CCleaner

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CCleaner

Screenshot
CCleaner Professional 5.00.5050 on Windows 8.1
Basic data

developer Piriform Ltd.
Publishing year September 23, 2003
Current  version v5.66.7716 ( Windows )
May 1, 2020

v1.17.603 ( macOS )
August 22, 2019

4.22.0 ( Android )
April 14, 2020

operating system Windows 7 and higher; macOS 64-bit 10.8 to 10.14 Mojave;
Android 5.0 or higher
programming language C ++
category Optimization software
License Freeware
German speaking Yes
www.ccleaner.com

CCleaner ( pronunciation : [ ˈsiːkliːnər ], former name Crap Cleaner ) is a free program for optimization for the Windows , macOS and Android operating systems . Windows is supported on 32- and 64-bit systems from Windows XP . In addition, there are other versions for Windows that are offered as business solutions for a fee .

According to the manufacturer, the program has been downloaded more than two and a half billion times (as of 2020).

In 2017 Piriform Ltd. Taken over with CCleaner from the Czech software company Avast . The announcement was made on July 19, 2017.

Range of functions

The program mainly removes unused and temporary files . The history of visited websites and various other histories, such as files last used or search terms entered in the Windows search, can also be cleaned up.

In addition, it can remove errors from the Windows registry and any entries left over after uninstalling programs. With the help of various deletion methods such as the Gutmann method , it can permanently and securely delete both sensitive files and entire data carriers .

These measures are intended to accelerate the system and protect the user's privacy.

Extensions

Over a long period of time, extensions have been collected in the official Piriform support forum to enable support for other programs. These found their way into CCEnhancer, which supports over 1000 other programs. This program uses a multi-authorship created and currently held version of the file winapp2.ini .

Windows versions

Version 2.0

Version 2.0 was released on August 13, 2007. With this version the program was C ++ from scratch written to newly create a better compatibility with Windows Vista to reach and 64-bit operating systems and a portable version for USB sticks create can. In addition, the program should now work faster and an option to exclude certain files has been added. The user interface has also been redesigned.

Version 3.0

Version 3.0 was released on October 28, 2010. The program can now safely delete the free space or the entire contents of a hard drive and removable media . The 64-bit version has been improved again, the user interface and the icon have been revised. Otherwise there were several minor innovations.

As of version 3.23, an application in Windows 8 is also supported.

Version 4.0

Version 4.0 was released on March 26th, 2013. A file finder to detect and remove duplicate files was built in and the program was optimized. System and browser monitoring has been added to the Pro version. The browser is automatically cleaned when you exit. In addition, the system can easily be cleaned via the system tray.

Version 5.0

Version 5.0 was released on November 25th, 2014. The user interface has been adapted to the new Windows 8 / 8.1 Metro look. The error message routine and internal program architecture have been optimized for higher performance.

Version 5.33 infected with malware

Version 5.33 was released on August 15, 2017 and was infected with malware. The file was correctly signed by Piriform, suggesting that Piriform's development environment had been compromised. The infected file contained a downloader and a spy component to be reloaded. The malware was not aimed at the typical end user, but at users in large technology and telecommunications companies in Japan and Russia, but also in Germany. On September 12th, CCleaner 5.34 was made available for download. On September 18, Piriform reported the infection of version 5.33 of its software. The control servers from which the malware was controlled have been switched off. The version contaminated with the malware had been used by a total of 2.7 million users. Contrary to initial claims that the malware should not have been active on a single PC, the manufacturer announced a few days later that the downloader in question was said to have been active on several hundred PCs. In the meantime, information on more than 700,000 PCs had been collected by the malware. This information makes it possible, among other things, to clearly identify the respective PC. Avast, which owns Piriform, recommends using a program like Avast Antivirus to help detect such infections in the future.

Version 5.45 with espionage function and can no longer be switched off

The free version of version 5.45 no longer allows users to decide for themselves whether their data can be collected and used anonymously. A function called heartbeat sends information to the manufacturer every 12 hours. If you remove the checkmark next to Activate monitoring , it will be set again the next time the application is closed and called up again. In addition, the program can no longer be closed; when the window is closed, the program remains active in the background. Avast announced that it would give users more control over the data in the next version. Many websites and computer magazines advised to use the old version 5.44 until then and not to install 5.45.

According to the information on the website, a new region restriction is also intended to prevent the use of the software in countries affected by an embargo.

In response, Avast removed version 5.45 from the website and offered version 5.44 again until the newer version was released. Version 5.46 was released at the end of August 2018.

Attentive users do not miss the fact that the CCleaner tries to establish an Internet connection to Avast every time the program is started and once a day, despite the deactivation of all online-intensive functions. This behavior is determined by the program during installation in the Windows task scheduler. The function can also be deactivated there. According to Avast, the CCleaner only asks whether there is a new update, so online access has an exclusively informative function for the user. Telemetry data is not sent according to Avast, but this statement is regularly doubted.

