Software Review of:
Internet Cleanup 

The company claims Internet Cleanup will help protect your privacy by removing: 

• Cookies 

used by Web site owners to track your preferences, interests and information requests
• Browser cache and history files 

that document where you’ve been on the World Wide Web
• ActiveX controls and browser plugins 

that take up space on your drive and can offer those who want to invade your computer a way to damage your computer’s files. 

Having quickly skimmed the rather brief user’s guide (about 18 pages, each about the size of a Zip disk), I sensed that it was probably a simple program to use, and I wanted to see how it performed on my hard drive files. Not that my computer was much of a challenge. I have a 166 MHz Hewlett Packard, 32MB, with a 2.5GB hard drive. In addition, since I am a college instructor who spends a lot of time teaching online courses, my Web surfing habits are probably not like those of the average Internet devotee. I really wondered what the program would find in the way of Cookies and other items.

The system requirements to run Internet Cleanup were fundamental: a 486 or faster PC, Windows 95 or higher, 8 Megabytes RAM (16MB for Windows NT/2000), CD-ROM drive, Netscape 3.0 and up or Explorer 4.0 and up, and at least 20 Megabytes of free space on your disk drive. Okay, no problem here. The installation was a breeze. I popped in the CD, which was labeled “Reviewers & Editors CD,” with a Full Product sticker on the case cover. My computer recognized the installation program and began the installation process. Internet Cleanup was placed on my main drive under the Programs directory. There were few instruction screens, and the whole installation process took only a couple minutes. I didn’t even have to restart my computer. I thought, I like this program already.

I did have the option to use the Easy Update feature, but chose instead to go directly to the main page. A sharp, clean-looking interface opened with easy to read boxes on the left and four main menu items on the right. The boxes were for Browsers Found, Cached Files (Type, Count, Size), and Internet Data, which read “4 History Items, 0 Cookies, 0 ActiveX Controls, 11 Plugins.” On the right side of the page, the main menu listed: Auto Erase Now, Auto Erase Settings, Auto Erase Schedule, and Manual Erase. 

Having learned that “auto anything” can sometimes mean “auto everything,” I cautiously opted for Manual Erase. Once that link was clicked, I was asked which items I wanted to erase: Cache, Cookies, History Items, ActiveX, or Plugins. Well, the main page had found only History Items and Plugins, so I opted for these, choosing History Items first. Clicking on this feature brought up 4 items each dating back to May, 1999. I clicked the “Continue” button and they were gone. Next, I brought up the names of the 11 Plugins. Here, I wasn’t sure what to do since I wasn’t sure which of these I no longer used, so I clicked the “Back” button and returned to the main menu page.

I was curious about Auto Erase Now, Auto Erase Settings, and Auto Erase Schedule. I selected Auto Erase Schedule and found that the program can be set to run automatically when the system starts up, the system shuts down, when you exist your browser, or every day at a time you set. I decided not to place Internet Cleanup on a schedule. Next, I chose to look at the Auto Erase Settings feature. This option lets you select items that Auto Erase will remove. You can select Cache Files, History Items, Cookies, Shred Cache Files, Shred History Files. With Cookies, you can choose which sites are good ones that you want to keep. You simply list their URLs. All others would be removed. The Shred tool for the cache and history files is particularly powerful since it permanently destroys those files so that the best reconstruction programs can’t put those files together again. (Sort of like Humpty Dumpty after his fall.) Better be sure when it comes to shredding. Needless to say, I left the Shred files at their default settings which showed unchecked (inactive).

Since I had a pretty clean system, I decided to close the program, surf the Net, and return to see what Auto Erase Now would then do. After cruising the super highway for about 10 minutes, I 
reopened Internet Cleanup and it immediately detected cache and history items. I clicked on Auto Erase Now and they were gone. The screen read “Cleared Netscape Cache,” and “Cleared Netscape History.” The feature was quite effective and very fast.

In fact, the whole program is quite effective and fast because it targets specific files related to Internet use. Internet Cleanup lives up to its advertising of a quick and easy way to remove Internet tracking data from your computer. It can put a stop to snooping into your browsing data. I would recommend it to anyone who visits a lot of Web sites, particularly those that are commercial in nature, or where forms are filled out. It is a program that gives the user an added sense of privacy and security. It is well worth checking into.

Internet Cleanup is made by ONTRACK Data International, Inc, Boulder, CO. The program can be purchased for $24.99 at most stores that carry computer software. Also, it can be downloaded from the company’s Web site for $24.95 (no manual), or shipped with the manual for $24.95 plus shipping cost.