Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQ articles on this page answers to most commonly asked questions regarding the most specific and tempting aspects of ByteSweeper. Click Ctrl + F to do a search on this page.
The Questions:
- I can't get the automatic cleanup to work. When I type in my username it says it's not valid. What's wrong?
- I ran ByteSweeper for the first time and after five minutes nothing happened. Why did it stop working?
- Does "Advanced Mode" remove files that will harm my Windows system if I remove them?
- Why would I want to keep my cookies? I thought all cookies were bad to keep.
- I cannot read part of the ByteSweeper window.
- What is a File Mask?
- If I install the trial and decide not to purchase ByteSweeper, how do I uninstall it?
- Some of my Favorites have cute little icons but after running ByteSweeper, they are gone and replaced by a regular icon. What happened?
See also our Online Help. If you still need assistance, contact us.
The Answers:
- I can't get the automatic cleanup to work. When I type in my username it says it's not valid. What's wrong?
If you're the only use on a Windows XP computer then Windows refers to you as "Owner". If it says "Owner" in the username field - DO NOT CHANGE IT regardless of the name you use to logon to Windows. ByteSweeper uses Windows Task Scheduler and the user name comes from your own Windows Registry.
- I ran ByteSweeper for the first time and after five minutes nothing happened. Why did it stop working?
If you are running ByteSweeper for the first time, and have never cleaned your Windows system before, you may be in for a surprise. You may have gigabytes of junk files on your computer and it may take ByteSweeper as much as fifteen minutes to give your system a thorough cleaning the first time you run it. After the first time, if you run ByteSweeper regularly, it will take ByteSweeper only a few minutes to completely clean your system. We suggest that you run ByteSweeper every day.
- Does "Advanced Mode" remove files that will harm my Windows system if I remove them?
No. Advanced Mode does not, by default, remove any important files. However, Advanced Mode does give you the option to include any folder for cleaning. So, if you choose a folder that contains important files, ByteSweeper will remove them. So, if you're not sure, use the Safe Mode. If you're an advanced user you will find the Advanced Mode excellent for removing temp folders that belong to specific programs that are not normally cleaned by cleaner-type programs. Just be sure whatever folders you select don't contain important files. In any case, ByteSweeper, by default, will create a Restore Point (Windows XP only) just in case you make a mistake.
- Why would I want to keep my cookies? I thought all cookies were bad to keep.
Cookies have earned an undeserved bad reputation. Some cookies can actually save you a lot of work. Let's say you have personalized your MSN Hotmail start page. You have selected your own city for Weather and your favorite colors, etc. This information is stored in a cookie (a tiny text file) which MSN Hotmail downloads to your hard drive. If you remove that particular cookie, you'll have to reset your preferences the next time you login to you MSN Hotmail page. Generally, though, cookies accumulate and some cookies can track you from page to page on the same site or groups of similar sites owned by the same company or co-operating companies. Generally you'll want to clear all cookies except in cases as shown above. Then you will only want to protect a single cookie and clean the rest.
- I cannot read part of the ByteSweeper window.
In cases where you have set your screen resolution to an unconventional size then you need to position the ByteSweeper Window in the center of your screen. To move the ByteSweeper window, right click anywhere on the very top edge of it. Your cursor turns into a cross. Grab the top edge with your cursor and center it on your screen. Conventional resolutions for monitors are: 800 x 600 pixels for 15 inch monitors and 1024 x 768 for 17 inch and 19 inch monitors.
- What is a File Mask?
File masks allow you to specify certain file types you want ByteSweeper to remove. For instance, if you want ByteSweeper to remove all Windows Prefetch files, you would create a file mask for the file extension .pf (Windows Prefetch file). When adding a file mask use the qualifying asterisk in front of the file extension (for example *.pf) so that all files with the extension .pf are remove regardless of the prefix. ByteSweeper's File Mask feature is available only in Advanced Mode and is a feature advanced users will love.
- If I install the trial and decide not to purchase ByteSweeper, how do I uninstall it?
You can uninstall by either 1) Go to your Start Menu, Click Programs, and you will see ByteSweeper on the list. Click the ByteSweeper folder and choose "Uninstall ByteSweeper", or 2) Go to Start Menu, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Find ByteSweeper in the list, choose Uninstall.
Note: If you purchase ByteSweeper, you do not need to uninstall the Trail. You will receive a registration key that will convert your trial to a full version.
- Some of my Favorites have cute little icons but after running ByteSweeper, they are gone and replaced by a regular icon. What happened?
Colorful icons are "temp files" called favicons which are stored on the computer as "links" not images. Once you clean your temp files out you clean these "links" out and all the "images" disappear; the page itself is not removed, just the colorful icon. When you revisit those same sites you will once again have the images representing the icons. Having colorful "links to icons" is not a good reason to leave junk files on your computer. Junk files can and do effect system performance and can degrade your computers speed and other functions. Keeping your computer clean by removing temporary files and other junk files is a very important first step in good computer maintenance and having text links to "colorful icons" important enough to allow junk and temporary files to continue to build up on your computer.
