CCleaner

[Ray]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?
Another problem which the remote tech could not solve is Facebook which is
fouled up on my PC. The WALL disappeared and I cannot access anything
without entering my name and password. I thought that I would uninstall it
but found that Facebook, once installed cannot be uninstalled. The remote
person spent three hours with me but could not clear it. Facebook notes
that it does not respond to queries. I was not impressed with it when it WAS
working so would like to get rid of it. I would appreciate knowing if there
is a way to eliminate it.

 

[Char Jackson]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?

I can't answer the rest of your questions because I'm still trying to
get my head around the fact that you had an online service clean your
PC. ;-) And just think, they "only" found 4469 errors to justify
their "service".

Another problem which the remote tech could not solve is Facebook which is
fouled up on my PC. The WALL disappeared and I cannot access anything
without entering my name and password. I thought that I would uninstall it
but found that Facebook, once installed cannot be uninstalled. The remote
person spent three hours with me but could not clear it. Facebook notes
that it does not respond to queries. I was not impressed with it when it WAS
working so would like to get rid of it. I would appreciate knowing if there
is a way to eliminate it.

How are you trying to uninstall it, and what happens when you do? If
there are error or status messages, what are they?

 

[Ken Blake]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner.

They sure sound like scammers to me. I would *never* trust such a
company. What was their name? Where did you find them? Or did they
find you?

Besides their getting money from you for doing nothing of any value,
since you let them into your computer, who knows what damage they did
there or what confidential information they stole.

So I highly recommend that you do both of the following immediately:

1. Do a clean reinstallation of Windows.
2. Change all of your passwords, especially any for banks or other
financial sites.

I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?

CCleaner is an excellent program, as long as you do *not* use its
registry cleaning function. All registry cleaners are never needed, do
nothing of any value, and are dangerous.

 

[Ken1943]

It's an excellent program and I hope you didn't pay the unnamed online
service. Personally, I would run an anti virus and several anti malware
programs if I were you to see what this "tech" did to your computer. I
would also check to make sure I still had all my money in my bank account.


He is not a tech. He's an idiot if he thinks one can uninstall Facebook.


http://www.facebook.com/login.php?n...2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhelp%2Fdelete_account

Facebook is not a program on your computer but a web site so it can't be
"uninstalled". The above url will delete your Facebook account.

Must have been one of the "clean my pc" programs on tv.

I only thought you could disable facebook account but never really delete
it ??


KenW

 

[John Williamson]

Must have been one of the "clean my pc" programs on tv.

I only thought you could disable facebook account but never really delete
it ??

The proviso about "deleting" you Facebook account using that URL is that
all your data remains on their servers. To fully delete your account,
you need to clear all your data such as pictures and everything you've
added to your profile, such as date of birth, school, jobs, etc.

Also, "unfriend" all your friends.

Then, and only then, delete your account using the URL given,

 

[charlie]

They sure sound like scammers to me. I would *never* trust such a
company. What was their name? Where did you find them? Or did they
find you?

Besides their getting money from you for doing nothing of any value,
since you let them into your computer, who knows what damage they did
there or what confidential information they stole.

So I highly recommend that you do both of the following immediately:

1. Do a clean reinstallation of Windows.
2. Change all of your passwords, especially any for banks or other
financial sites.





CCleaner is an excellent program, as long as you do *not* use its
registry cleaning function. All registry cleaners are never needed, do
nothing of any value, and are dangerous.

CCleaner can be useful, but like regedit, quite dangerous in unskilled
hands. I'd never let it do a default automatic "clean" operation.

 

[Ray]

"Char Jackson" wrote in message

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?

Another problem which the remote tech could not solve is Facebook which is
fouled up on my PC. The WALL disappeared and I cannot access anything
without entering my name and password. I thought that I would uninstall it
but found that Facebook, once installed cannot be uninstalled. The remote
person spent three hours with me but could not clear it. I would
appreciate knowing if there
is a way to eliminate it.

How are you trying to uninstall it, and what happens when you do? If
there are error or status messages, what are they? --
Char Jackson

I went to Facebook HELP and was able to disable it and got the message that
Facebook does not respond to queries.
The link from Ken is what I was hoping for. I could not find it in Facebook
anywhere.

 

[Ray]

"Ken1943" wrote in message

It's an excellent program and I hope you didn't pay the unnamed online
service. Personally, I would run an anti virus and several anti malware
programs if I were you to see what this "tech" did to your computer.

Thanks for the link, Ken. It's what I was looking for. It says it will
delete in 14 days.

http://www.facebook.com/login.php?n...2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhelp%2Fdelete_account

Must have been one of the "clean my pc" programs on tv.

KenW

I found out it was a scam too late. I did not have a phone number for HP
Remote service so Googled "HP Remote Service" and called the number listed.
I got some numb nuts who couldn't speak English so hung up and called again.
The second one was no better so I shouted at him to give me someone who
could speak English. The third one was still a heavy accent but I could
understand him. I asked him if he was with HP and he said they were
authorized by Microsoft and all others to service any make of PC. After
three hours he asked me how I wanted to pay. I told him I was paying a
monthly fee for remote service so why was I being billed. He started at
$169.95 and I told him no way. Then he dropped down to $69.95. I said no
again. His final offer was $49 and without realizing that he did not at the
time have my credit card number, I should have hung up. Too late I realized
I had been scammed. The scam is called - pcHelp Station. Obviously, it's
somewhere overseas when even the manager is barely understandable. I called
HP and told them of my experience, told them the name of the scammer but the
response was that they agreed that I had been suckered. Too bad.

