins you want removed from the plug-in list (they will not be removed from your disk, just the list) and click on the "Remove" button.

Multiple files can be selected by either holding down the SHIFT key and using the cursor keys to highlight, or by holding down the CTRL key and left-clicking the mouse on the files you want to remove.

Selecting plug-ins for removal
The "Select" and "Deselect" buttons will select and deselect all plug-ins in the list. Selected plug-ins can be removed from the list by pressing the "Remove" button.

Checking plug-ins for inclusion in a clean-up operation
The "Check all" and  "Uncheck all" buttons will check and uncheck all plug-ins in the list. Checked plug-ins will be processed the next time a clean operation is carried out.

 

7.3.	Description of default plug-ins

Here is a description of some of the plug-ins which come with Unnecessary Files. Please note that some of the plug-ins can delete information for each user profiled on the computer, not just the currently logged on user. 

Some third-party web browsers are based around Microsoft's Internet Explorer (for storing cache, cookies, history etc) and therefore to ensure a proper clean you should also clean the relative Internet Explorer areas.

If you wish to keep Outlook Express sent and deleted e-mail messages then PLEASE do not use the relative "OE..." plug-in files. Note that these plug-ins will search the default store location for Outlook Express (OE) e-mails, so if you have configured OE to store e-mails in another location you will have to modify the plug-ins accordingly in order to delete the items specified in the plug-in.

WARNING: The "Contacts.UFP" plug-in will delete your contacts stored in the Windows Address Book (this book is also used for Outlook Express). This plug-in could be used, along with other features in UF, to wipe a computer of personal information when, for example, selling a computer.

RECENT.UFP
This plug-in will clean the list of files you have used recently. This list is stored in the system registry and deleting it causes no harm. There is a list for each user profiled on a system.

NSURL.UFP
Clears individual items from the history of url's (addresses) typed into a Netscape Navigator browser. 

MEDIAPLAYER.UFP
Clears the history list of Windows' MediaPlayer (version 7+) recently played files, open folder location and URL list from the registry. It also deletes the media library file, WMPLIBRARY_V_0_12.db. If you do not want this library file deleted then remove the reference to it in the plug-in.

REALPLAYER.UFP
Clears the history list of RealPlayer's recently used files from the registry. 

RUN.UFP
Clears the history list of recently run programs from the registry. 

After cleaning, this history may still appear in any run-related dialog boxes, because Windows stores the list in memory. However the hard copies will be deleted from the registry. If you want the list cleared from memory, you must restart the system after the run history has been cleaned.

FIND.UFP
Clears the history list of recently searched for files, computers, printers, people etc from the registry.

PAINT.UFP
Clears the recently opened file history from the registry regarding Windows "Paint" program. 

WORDPAD.UFP
Clears the recently opened file history from the registry regarding Windows "WordPad" program.

OPENSAVE.UFP
Clears the recently opened and saved file history list from the registry. 

LASTVISITED.UFP
Clears the last visited files/applications history from the registry. 

STREAM.UFP & STREAMS.UFP
Clears the stream history list from the registry. 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. Streams can also store information such as a size and position of a folder in Explorer/My Computer. On some systems cleaning streams might reset a folders size and position back to its default.

WALLPAPER.UFP
Clears the wallpaper history list from the registry. 

SENDTOFOLDER.UFP
Clears the history list of recently "sent to" folder names from the registry. "Send To Any Folder" is part of the Microsoft PowerToys utilities for Windows 98. The "Send To" PowerToys need to be installed.

INSTALLFROM.UFP
This clears the "Install From" history list of Windows Setup and Driver installation dialog box from the registry.

WINZIP.UFP
This will delete WinZip 8.0 recent file list history from the registry. 

GETRIGHT3.UFP and GETRIGHT45.UFP
This deletes the GetRight 4.5 download manager recent file list history from the registry.

APILOG.UFP
Deletes the file created when new hardware is installed on your system. The log file contains previous installed hardware devices and the times they were installed.

DIRECTXLOG.UFP
Deletes a log file created when Direct X is installed.

FAULTLOG.UFP
Deletes the file created by Windows each time an error occurs (such as a fatal exception or page fault). It stores the date when an error occurred and the program which caused the error.

FILECHECKERLOG.UFP
Deletes the file created when the Windows file checker program is used. The log file stores all the files on the system, date and check status.

SCANDISKLOG.UFP
Deletes the log file created when Windows ScanDisk is used. The file contains previous errors and ScanDisk activity.