Other versions

In June 2011 the first beta version for the Mac OS X operating system from version 10.5 was released. A version for smartphones with the Android operating system has been available since June 2014 .

reviews

CNET rated the program with 5 out of 5 stars, described it as “highly recommended” and awarded it the “Editor's Choice Award” in April 2009. Tecchannel rates the freeware positively: “There are several reasons to use a cleanup tool on your own PC, but the two most important are performance and privacy. The free CCleaner promises to implement precisely these two paradigms. " Freenet.de also has positive comments about the program:" A very useful little helper that does its job cleanly and reliably. This tool is simply part of the maintenance of every good Windows installation. "

Chip magazine judged the test winner in the test of the best trace destroyers in issue 1/2009: “The CCleaner convinces with a clear surface. All functions are easily accessible. Additional features round off the package. ” Chip.de also rates the program positively:“ Data deletion in high-end format. The small cleaning tool for the hard disk cleans your system of unnecessary ballast down to the pores. ”However, Tim Aschermann points out in Chip.de that the use of other program parts such as registry cleaner and extras can affect the stability of the system. They are “dangerous categories in which things can quickly go wrong.” Macwelt.de writes about the program in its test report from June 6, 2011: “The CCleaner is popular on the Windows platform; a first Mac beta is now available. The tool is particularly suitable for deleting surf traces. "

At Chip.de , the application leads the top 100 download charts in the “System Cleaner” area with more than 50 million downloads (as of December 2015); CCleaner is among the “Top 100 downloads of 2015” with more than 4.8 million hits there in first place. At heise.de , CCleaner is number 5 of the 30 “most popular free programs” in 2014 (12th place in the previous year, 12th place overall).

criticism

Like all programs that “clean up” the Windows registry , CCleaner has come under criticism, Microsoft itself warns against the careless use of these programs. Although Microsoft generally warns against the untargeted cleaning of the registry, the only criticism of the CCleaner is that all sub-options are activated by default when selecting the menu item for cleaning the registry.

In 2019 Microsoft announced the inclusion of some domains in the blacklist of the support forum. This included the CCleaner website. Since then, posts that refer to it have to be viewed and approved by a forum moderator. In practice, it seems so far to prevent the tool from being touted as a universal problem solution. Support requests due to problems are generally released

On July 27, 2020, it was announced that Windows Defender Antivirus is classifying the free and trial versions of CCleaner as an unwanted application (PUA). The reason is the CCleaner installer, which offers to install additional applications, and these could affect the use of Windows. Bundled and possibly also installed programs are: Google Chrome, Google Toolbar, Avast Free Antivirus, and AVG Antivirus Free.

Names

CCleaner is sometimes referred to as CC-Cleaner instead of C-Cleaner . The naming was explained in the FAQ section of the website: The name "CCleaner" is the short version of the original name "Crap Cleaner" and is pronounced like "see cleaner" in English.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ CCleaner for Windows. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020 .
  2. ↑ CCleaner for Mac. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Installation page for Android. In: Google Play . Retrieved July 12, 2019 .
  4. ↑ CCleaner APK Version History. In: APK4Fun. Retrieved August 25, 2019 .
  5. ↑ System requirements. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020 (English).
  6. ^ Changing the language CCleaner uses. Supported languages. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved December 3, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Is it CCleaner, CCCleaner or C Cleaner? ( Memento from August 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).
  8. ↑ What operating systems does CCleaner support? Supported Operating Systems. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved December 3, 2018 .
  9. ↑ CCleaner® saves you time, reduces IT costs and increases productivity. Business solutions. In: piriform.com. Retrieved on August 16, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Ccleaner developer becomes part of Avast Software. In: golem.de. Retrieved October 26, 2018 .
  11. ↑ CCEnhancer
  12. ↑ piriform.com: CCleaner 2.0 Change Log
  13. ↑ piriform.com: CCleaner v3.0
  14. ↑ piriform.com
  15. ↑ piriform.com
  16. ↑ blog.talosintelligence.com
  17. ^ CCleaner . In: netzwelt . ( winfuture.de [accessed September 30, 2017]).
  18. ↑ blog.talosintelligence.com
  19. ↑ golem.de
  20. ↑ blog.avast.com
  21. ↑ pcwelt.de
  22. ↑ Version history for Windows. In: ccleaner.com. Retrieved December 12, 2018 .
  23. ↑ a b Stephan Wiesend: Clean up Mac with CCleaner Beta 1.0 ( Memento from July 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ).
  24. ↑ CCleaner for Android has Launched! at piriform.com , accessed June 25, 2014.
  25. ↑ Seth Rosenblatt: CCleaner. In: download.com. CBS Interactive, October 28, 2010; accessed January 6, 2012 .
  26. ↑ tecchannel.de: CCleaner ( memento of the original from January 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tecchannel.de
  27. ↑ Test report on freenet.de
  28. ↑ Test report in Chip issue 1/2009
  29. ↑ Test report on chip.de
  30. ↑ Tim Aschermann: Does the CCleaner make sense - an assessment. June 19, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
  31. ↑ Chip.de download charts .
  32. ↑ chip.de .
  33. ↑ heise.de: Top Downloads 2014 .
  34. ^ Microsoft's Gov Maharaj gently denounced CCleaner. In: thewindowsclub.com. October 9, 2015, accessed July 30, 2020 .
  35. ↑ Microsoft Support Policy for Using Registry Cleanup Utilities. In: microsoft.com. October 9, 2015, accessed July 30, 2020 .
  36. ↑ Windows Killer CCleaner: This is how dangerous your favorite tool is. In: chip.de. September 25, 2019, accessed December 20, 2017 .
  37. ↑ Microsoft bans the CCleaner. In: windowsarea.de. September 25, 2019, accessed July 30, 2020 .
  38. ↑ Microsoft warns against CCleaner. In: Futurezone . July 30, 2020, accessed July 30, 2020 .
  39. ↑ PUA: Win32 / CCleaner. Detected with Microsoft Defender Antivirus. In: microsoft.com. July 27, 2020, accessed on July 30, 2020 .
  40. ↑ Is it CCleaner, CCCleaner or C Cleaner? ( Memento from August 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).