Webroot's Window Washer Review

In light of our recent discussions on PC Privacy and Security, I've decided to write a review on Webroot's Windows Washer after receiving a few emails from Readers who recommended the program.

What is Webroot's Window Washer?

With web browsers and other applications constantly recording personal tidbits of information -- such as documents and pictures you've viewed, plus web sites recently visited -- maintaining privacy while using your PC can be a daunting task. Webroot's award-winning Window Washer is a comprehensive, simple-to-use utility which protects user privacy and maintains system performance by cleaning PC and Internet history.

Window Washer: features

• Improves system performance by removing hundreds of unwanted tracking and temporary files, including: Internet cache, cookies, history, mail trash, drop-down address bar, auto-complete forms, downloaded program files, plus other Windows components, including: the Recycle Bin, Windows Registry, Windows run and find history, ScanDisk files, recently viewed pictures, locked index.dat files, recently opened documents list, Windows temp files folder and much more.
   
• File "Bleaching" for added Security: Window Washer can completely overwrite files with random characters making them unrecoverable by undelete / unerase utilities -- a security feature which exceeds the tough standards of the United States Department of Defense.
   
• Convenient Scheduled and Automated Cleaning: Window Washer can be programmed to schedule automatic cleaning cycles at specified intervals, and / or during Windows shut down or startup.
   
• Custom wash items: Window Washer can be customized to monitor a personal set of files, including folders, or registry entries for cleaning. Window Washer also has a Web Cookie Keeper which can be used to maintain your preferred Internet settings and logins.
   
• Free downloadable plug-ins to clean your favorite applications: Window Washer includes over 150 free downloadable plug-ins which can clean the tracks of popular programs such as Real One Player, Adobe Acrobat, Netscape, and many more.

Window Washer: Testing it on My Own System

I found the Window Washer interface very easy to use.

During the initial startup, Window Washer scanned my system for known programs that needed cleaning and provided me with a list of additional options.

After flipping through the available menus and checking off the items I wanted processed, I started cleansing my system with a single click of the "Wash Now" button.

I was surprised to see how fast Window Washer processed and cleaned the files: in the end, 14,847 files were removed and 112.5 megabytes recovered from my system in less than 3 minutes time.

Window Washer requires very little resource: version 4.8 is only 1.5 megabytes in size and requires (at minimum) a 100 MHz processor, 8 megabyte of system memory, and 5 megabytes of hard drive space.

Impressive!

Window Washer: Compatibility

Window Washer has been rigorously tested and works on all versions of Windows, including: 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, and XP.

Window Washer: Download

Version 5.0 of Window Washer (released earlier this year) now includes a free copy of My Personal Favorites, an innovative tool for securing and organizing your favorite sites list, user names, and passwords (a $29.95 value). If you purchase Window Washer today, you can have both programs for only $39.95 -- two excellent tools and at an exceptional value!

Update 12 / 10 / 2004: Please note that there appears to be a problem with the "purchase page" on the webroot site. If you decide to purchase Window Washer, you must use the "buy now" button at near the very top of the page, as the second "buy now" button (near the very bottom) does not work.

http://www.infopackets.com/articles/windowwasher.htm