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CCleaner

By Piriform Free Editors' Rating

Key Details of CCleaner

  • Works efficiently across Windows and Mac platforms.
  • User-friendly interface suitable for beginners and advanced users.
  • Recommended for business users seeking system optimization tools.
  • Trusted software utilized by millions for PC optimization.

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff Oct 18, 2012

Nowadays, cookies, temporary files, and various other means of tracking your Web footprint are par for the course. Some of these trackers are useful, while others can be potentially intrusive. Thankfully, there are myriad freeware cleaners out there that help keep your system in check. CCleaner is one of the better ones for its ease of use and powerful cleaning capabilities.

CCleaner's simple and intuitive layout will appeal to users of all skill levels. Its four features -- Cleaner, Registry, Tools, and Options -- are prominently displayed on the left side of the window. We started with the Cleaner first, which breaks down your cleaning options into two tabs: Windows and Applications. The program works by first analyzing your system and then running the cleaner itself. By selecting the appropriate check boxes, we were able to clean our temporary Internet files, cookies, history, and cache in both Internet Explorer and Firefox at the same time, as well as empty our Recycle Bin and rid our computer of Windows log files. The Registry feature acts in the same fashion, letting you check off on the options you'd like to scan for issues. In less than 30 seconds, the program had scanned and displayed a long list of invalid entries that we could then opt to fix or leave alone by unchecking the boxes. In less time than it took to scan, the program fixed the issues we had selected. One note: We did have to run the Registry cleaner three times in a row before it came back with no issues found; each time it came back with fewer and fewer invalid entries. Using the Tools feature, we were able to manage our startup programs and successfully uninstall programs. We especially liked that CCleaner lets you manage your cookies so that you don't delete ones that are useful when browsing the Web. As with all Registry cleaners, we recommend that you proceed with caution before fixing or deleting any files. CCleaner does offer an online help feature, but for basic cleaning, you probably won't need it.

By default, the project opts you in for installing desktop and Start menu shortcuts, as well as adding run and open options in your Context menu. It also opts you in for installing Google Chrome and making it your default browser, so you'll have to uncheck the boxes to opt out. CCleaner installs and uninstalls without leaving any files or folders behind.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 6.20.10897

Taking the hassle out of PC maintenance:

  • We’ve improved cookie cleaning for Chromium browsers.
  • We’ve added new cleaning rules to remove bookmarks backup files for all Chromium browsers.
  • In the new version of Software Updater, you can now close the dialog box that shows the list of running programs to leave them running and omit them from the scan.
  • We’re continuing to test the new version of Software Updater via Health Check with a growing set of users.

Fixing bugs and other improvements:

  • We’ve resolved an issue where bookmark backups from Opera (GX) were not detected on Windows 7 and 8.1.

General

Release February 5, 2024
Date Added February 5, 2024
Version 6.20.10897

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 11, Windows, Windows 7
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 174,577,449
Downloads Last Week 16,839
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User Reviews

4.5/5
6,763 User Votes
5 Star
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Developer's Description

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning 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. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner.

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