There is a new tool in the hands of malware fighters for cleaning out temp files, Opera cache files etc. The home site is here: http://www.atribune.org/content/view/19/2/
Description: ATF is a new, freeware, temporary file cleaner for Windows, IE, Firefox and Opera with a simple, easy-to-use interface.
The main screen allows the user to either clean all temporary files, or select files for cleaning. The program also knows if Firefox and or Opera is being used, and gives the option of cleaning the temporary files associated with those applications.
ATF Cleaner provides the user with a window showing the total bytes freed upon completion. The program is small (36kb), quick to run and no installation required.
Who of our users uses this program, and what is his or her opinion?
I decided to try this cleaner since I have mostly used Opera as my browser lately. Even though the free Internet Sweeper I have been using also covers Opera, the ATF Cleaner works faster cleaning up both IE & Opera junk.
I have been using ATF for cache cleaning now for a considerable time on ME (MS and FF) and at work for XP Pro SP2 (MS and IE), and have not experienced any problem whatsoever. I can recommend it to the forum users as a nice little proggie, and it is awfully fast.
I think cache cleaning should be a integral part of the malware removal routine, and could make that tiny little difference for a 2% of persistent malware.
A nice feature of the latest Pocket Flock ported browser (for USB stick etc) is that every session starts with a complete cache cleaning session (general password optional) & ends with one.
Conclusively I run CCleaner before closing down the comp, but that is more out of matter of habitual procedure than really necessary.
Hi Polonus,
Like you, I already have CCleaner and wonder why I need to add a second cleaner if
the one I already have is already cleaning up my computer ???
Are 2 beter than 1 or is this over kill?
Does ATF clean something that CCleaner can’t?
It is not for the space of it, but they differ. Sometimes frequent cache cleaning can help a slowing down computer and be an aid in cleansing undesirable content. ATF is simple: Main - Firefox - Opera and cleans out these settings: Windows Temp, Current User Temp, All Users Temp, Cookies, Temporary Internet Files, History, Prefetch, Java cache, Recycle Bin, and very, very fast. If you want exact and profound information what you clean from the cache, you need Url Cache Explorer, info on History, Internet Files, Groups: Source URL name, Local File name, Type, Use Count, Hit Rate, Size Low, Size High, Last Access Time, Last Sync Time, Expire Time, Header’s Info, Header info size, File extension. Free download from here: http://www.nsasys.com/downloads/IeCacheExplorer.exe
As an update on my usage of this, I have found that if I use ATF first, the clean-up is fast for both IE & Opera. Afterwards, I also use Internet Sweeper which deletes a few more that ATF seems to miss in IE. The average is about 25 more deletions.
I don’t know why all these cleaners have the useless option to clean the Prefetch folder? That is the only thing wrong with CCleaner and at least Cleanup! (last version) disabled it by default I believe.
