ath3na's talking points

If you don't know what CCleaner is, or you missed the Freeware Review of CCleaner please first read this post.

CCleaner supports command line operation. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it. What it means for you is that we can set it to run automatically at a specified time.

It should also be noted, particularly if you are one who regularly turns your computer on and off, that CCleaner can be run at system startup by clicking Options > Settings > and checking the box beside "Run CCleaner when the computer starts." If you, however, leave your computer on most of the time, then running at startup is not going to be enough to thoroughly clean your computer and keep it optimized as it should be.

Much like an antivirus application, CCleaner can be set to run at a specified interval set by you. To specify this interval follow these directions (I used Windows XP for these instructions, so if you also have Windows XP then you should be able to follow these directions directly):

1. Click Start > Control Panel > and double click on Scheduled Tasks.
2. Double click Add Scheduled Task.
3. The Scheduled Task Wizard will start, click Next to begin the creation process.
4. In the next window, scroll down until you find the CCleaner application. Click on it once and the click next.
5. Select how often you'd like CCleaner to automatically run. I have mine run daily, but once a week should be sufficient.
6. Select the time of day you would like it to run. Now, while CCleaner is very fast and you shouldn't notice it running, I recommend running it at a time while you are not at the computer. Mine runs at 3:00 AM.
7. Enter the password for the account in which you would like it to run under. If you do not know the password, just click next, you will be able to allow it to run only when you're logged in in a minute.
8. Check the box next to "Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish." Then click Finish. [Note: If you did not enter a password in step 7, you may get an error message. Just ignore it, we'll solve that problem momentarily]
   
9. At the properties window of the task we just created do the following:
1. In the top-most text box you will see the path to the CCleaner program. Do not change the path, but out beside of it type "/AUTO" (without quotes of course).
2. Check the checkmark beside "Only run if logged on."
3. Click Ok. Also click Ok to any other messages you may receive.