However, shortly after the acquisition, problems arose. In 2017, Avast acquired Piriform Software and CCleaner. Some may assume that the C in its name (C Cleaner) stands for the C:/ drive, where Windows OS files are commonly installed, or even the word "Computer." However, the truth is that the name originates from "Crap." Believe it or not, this software was originally known as Crap Cleaner when it was first launched back in 2004. With over a decade of being featured in essential PC software lists and billions of downloads to its name, it's clear that this software is a fan favorite. In addition to its registry, cookie, cache, and recycle bin cleaning tools, What Is the CCleaner Hack? has expanded its offerings to include PC performance boost tools and a driver updater. Its primary purpose is to remove unwanted files from your computer safely, which may have been left behind by other software. However, with the implementation of necessary changes, is CCleaner now a safe option for Windows users?ĬCleaner, developed by Piriform Software in 2004, is a system cleanup utility designed specifically for Windows. As a long-time go-to system cleaner for Windows, CCleaner went through a rocky phase which began with the discovery of the hack and later, concerns regarding data collection. After experiencing a security breach in 2017, Avast, the parent company, took the necessary steps to prevent it from recurring in the future. You can use Windows cleaning options and other third-party tools that do a better job at tasks like finding duplicate files.CCleaner remains a reliable option for effectively removing unwanted files from your Windows PC. If you rarely run low on disk space, only use one browser, and don't mind updating software manually, then there's really no need for you to use it. So whether you should use CCleaner depends on your needs. And some CCleaner tools, like Uninstall and Startup, just duplicate Windows functionality and are thus of little use. TreeSize is a much better disk analyzer and Patch My PC is better at updating software. Many of these are free and often do a better job than CCleaner.įor example, Windows's Disk Cleanup handles a lot of what CCleaner's cleaning tools do. However, you can access a lot of CCleaner's features in other utilities and software. And the Drive Wiper and Software Updater (if you pay for Pro) are useful. For instance, if you use multiple browsers, it's convenient to remove temporary files from all of them at once. To be fair, there is some use to CCleaner. Software Updater is another panel for accessing the function mentioned above. The Uninstall tab duplicates the methods for uninstalling provided in Windows, though it does make it easy to save all your installed programs to a text file. Here you'll find several additional utilities of varying usefulness. Rounding out CCleaner's feature set is the Tools tab. Microsoft's official statement on Registry cleaners recommends staying away from them don't even bother with this feature of CCleaner. While most people regard CCleaner's Registry cleaner as better than other random ones online, you still don't need to use it. In fact, if a Registry cleaner is too zealous, it can actually cause more problems than it solves. While orphaned entries and other minor problems do occur in the Registry over time, there is no good evidence that cleaning the Registry will speed up your computer. This section is simple: you don't need to use Registry cleaners. But now, are these problems cleaned up? And further, is CCleaner even worth using?Ĭheck everything you're interested in cleaning and hit Analyze to see how much space your action will save. Have a look at our guide to replacing CCleaner for more history and information.Īll of these factors made it feel more like an unwanted program than something that benefits your computer. On top of this, CCleaner's free version regularly nags you to upgrade to the paid version. That update also made CCleaner difficult to close through standard methods.įinally, in 2018 the app also started ignoring users' preference to disable automatic updates. This is fairly standard, but the problem was that when you turned the setting off, it re-enabled itself upon a reboot. Later, the company introduced an "Active Monitoring" feature that collected anonymized data about your usage. The 32-bit app version on CCleaner's website was hacked, adding a Trojan to the download, which the company thankfully caught before it became widespread. In case you're not familiar, CCleaner's issues started in 2017 shortly after developer Piriform was bought by Avast.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |