Of all the tools that should never be missing on a Windows computer, all experts agree on the name of CCleaner . Ccleaner is the program that cleans up obsolete and temporary files on Windows, effectively erasing the traces and histories regarding the use of other programs on the computer.
This tool goes deep into the registry by eliminating those references that are no longer valid and making a decisive contribution to maintaining PC performance.
CCleaner is easy to use, works without risk of deleting important files and never causes problems after its use.
But Ccleaner is not the only program in this category, there are a lot of alternatives or the like to clean up Windows that may be better for particular needs.
Some go deeper, others focus more on protecting privacy by removing traces of computer use, others instead aim to free the system from orphaned paths, folders and files (those left after uninstalling a program).
I have written several lists of programs similar to Ccleaner : one on programs to clean the Windows registry and obsolete files, another on the 10 best cleaning programs on Windows .
Ccleaner remains at the top of these rankings, above all because it can be used safely even if you are an inexperienced user, without ever risking problems (see also).
The only flaw is that the Ccleaner company has tried to activate a spy control on the computers on which it is installed, giving the impression of collecting data for commercial purposes (CCleaner is from Avast).
Let's see which similar programs should be used instead, alternative programs to clean up Windows both regarding the entries created in the registry by the various operations performed on the PC, and to remove the so-called "junk", those files left on the hard disk that they occupy space unnecessarily.
I want to clarify that none of these programs will ever delete important documents, photos and files created with work or entertainment programs.
The programs on this list are new and certainly worth trying for the different approach they use compared to Ccleaner.
1) Kaspersky Cleaner, described in another article, is a recent program of Kaspersky, famous for its antivirus suite, easy to use and complete.
2) Bleachbit, described in another article, is the best alternative to Ccleaner.
The system cleanup tab provides a list of internal Windows tools and system components that usually generate log files.
You can also select everything and then do the analysis to examine in detail which files are identified as useless.
The disk cleanup tab allows you to search for different types of backup files such as .bak, i .old or temporary files (.temp) so that they can be deleted.
Finally, User Track Cleaner lists the various programs which, when used, create registry and file entries to store recent activity.
For example, you can choose Windows Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Internet Explorer etc.
The Report tab offers a complete overview of the cleaning process and shows the items that have been cleared or analyzed.
3) Glary utilities is a program to optimize your PC, which also includes the function of cleaning up obsolete files.
The free version of Glary utilities works well and provides all the tools necessary to clean up Windows and free up disk space.
4) JetClean is instead an easier program suitable for everyone, also because it is completely automatic.
JetClean, scans, in one fell swoop, to find the invalid registry keys, the temporary Windows files and the caches of the various programs used, the connections that no longer exist (such as the Start menu items of removed programs) and also performs an optimization of the RAM memory .
After the scan, the items to be removed and those to be kept can be selected.
In JetClean there are also various computer optimization tools including the uninstaller, the Windows startup controller, the registry defrag to compact it and then an interesting " Internet Booster " that changes some values related to the internet connection and browsers used to surf the web (Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox) to optimize them and make data exchanges faster.
In the settings tab ( Settings ) you can configure automatic and periodic cleaning and you can decide to save the changes made by the program during the optimizations and cleaning so as to restore them if something is wrong.
In the " Ignore " list, you can select components to be excluded from the scans which, therefore, will never be deleted and touched.
All in all, JetClean can be a useful tool for Windows, to be kept in the drawer and used every now and then to do quick maintenance.
5) CleanAfterMe is a portable program by Nirsoft to clean the registry of invalid entries on Windows and the disk from temporary files that are automatically created by the system. It can clean registry entries that record the last opened files, temporary files, browser cookies, history, cache, saved passwords, event logs, clipboard data, etc.
Here too you can choose which items to clean up from a list that shows the path of the candidate files for deletion.
As a program it is really simple because it does a system-level check but it is not suitable for the less experienced as the basic interface does not instruct what is being done.
6) Wise Disk Cleaner is a valid alternative to Ccleaner that provides two ways of cleaning files, one normal and one advanced.
The advanced one is much more detailed, but requires manual control on the elements that are to be eliminated.
7) System Ninja which deletes the files that Ccleaner cannot find .
8) Clean Master, described in another article, is able to remove obsolete files created by installed programs in a very punctual way.
9) Privazer, which removes all traces of computer use and works above all to protect privacy.
10) Wipe and Privacy Eraser, programs to eliminate traces of what you do on your PC, very valid alternatives to Ccleaner.
These programs are equally useful for different circumstances, some are alternative, others complementary to Ccleaner and provide additional tools.