TASKSCHEDULARLOG.UFP
Deletes the file created whenever Windows task scheduler is run, stores all previous task scheduler usage.

WBEMLOG.UFP
Deletes the log file created by the server computer and stores a log of WMI/WBEM activity.

WININITLOG.UFP
Deletes the file created when certain third party software is installed. The file contains the name and location of the software which was installed.

GRAVITY.UFP
Deletes all your information from Gravity NewsReader - backups and downloaded files. After a clean you will have to enter your user information and re subscribe to the news groups.

BOOKREADER.UFP
This deletes the history in Bookreader, be aware that when you use BookReader again after cleaning the history you may get a "file not found error". This is nothing to be concerned about.

 

8.	Default items

8.1.	Files and folders

Empty recycle bin
Empties the contents of the recycle bin(s). 

Empty user defined folders
Completely empties the folders you specify using the "User defined folders" tab in the "Options". Here you can add folders to a list, or remove them (refer to the options help section for more information on adding/removing folders to this list). You must make sure this list contains only folders you want to completely clean out.

When the folders are cleaned out, all files and sub directories/folders will also be deleted (unless locked by the system). The actual starting-point folder remains.

See the help for "User defined folders" (under "Options") to see which folders are automatically identified by UF.

Active temporary setup folders
UF will completely empty these folders if they exist. They are usually named "msdownld.tmp" and are used to store temporary downloaded files. The files are usually safe to delete providing you are not in the middle of any updating or installation process. These files should no longer be needed. They are usually created by a setup program that is no longer running.

Sometimes under Windows 98 when you attempt to install a component from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, you may receive the following error message "Error Downloading Component". This behavior can occur if the Windows Update site has left temporary files or folders in the C:\Windows\Msdownld.tmp folder. These temporary files may prevent downloading files from the Windows Update site. 	

Content indexer folder
Delete the contents of this folder if you experience Index Server catalog corruption (Microsoft Index Server versions 1.0 , 1.1 , 2.0). Corruption can be caused by unsafe computer shutdowns, system crashes, or applications that write to or lock the catalog files while Index Server is active. 

Index Server usually attempts to fix any corruption automatically but sometimes it is necessary to manually fix the corruption. Do this by stopping and restarting the Content Index service (for Index 1.x, stop and restart the World Wide Web service) - this normally causes Index Server to rebuild the catalog. However If this does not work, stop Index Server again and run Unnecessary Files and clean this folder out. The catalog will be recreated when Index Server is restarted.

Temporary remote desktop cache
Remote Desktop Connection (Windows XP Professional only) creates temporary picture files and stores them on your computer to improve the effective speed of your connection to a remote computer.

User defined files
This option will delete the files specified in the "User defined files" list in the "Options". This list is for specific files in specific locations that you want to delete, i.e. files that you know the whereabouts of and that you want deleted. This may be because they cannot be deleted safely using any other method in UF or they are often re-created by an application. You can select as many files as you like using the "Add file" button (you can select single or multiple files using the Open file dialog). This list will contain the complete path to each file listed.

As a precaution these files ARE, by default, checked against the ignore list file names and folder names. There is an option in the "User defined files" window to turn this checking OFF so that the files are ALWAYS deleted (if found), regardless of whether or not they appear in the ignore lists.

When using manual mode for this clean up method, all files matching the types specified are gathered and displayed for you to choose which to delete and which to keep. Click the list titles to sort the files by name, size etc, right click on a file to use the pop-up menu. In automatic mode all found matching files are deleted by the method set in the "General" tab of the "Options" window.

Unnecessary files
This is main feature and purpose of the program. UF will scan the select disks for what is termed "unnecessary files". These are mainly backup files and temporary files which are normally not of any use. 

There is a fully configurable list of files under the "Unnecessary files" tab in the "Options" window. Here you can add and remove file type descriptions to search for when UF looks for unnecessary files. Simply check the file types you want UF to look for. Please note that the default descriptions next to each file type relate to the 'usual' use for the relative file and are provided as a rough guide and should not be taken for granted.

When using manual mode for this clean up method, all files matching the types specified are gathered and displayed for you to choose which to delete and which to keep. Click the list titles to sort the files by name, size etc, right click on a file to use the pop-up menu. In automatic mode all found matching files are deleted by the method set in the "General" tab of the "Options" window.

