Symantec/Norton CleanSweep

[celtish]

I have been using the popular CleanSweep programme for yonks (ever since the Quarterdeck days) and generally found it to be an excellent uninstaller and cleaner-up (or should that be 'upcleaner'?) but found a few problems with it of late. CleanSweep in now incorporated into Norton Works or somesuch and is no longer available as a stand-alone although it is possible to hive it off and use it without having to install the full works.

I had been using CleanSweep2000 for a long while and recently it threw up a couple of problems. The first was when error messages mentioning MAIN started popping up. This was more of an irritation than anything because the error window could just be shifted to one side without affecting the running of the programme. But the second problem was more serious. Right-clicking on an EXE file or EXE shortcut, which used to bring up the uninstall dialogue brought up an error message saying it could not be used because I was 'not logged onto the network' (there is in fact no network other than the Internet) and I could go no further with it.

I uninstalled it and got hold of a CleanSweep2002 and installed that. Worked fine except that I found it did not have as much functionality as the 2000 version. I therefore reinstalled the 2000 version on top of the 2002 version and found that the full functionality was restored and the two problems mentioned in para 2 above had gone. All well and good.

What I am seeking now is some input from other CleanSweep users. Looking for valid links to dedicated CleanSweep forums is nigh on impossible (99.9% of the links are to do with roadsweeping and the like and Norton's own Q&A/Support is last.

Edited April 11, 2007 by plonkeroo

[celtish]

....Right-clicking on an EXE file or EXE shortcut, which used to bring up the uninstall dialogue brought up an error message saying it could not be used because I was 'not logged onto the network' (there is in fact no network other than the Internet) and I could go no further with it.

This problem disappeared but later came back. What am I doing wrong??

[tee charoen]

Hi Plonkeroo,

Seems that there are very few users of cleansweep around these days.

Like you I have used the Quarterdeck(was a great software company) versions and progressively went on to the Symantec versions, stopping

at Cleansweep 2001. I then install Norton SDystem works 2003 which integrates Cleansweep 2001 into it.

From what I know the Symantec Cleansweep versions are generally buggy( corrupts themselves for no apparent reason) and from my experience when one of the problems you mentioned - i.e when "Main" kept popping up - there's scarcely anything one can do about it, perhaps better minds could solve that.

However,what I do is to restore a fully functional 98se image that has no Symantec

software (cleansweep, etc) pre-installed - then reinstall my Cleansweep 2001, System works etc.

This I found is the only way I could get a corrupted Cleansweep to function properly again. Tedious but it

works. Of course if you dont have an image sans Symantec software then its a long weekend to reinstall 98se

et al - a fearsome proposition but.....

Cleansweep 01 and all other Products from Symantec have become so invasive and perverse, if you could use that term, that I have stopped using them altogether save what I mentioned above. That said, Cleansweep is

still a neat little utility but with little prospect of commercial gain - it's owners couldnt care 2 hoots about it.

Best.

Hth

Tee Charoen

member since Nov 06

[Eck]

I've also got CleanSweep 2001. I only used it for a brief period until I noticed that I kept needing to turn off its process constantly so it wouldn't interfere with programs.

McAfee took the the competitor Cybermedia's technology over when they bought out that company. The old version before McAfee started messing with it too much worked wonderfully and part of it was even included in the Microsoft Plus98! pack.

I wouldn't use the old one today, but remnants of it are still sold as McAfee QuickClean 2006. You can buy it from a McAfee download and it is compatible with 98 and XP. I've used it and liked it. They'll try to sell you a year of reinstall downloads but that's pointless since there likely won't be any more updates to it and they'll probably discontinue it soon as it won't run on Vista. Just burn the download to a cdr and you'll be able to reinstall it forever. A warning. You get McAfee Security Center along with it. That does nothing unless you have the rest of the VirusScan 10 or Firewall products but still runs in the system tray. Since I am a McAfee subscriber I needed all that since that's how VirusScan works, but if you use other products instead that could be an annoyance. It does recognize most other products though so it will let you know what they are and that you're protected. Like Windows Security Center you can tell it to shut up, that you use another Virus Scanning software and then it'll stop bothering you.

On second thought, you probably don't want this if you don't use McAfee VirusScan. But at least they let you right click and exit out of the system tray icon. On the newer versions they insist on having that thing running even when you shut everything in it off.

But QuickClean works great.

[erpdude8]

But QuickClean works great.

though I have Mcafee VirusScan 7.03 Professional which bundles QuickClean Lite version 2.04. QuickClean Lite also works good on my machines. ditch Norton's buggy CleanSweep program for McAfee's QuickClean app

[celtish]

The CleanSweep I'm running at present is supposedly v.4.70.0058 and the cs32.exe is dated 19 July 1999. As I recall this was installed out of Norton SystemWorks ?2002 (now long time gone) which I bought off eBay. It has its hiccups but even so I find it very useful as an uninstaller - I mean the right-click option.

Edited August 2, 2007 by celtish