 

[Ken1943]

Sorry you got screwed. And now you know. I think that a local computer
shop would be better, but you never know. At least they are around so you
can give them 'hell' if something goes wrong. While not perfect, in the
U.S. we can check with the Better Business Bureau. In the past I have
told a long distance friend to grab some 12 year old off the street
because they may know better than I do.

I found out it was a scam too late. I did not have a phone number for HP
Remote service so Googled "HP Remote Service" and called the number listed.
I got some numb nuts who couldn't speak English so hung up and called again.
The second one was no better so I shouted at him to give me someone who
could speak English. The third one was still a heavy accent but I could
understand him. I asked him if he was with HP and he said they were
authorized by Microsoft and all others to service any make of PC. After
three hours he asked me how I wanted to pay. I told him I was paying a
monthly fee for remote service so why was I being billed. He started at
$169.95 and I told him no way. Then he dropped down to $69.95. I said no
again. His final offer was $49 and without realizing that he did not at the
time have my credit card number, I should have hung up. Too late I realized
I had been scammed. The scam is called - pcHelp Station. Obviously, it's
somewhere overseas when even the manager is barely understandable. I called
HP and told them of my experience, told them the name of the scammer but the
response was that they agreed that I had been suckered. Too bad.

KenW

 

[Peter Jason]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?
Another problem which the remote tech could not solve is Facebook which is
fouled up on my PC. The WALL disappeared and I cannot access anything
without entering my name and password. I thought that I would uninstall it
but found that Facebook, once installed cannot be uninstalled. The remote
person spent three hours with me but could not clear it. Facebook notes
that it does not respond to queries. I was not impressed with it when it WAS
working so would like to get rid of it. I would appreciate knowing if there
is a way to eliminate it.

Did you press the right button? The download
page on some sites have so many buttons, many of
which offer to "clean your computer", before the
intended button is found.

CCleaner is very good, but it has no facility to
get into the registry and scramble dates (such as
those in the USBSTOR section) or delete entries.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Sorry you got screwed. And now you know.

But also so do we know now. Ray should be commended for having the
courage to tell us his story.

So: Ray, I commend you. Thanks for exposing this scam.

 

[Fat-Dumb and Happy]

If you used a credit card, dispute the charge. check with HP and see
if they are authorized, if they aren't but claimed to be then you a
valid reason to dispute the charge.

 

[KCB]

CCleaner can be useful, but like regedit, quite dangerous in unskilled
hands. I'd never let it do a default automatic "clean" operation.

CCleaner's disk cleanup has nothing to do with it's registry cleaning
utility; they are separate items. When using the registry cleaner, the user
is given line-item control over what to delete and not delete, and a full
backup, if wanted, is made before any changes. The default is not automatic
deletion of anything, and somebody would have to disable all the safety
options for that to happen. Of course, anybody who doesn't know what they
are doing shouldn't be using ANY utilities.

 

[Steve Hayes]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?
Another problem which the remote tech could not solve is Facebook which is
fouled up on my PC. The WALL disappeared and I cannot access anything
without entering my name and password. I thought that I would uninstall it
but found that Facebook, once installed cannot be uninstalled. The remote
person spent three hours with me but could not clear it. Facebook notes
that it does not respond to queries. I was not impressed with it when it WAS
working so would like to get rid of it. I would appreciate knowing if there
is a way to eliminate it.

That sounds daft.

Facebook is a remote web site and is not installed on your PC.

 

[Steve Hayes]

If you used a credit card, dispute the charge. check with HP and see
if they are authorized, if they aren't but claimed to be then you a
valid reason to dispute the charge.

And change your credit card, unless you want to find your account cleaned out.

 

[The Seabat]

On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:12:01 +0200, Alias

SNIP

I deleted my lame-ass FB account about six months ago and they told me
the same 14 day story. But I logged in just yesterday for giggles and
all the data, settings, the works was still there and active. They are
soulless whores!

 

[Ed Cryer]

But also so do we know now. Ray should be commended for having the
courage to tell us his story.

So: Ray, I commend you. Thanks for exposing this scam.

Seconded.
We're mostly computer savvy here; and some easily start rebuking those
who get taken in. But we must realize that it's a good human trait to
like and trust your fellow men; and not everyone knows the latest tricks
and scams.

Ed

 

[Stan Brown]

I had an on-line service clean my PC. If it was for real, it showed 4469
errors. The remote controller supposedly cleared them, deleted some third
party installations and uninstalled CCleaner. I have read several posts
recommending CCleaner. What is the general opinion?

The general opinion is that it's slicker than goose grease. The
truth is that it's snake oil. That's true of all "registry
cleaners" -- the *best* you can hope for is that they won't cause
problems. They won't make things better because orphan entries in
the Registry don't do any harm. And many people have found that they
created problems.

 

[BillW50]

Yet, you can't cite one instance where CCleaner did damage. Oh, and
you're wrong about orphaned entries; they can render a program useless
unless removed. I know this from personal experience, unlike you that
comes out with blanket "snake oil" bullshit that you heard on line.

Too lazy to do your own work, eh Alias? That figures!

kermit1942 (3.01.2011 10:48)
I had a super bad experience with CCleaner in the past (it
trashed my system) so I used Revo Uninstaller.

http://forum.kaspersky.com/lofiversion/index.php/t197207.html

 

[Wolf K]

Seconded.
We're mostly computer savvy here; and some easily start rebuking those
who get taken in. But we must realize that it's a good human trait to
like and trust your fellow men; and not everyone knows the latest tricks
and scams.

Ed

+1