Empty files
UF will scan the specified disks for empty (zero length) files. When using manual mode for this clean up method, all empty files are gathered and displayed for you to choose which to delete and which to keep. Click the list titles to sort the files by name, size etc, right click on a file to use the pop-up menu. In automatic mode all found matching files are deleted.

Dead links (shortcut files)
UF will scan the specified disks for any shortcut files (links) which point to files that do not exist. When using manual mode for this clean up method, all dead links are gathered and displayed for you to choose which to delete and which to keep. Click the list titles to sort the files by name, size etc, right click on a file to use the pop-up menu. In automatic mode all found matching files are deleted.

There are two options (in the "General" tab of the "Options") available which may help in finding certain links. These enable UF to ignore link files with a blank path reference in them, and link files with a blank filename reference in them. It is advisable to keep these two options selected.

Recent document links
These are links to files you have used recently, and are stored in a number of locations depending on the configuration of your system. Only these links are deleted by UF, not the actual files.

When manual cleaning is selected for the recent document list, the link files will be shown in a window at the end of cleaning where any files searched for will be displayed (dead links, empty, unnecessary, recent document links). You can decide which to delete and which to keep. Click the list titles to sort the files by name, size etc, right click on a file to use the pop-up menu. Select random files by holding Ctrl and left clicking on each file. Close the window when you have finished. 

Cleaning the recent documents lists does not cause any harm, it simply means the history of any programs/documents you (or other users) have used/opened recently is deleted. However, the list of recent documents is also stored in the system registry, which can also be cleaned using the plug-in file "Recent.UFP".

Leftover printer files
Occasionally after a print job some files might get left behind in the Windows spooler folder. Usually these files are automatically deleted after a print job completes. However if they are not automatically deleted they will waste disk space and can cause problems with printing. As long as nothing is being printed at the time it is safe to delete these files.

Memory dump files
Files created by the Windows or by a diagnostic program such as Dr. Watson and are intended primarily for software debugging and diagnostics. They can take up large amounts of disk space. If Windows stops (crashes) unexpectedly a memory dump records information about the problem. The files are stored in the Windows folder and also in a subfolder of the Windows folder. They are safe to delete. This option will also locate the Dr Watson crash dump file if it is present.

 

8.2.	Internet Explorer

UF will clean out the history, cache, cookies and other files/folders/information stored on your computer during an internet session when using Internet Explorer (IE).

History
This option will delete the contents of the history folders created by Internet Explorer (IE). These folders contain details of which sites you have visited and at what times.

The IE history folders used may look just like a file/folder hierarchy but it is just a Component Object Model (COM) made to act like a normal folder. This folder (one is made for each user profiled on a computer) can be used to track your movements on the internet.

If "Clean all user profiles where applicable" is selected in "Options/General", then the history folders for all users profiled on the computer will be deleted. 

Cache
Note: Deleting the cache WILL also delete history and cookies. The only way to save cookies from being deleted if you intend on deleting the internet cache is to specify which cookies to keep in the "Options".

Internet Explorer has an option to delete the contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder (TIF), but despite this files can remain in place. The TIF folder contains web pages and images etc from sites you have visited while you surf the internet. This 'cache' is to improve performance. However the files will remain there unless you explicitly delete them after each session on the internet.

The file "index.dat" is stored in the TIF folder (there may be further "index.dat" files in subfolders of the TIF folder). This file contains information about web sites you have visited and the names of the cache folders.  These files will grow in size (although there is a limit in place) each time new web sites are visited. "Index.dat" files are also stored in the internet history and cookies folders for each user recognised by Windows. Even when you flush the cache from within Internet Explorer these files still hold their information only to accumulate more once you start surfing the internet again. 

Windows uses "index.dat" to keep track of cookies and some code is used within the cache itself. If the code is deleted then the corresponding cookie gets deleted. However, if just the cookie is deleted the code gets left behind. "Index.dat" is 'locked' by Windows and cannot be deleted as such, instead UF can attempt to delete or empty the contents of these files the next time the system is restarted. All internet activity contained within these files should be gone on the next system restart.

"desktop.ini" is another file also found in the TIF folder. It would appear to be slightly different than the "desktop.ini" files found in other folders. It seems to change the behaviour of Windows Explorer when it is used to view the folder, as the headings in Windows Explorer change from "Name" "Size" "Type" "Modified" to "Name" "Internet Address" "Type" "Size" and "Expires". 

