Windows programs behave like messy children at times.

Microsoft Word has a bad habit of running out the door and forgetting to delete temporary backup files it makes while you type documents.

Adobe Reader unloads a toy box full of goodies into a temporary folder every time you download and install a new version.

Internet Explorer is a pack rat: Every time you take Explorer for a spin on the Internet — even if it’s just for a quick glance at a few news sites — it furiously scribbles down copies of everything it sees and stores it on your hard drive.

What you need is a handyman to dig deep and clean up after messy programs. Wallets are tight, though, so you need one that will do all that hard cleanup work fast, but for free. If your new handyman could fix a few other things around the house and make the place run a little more smoothly, that would be great too.

Luckily, I’ve got just the handyman for the job. It’s called “CCleaner,” and it’s from a company called Piriform. Their Web site boasts, “CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool.

“It removes unused files from your system — allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it’s fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!”

I have used CCleaner for a long time, and I love it. I use it on almost every computer that I work on because it’s fast, it’s easy, it does the job perfectly and it’s free. Simply install the program, run it, click “Analyze” (be prepared to wait for a while if your system is really jammed with junk), then click “Run Cleaner.” Customize it a bit if you wish, but the default settings are usually just right. You can download the program yourself at: http://www.ccleaner.com.

One little note: If you race through the “Next” buttons during the install process, you’ll miss an opportunity to un-check a box that installs the “Yahoo! Toolbar.” I’m not a big fan of browser toolbars, so my recommendation is to un-check this box when you see it.

CCleaner has other nice features, too. You can use it to check the Windows Registry for errors, then fix them. Sometimes this can benefit a system that takes a long time to start up. Important note: If CCleaner prompts you to make a backup of the registry changes it is making, do it. If something goes awry, you’ll soon see how that little backup file is made of gold.

You can also use CCleaner as a quicker way to remove programs that are installed on your computer rather than going to “Add/Remove Programs.”

Now that your PC is spic-and-span, you can get back to the real fun — getting some work (or play) out of your computer.

Kevin McDonald: Writer and professional computer/network administrator. He lives in Amarillo with his wife and children, and owns and operates Definition Computers. E-mail Kevin at askthegeek@definitioncomputers.com with questions you’d like to see answered in this column.

(This article was originally published in the Amarillo Independent newspaper.)