When first using the tool, the next step is to click Analyze, which simply examines your system for cleaning opportunities. (The default selections are a fine place to start if you’re not sure.) In both cases, you can scroll through and select or de-select which items you would like CCleaner to clean. One of the things that distinguishes CCleaner from Windows’ own disk-cleaning tool is that CCleaner is aware of many popular non-Microsoft applications that also need cleaning. Click the Applications tab and you’ll get a long list of programs, both Microsoft and non-Microsoft, that CCleaner knows about.

Start CCleaner and you’ll begin in its Cleaner section, which shows you the various types of Windows components and file types it can clean. To date, I’ve never found PUPs or other unexpected items in Piriform software, but caution is always advised, and is an important habit to develop. Run the installer, taking care to always explore “custom” or “advanced” options. That’s OK, since you were directed there by the official source. You may be directed to a third-party download site to actually get the file. Download the free version and decline all offers of the trial or Pro version 1. Downloading CCleanerĭownload CCleaner from the official site at Piriform. Those of us who’ve been around for awhile still think of it by its original name.

Part of that maturation was apparently sanitizing the program’s name somewhat. Let’s do some full disclosure on that name.ĬCleaner started out years ago as “Crap Cleaner” – its focus was on cleaning temporary files left behind by many applications. With the arrival of Windows 10, CCleaner is also positioned to provide a function that can’t easily be found elsewhere. Several of CCleaner’s functions may duplicate tools you already have, but its primary claim to fame is its ability to clean up files, history, and other things from your computer you might not need or want to keep around. CCleaner‘s been around a long time, and with good reason: it provides several valuable and useful functions.

Hippo ccleaner