Subfolders within the TIF folder, such as "Content.IE5", represent security zones as specified in the "Security" section of "Internet Options" (Windows control panel or Internet Explorer options). It would appear these folders contain the same files as each other but this is just Explorer's way of displaying the cache, there are not duplicates as it may appear.

Cookies
Cookies are files created by some web sites that you visit and stored on your computer. The files can be read back by that site, for example to see which areas of the site you have visited. Cookies can also be used by a site to remember login/membership details, so some cookies can be quite useful to you, hence you may wish to keep certain ones (see "Keep cookies" under "Options").

Some people see cookies as a means for web sites to 'spy' on visitors, compromising privacy. The information stored inside a cookie file can only be read back by the web site that transmitted it, not other sites. 

UF will identify and empty cookie folders if required, but if you don't also clean out the cache, then references to the cache and cookies will remain in the cache folders folders. It is advisable to delete contents of the cache also. However, these references in the cache folders contain no data that can be read back from the web/internet.

Favorites
This option will delete the contents of the Favorites folder, used by Internet Explorer and other applications. It is not advisable to delete this folder for obvious reasons - you will lose all your links to web sites! This feature is included in UF for those wishing to rid a computer of Favorites links for whatever reason. 

If "Clean all user profiles where applicable" is selected in "Options/General", the Favorite folders for all users profiled on the computer will be emptied.

Typed url history
Clears individual items from the history of URLs typed into an Internet Explorer browser. If "Clean all user profiles where applicable" is selected in "Options/General", the URL history of all user profiles will be cleaned also.

Downloaded ActiveX & OCX
This folder is generally located in the Windows folder and stores ActiveX, OCX controls and Java applets downloaded automatically from the Internet when you view certain pages. They are temporarily stored in the Downloaded Program Files folder on your hard disk and installed as plugins into your browser.

"ActiveX controls" can contain viruses. Many sites, including as Microsoft, save harmless ActiveX files to your computer but its always best to use an anti-virus program to check for a virus, or simply delete the contents of this folder. It is usually safe to delete the contents of this folder. 

C:\WINDOWS\Occache is another possible folder location for downloaded ActiveX/OCX controls.

Offline web pages
This folder is usually found in the Windows folder. Offline pages are Web pages that are stored on your computer so you can view them without being connected to the Internet. Cleaning out internet cache will also clean out the contents of this folder, unless you use "Internet Options" (Windows control panel, or Internet Explorer) with the default setting which only cleans out the cache and not your offline content.

A way around all this is to make UF clean out all internet cache and this offline web pages folder, but if you want to save documents from the web using Internet Explorer use the "Save As..." option instead of the "Offline" option, and save to a different folder, somewhere you know isn't going to be cleaned out. 

 

8.3.	Miscellaneous

Clear Windows clipboard
UF will erase the contents (if any) of the Windows clipboard. This will ensure any private/confidential information there will not be made available to anyone. 

Clear MS Office registry history lists
If you have MS Office 97, 2000 or XP installed on your system, this option will clean up the most recently used file lists that are stored in the system registry. This list contain links to the most recently opened and saved files that have been used and are found in MS Office applications under the "Open", "Save as", "Insert picture"  and other options. The lists for Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Front Page, Photo Editor 3.0 are all cleaned. The actual documents or files themselves are not removed, only the references to these items in the system registry. Opening and saving files after a clean will create new lists in the registry. 

MS Office XP uses a file called "data.bak". If you do not want to delete files of this name simply add this name to the "Ignore filenames" list in the "Options" and check the "Ignore specified filenames and extensions" checkbox (the file should already be in the list by default).

MS Office also leaves links to recent files on disk (in folders). UF attempts to delete these folders and will clean them out if they appear in the "User defined folders" list. The temporary files for MS Office might be found in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Shortcut Bar, or in the actual installation path of Office: \Microsoft Office\Office\Shortcut Bar or \Microsoft Office\Office10\Shortcut Bar - it all depends on the version and on where Office was installed. Anyway, the temporary files in the Shortcut Bar folder are OFF*.TMP and DES*.TMP (for the desktop bar if it is being used).

Opera version 3, 4, 5 & 6 cache, cookies, history
Deletes the Opera web browser cache, cookies, followed links, web site windows settings, download list and address drop down list. 

 

9.	Purchase full version

This section is only applicable to those using an evaluation/demo version of Unnecessary Files.

