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

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

The shareware version will expire 30 days after the installation. Please read the next section on how to register.

After installing Window Washer, every time Window Washer is run there will be a little squeegee icon

next to your clock on the Windows Taskbar. If you click once on the squeegee icon, a menu will appear. Select Wash Now from the menu to wash all your items. Select Settings from the menu to configure your wash items and other features of Window Washer. Select Quit to close the Window Washer program.

Window Washer costs $29.95.

There are a few ways you can register:

• Register by secure online Web Page visit: http:/www.webroot.com/weborder.htm
• Register by telephone:
  Toll-Free (within the US): 1 (800) 772-9383
  Or outside of the US: 1 (303) 554-6528
  
  

  For phone orders the Window Washer product # is: 4060

  Office Hours are Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm, Mountain Time.

• Register by Check or Money order - Mail to:
  Webroot Software, Inc.
  P.O. Box 3531
  Boulder, CO 80307
  

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

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

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

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

When Window Washer is installed it attempts to detect all the standard wash item directory locations, such as the Netscape or IE cache directory. Clicking on the Change Default Directories button will display a listing of all the detected paths to each standard wash item that is to be cleaned. Below is a list of the standard directories as detected on most (but not all) system configurations:

Windows Document History:

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

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

When you are through verifying or changing your default directories, click on Done.

You can use the Windows System Agent: Task Scheduler to automate cleanings for Window Washer. Simply add the full path of the "autowash.exe" file to the Task Scheduler. For example: "c:\program files\washer\autowash.exe" would be a valid path for an automated wash from within the Task Scheduler. Also, entering "c:\program files\washer\autowash.exe" at the DOS prompt or from within a batch file would also be valid. The "autowash.exe" file instructs Window Washer to wash all selected items and then close itself after washing is completed.

These are items that are automatically integrated into Window Washer.

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

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

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

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

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

This cleans out all of the files that are contained in the Recycle Bin.

Special Note: This cleans all the Recycle Bins on all drives on your computer (including any network drives you have mapped).

If you have Netscape installed on your system, you can use this option to clean up Netscape cookies, cache, history, and trash mailbox. Checking this box will bring up a sub menu allowing you to select which Netscape items you would like cleaned: cookies, cache, history, and/or trash mailbox. NOTE: You must close Netscape before Window Washer will be able to clean the Netscape History items.

If you have Internet Explorer installed on your system, you can use this option to clean up Internet Explorer cookies, cache, and history. Checking this checkbox will bring up a sub menu allowing you to select which Internet Explorer items you would like cleaned: cookies, cache, and/or history. There is also an option to exclude cookies from being washed. This option is helpful if you visit sites that store useful cookies that you wish to keep.

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

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

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

If you have America Online installed on your system, this option will clean out the Drop Down List and Cache that is displayed at the top of the main AOL window.

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

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

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

Custom Items allows you the flexibility of adding files, folders, and registry entries to be automatically cleaned for you.

Click the Add button if you wish to add a new custom item. If you wish to edit a current item, highlight the item on the Custom Items menu and then click the Edit button.

Check this box to clean files or folders. Then click on Select, located on the right. You will then see the Add files and folders screen. Browse through the directories by clicking on the directory box.

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

How to add a registry entry:

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

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

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

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

To delete a Custom Item from your list, click on the item you wish to delete and then click on Delete.

Click on Wash Now located at the bottom-left of the main window.

You will see the status window as Window Washer cleans through your selected items.

Note: You will not see the status window while Window Washer is washing during a timed washed or during a Windows startup wash.

Webroot Software, Inc. licenses the accompanying software to you only upon the condition that you accept all of the terms contained in this license agreement. Please read the terms carefully before the installation of Window Washer, as installing Window Washer will indicate your assent to these conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not install Window Washer as Webroot Software, Inc. is unwilling to license the software to you, in which event you should delete the product from your computer.

LICENSE AND WARRANTY:

The software that accompanies this license (‘Window Washer’) is the property of Webroot Software, Inc. or its licensers and is protected by copyright law. While Webroot Software, Inc. continues to own the Window Washer software, you will have certain rights to use Window Washer after your acceptance of this license. Your rights and obligations with respect to the use of Window Washer are as follows:

IF YOU AGREE TO THE WINDOW WASHER DISCLAIMER AND LICENSE YOU MAY:

(i) use Window Washer on as many computers as you wish at no charge for up to but no more than 30 days. After 30 days of use you must either discontinue the use of Window Washer or purchase a registered version for each computer that you intend to use Window Washer on.

YOU MAY NOT:

(i) sublicense, rent, sell, or lease any portion Window Washer;

(ii) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, translate, make any attempt to discover the source code of Window Washer, or create derivative works from Window Washer;

(ii) continue use of Window Washer after your 30-day trial.

GENERAL:

This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado. This Agreement may only be modified by a license addendum that accompanies this license or by a written document that has been signed by both you and Webroot Software, Inc. Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire to contact Webroot Software for any reason, please write: