Kaspersky for Windows

Privacy Cleaner

July 2, 2024

ID 70902

User actions on a computer are recorded in the operating system. The following information is saved:

  • Details of search queries entered by users and websites visited
  • Information about started applications, as well as opened and saved files
  • Microsoft Windows event log entries
  • Other information about user activity

Intruders and unauthorized persons may be able to gain access to confidential data contained in information on past user actions.

The application includes:

  • The Privacy Cleaner wizard, which cleans up traces of user activity in the operating system.
  • The Restore settings wizard, which rolls back the changes that were previously made by the Privacy Cleaner wizard. This option is available if activity traces have been removed by the Wizard before.

To run the Privacy Cleaner wizard:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Go to the Privacy section.
  3. In the Privacy Cleaner block, click the Find button.
  4. Then, you will be asked to close all browser windows and continue.
  5. The Wizard performs a search for activity traces on your computer. This may take a while. When the search is complete, the Wizard proceeds automatically to the next step.
  6. If you need to turn on automatic removal of activity traces, switch the Automatic removal of activity traces toggle to On, create a schedule for cleaning sessions and specify your Windows account and password.
  7. Specify which data needs to be removed in the Select actions block and click the Save and remove button or the Remove button if you did not change the list of actions.

    To view actions that have been included into a group, expand the list of the selected group. To make the Wizard perform a certain action, select the corresponding check box next to the action. By default, the Wizard performs all recommended and strongly recommended actions. If you do not want to perform a certain action, clear the check box next to it.

    It is strongly recommended that you not clear the check boxes selected by default, as doing so will leave your computer vulnerable to threats.

  8. The Wizard performs the actions selected during the previous step. The clean-up of activity traces may take some time. To clean up certain activity traces, it may be necessary to restart the computer; if so, the Wizard notifies you.

To run the Restore settings wizard:

  1. Open the main application window.
  2. Go to the Privacy section.
  3. In the Privacy Cleaner block, click the Restore settings button.
  4. The Wizard performs a search for modified settings. This may take a while. When the search is complete, the Wizard proceeds automatically to the next step.
  5. Select which settings needs to be restored and click the Restore button.
  6. Then, you will be notified that the operation is complete. The operation may take some time. To restore certain activity traces, it may be necessary to restart the computer; if so, the Wizard notifies you.

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