Buying an Unnecessary Files usage license. Please check web site or email the author for latest version and prices. The official web site contains the most up to date version and price, some third-party web sites may refer to older versions and prices which are no longer applicable.

web site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ufiles
e-mail: jsoftware@ntlworld.com

Registered users will receive a temporary registration key via e-mail to unlock the demo. A permanent key will be sent within three weeks of the temporary key being issued. Registered users are entitled to free updates of the program for the first year of registration providing they can supply their name, original license name and key, and have an e-mail address. 

You can purchase Unnecessary Files online securely by credit card, phone or mail - please go to our web site. At the time of this release, the price is £18 for a single user license (approximately $25).

You must have (and supply) a valid email address so that your registration details, name and key can be sent to you (this information unlocks the program). You will only be sent the registration name and key when payment has been received and accepted, and you have supplied all the details requested here:

1. Your full name
2. Your full address and post code (zip)
3. Telephone number (optional)
4. Your email address (essential)

 

10.	License agreement

Software License Agreement

This is a legal agreement between Licensee and the program Author of Unnecessary Files. The Author is willing to license this software to you only upon the condition that you accept all of  the terms and conditions contained in the following license agreement.  Please read the terms and conditions carefully as continuing with the installation and use of this software will indicate your acceptance of all of the terms and conditions of the license agreement ("agreement").  If you do not agree to the terms and conditions, the Author is unwilling to license the software to you.

Definitions
"Software" shall be taken as referring to Unnecessary Files and its support files supplied in the software archive and to any and all copies, updates, modifications, functionally-equivalent derivatives, or any parts or portions thereof.

"Licensor" shall be taken as referring to the Author of the software.

"Licensee" shall be taken as referring to the person or business entity who is evaluating the software or has purchased a License to use this Software or for whom such License was purchased.

Grant of License
Upon acceptance of the Agreement, as evidenced by continuing with the installation procedure, the Author grants Licensee a non-transferable, non-exclusive, non-sub licensable license to use one copy of the enclosed software program (the "Software") on a single terminal connected to a single computer. Licensee may not network the Software or otherwise use it on more than one computer terminal at the same time.

This software is distributed as an evaluation. This means some areas of the Software application will be restricted until the Software is registered, and the Software limited by number of uses. After this period if you wish to continue using the Software you have to register by purchasing a license.

Copyright
The Software and the accompanying documentation may not be reproduced in any form save for the sole purpose of making a backup copy for archival purposes.  You may not reproduce the written documentation accompanying the Software. No person or company may charge a fee for the distribution of the Software without written permission from the copyright holder.

Other Restrictions
You may not use, copy, modify, or transfer the Software or any copy, modification, or merged portion, in whole or in part, except as expressly provided for in this Agreement.  Licensee shall not decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the Software or attempt to do so. Licensee shall not rent, lease, sublicense, or transfer the Software.

Proprietary Rights
Other than any license granted herein, Licensor retains exclusive proprietary rights (including all rights, title, and interest) in the Software.  Licensee agrees not to represent that the Licensor is affiliated with or approves of Licensee's application software in any way.  Licensee shall not use Licensor's name, trademarks, or any Licensor designation in association with Licensee's application software.

Termination
This license is effective until terminated.  Licensee may terminate it at any time by destroying all copies of the Software covered by this Agreement and all support files generated by the Software.  It will also terminate if Licensee fails to comply with any term or condition of this Agreement.  Licensee agrees that upon such termination to destroy this Software, including all copies, functionally-equivalent derivatives, and all portions and modifications thereof in any form.

Warranties: Disclaimers
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, CONFORMANCE WITH DESCRIPTION, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU.  SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (NOT THE AUTHOR) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

The author does not warrant that the functions contained in this Software will meet your requirements or that the operation of this Software will be uninterrupted or error-free. The author will not make available Technical Support for this software. The author may, from time to time, revise or update the software. In so doing, the author incurs no obligation to furnish such revision or updates to you. 

YOU USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SALES, INJURY TO PERSON OR PROPERTY OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE EVEN IF THE AUTHOR OR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE(S) OF THE AUTHOR HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.  IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR'S LIABILITY EXCEED AMOUNTS PAID TO LICENSOR BY LICENSEE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE
AGREEMENT.

General
Licensee may not sublicense, assign or otherwise transfer this License or Software except as expressly provided in this Agreement.  Any attempt to otherwise sublicense, assign, or transfer any of the rights, duties or obligations hereunder is expressly prohibited and will terminate this Agreement.

