User Guide

Installing QuickClean
12 McAfee QuickClean
Create the SmartLinks database
The SmartLinks database stores information about the relationship between
files on your computer. It stores the names and locations of all files needed by
the operating system. For each application, the SmartLinks database stores
information about all of the files that the application needs to run correctly,
including icons, dynamically linked libraries (DLLs), and other executable
files, as well as operating system files that are used by the application. This
information makes the SmartLinks database a complete, cross-referenced
record of how executable and system files are used on your computer.
It is this information that makes using QuickClean quick and safe. It ensures
that applications can be moved, archived, deleted, and transported safely and
completely, and it determines the files that can be safely deleted without
damaging an application or the operating system.
The SmartLinks database is created when you install QuickClean. Because
building the database the first time can take several minutes, it is created in the
background as you provide some default information in an interview wizard.
Updating the SmartLinks database
After QuickClean has created the SmartLinks database for your computer,
updating it takes much less time. Only records for files that have changed are
updated.
QuickClean updates the SmartLinks database in the following circumstances:
• Each time you start QuickClean, the old version of the database is
compared with new information on your computer.
• After you restore files or applications from QuickClean backup copies,
QuickClean records changes that it has just made.
• After you delete or archive files or applications, QuickClean records
changes.
• After you manually select a wizard from the main QuickClean screen,
QuickClean records changes that the wizard makes.
About the Interview
As you install QuickClean, you answer a few questions about how you use
files on your computer, and whether you want to schedule some QuickClean
events.
To run the interview again, click Customization Interview on the Options
menu in the main QuickClean screen.