By continuing the installation procedure and use of the Software, Licensee acknowledges that Licensee has read this agreement, understands it, and agrees to be bound by its terms and conditions.  Licensee further agrees that this is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between us, which supersedes any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other communications between us relating to the subject matter of this agreement. 

Should any term of these terms and conditions be declared void or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such declaration shall have no effect on the remaining terms hereof.

Copyright © 2001-2002 by Jonathan Clark, program Author. All rights reserved.

 

11.	Some file types

This section describes only a few of the many files types which could be classed as 'unnecessary'. The description given for each type should not be taken for granted, although it is usually the most common use for the relevant file.

*.BAK, *.OLD, *.$$$
When a new version of a program is installed, or a modification to a file is made, sometimes a backup copy will be created (the original file is simply renamed with a "bak" extension). It is usually safe to delete these files but be cautious nevertheless. Backup files can have a number of different extensions.

*.CHK
If there are any lost clusters found when ScanDisk is run it will create backup files ending with the "chk" extension which contain the lost cluster data. They are saved to the root folder of the disk in question, and usually contain worthless data. It is usually safe to delete these files, although new ones will be created if ScanDisk is run in the future and further lost clusters are found.

*.GID
When you use a help file a "gid" file is created to make future access to that particular help file quicker.
It is perfectly safe to delete these files, but they are recreated every time you use a help file whose "gid" file is missing.

*.FTS
When you perform a search with a help file it creates a "fts" file to make all future searches quicker. It is perfectly safe to delete these files, but they are recreated every time you search with a help file whose "fts" file is missing. They are not worth keeping unless you regularly use a help file's search option.

*.CNT
Table of contents (toc) files for help files. These are safe to delete if you don't require a toc to help you navigate through a help file. They are not recreated.

*.GRP
Windows' Program Manager group file, safe to delete if you never use Program Manager (Win 3.x, and shipped also with Windows 98). These files will not be recreated but new ones might be created by an installation program.

*.TMP
These temporary files are created under many different circumstances, such as when you exit Windows without shutting down everything, or when a new application is installed. They are usually safe to delete, and may have a number of different extensions (including *.~MP)

Setup log files
Created by Windows, found in the Windows folder:
WINNT32.LOG
SETUP*.OLD
SETUP*.LOG
SETUPLOG.TXT

 

12.	Satisfied users

Some comments from satisfied users:

•	"Quick and easy. Straight to the point." This program does exactly as it's named. It seeks and destroys all useless, unused files within your hard-drives. It provides you with a multitude of useful options, all regarding its operation. The program is easy to use, and straight forward. Congratulations to the creators, as this is an excellent addition to my computer maintenance utilities. UF is easily competitive against programs such as System Mechanic, on a strictly file cleaning level.

•	"Very Reliable and Safe" I just used this deletion software and can say that it will delete all unnecessary files without worry....the program will recognize and will give you the option of what to delete....Very good....Un-installer included

•	This program will do in a minute what I have been doing manually once a week that takes me 5 or 10min to do. Its a real time saver for removing garbage files from your pc.

 

13.	Disclaimer

Any application which deletes files should be used very carefully. 

Unnecessary Files will NOT delete any files unless you tell it to, anything which is preset in the program or which you have defined to be cleaned, Unnecessary Files WILL attempt to clean (i.e. delete). You must ensure the program is configured the way you want it to be. If you are unsure then do NOT use it. Make sure that you do not save important data in any of the default Windows folders for storing internet cache or recent documents etc. These folders are cleaned out by Unnecessary Files.

In no way can the developers be held responsible for loss of data by installing, uninstalling, use and misuse of "Unnecessary Files".

Use this program at your own risk, loss of data is your fault alone. The author of this software does not guarantee that this software is free from bugs or free from viruses. The author may, from time to time, revise or update the software. 

If you do not agree with the terms of the license agreement then you should NOT have installed this software and you should remove it from your computer immediately.

The evaluation/demo program is restricted in these areas until a license is purchased:

•	The "Tools" can be used but modifications will be disabled until you register.
•	The program is limited to the number of times you can use it. After this time if you want to continue using the program you must make a payment to receive a full license, registration name and key.
•	The program will only process the first five selected plug-ins until registered. 

Everything else is fully functional, it will find and delete unnecessary files/folders.

Some options may be environment or operating system specific. Support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and above, although Internet Explorer 5 and above will be required for some options to work correctly.

 

Your index page goes here...

In MS-Word, select INDEX AND CONTENTS from the INSERT menu.
Select INDEX and click OK.