BleachBit
BleachBit removes temporary files along with the traces your Windows applications leave behind.
Download a cleanup tool for Windows
Cleaning programs do not all act on the same data. Some remove temporary files or a selected history. Others search for adware and potentially unwanted programs. This difference determines what their analysis can bring you. In utilities, this directory brings together three tools for Windows with distinct functions. It helps you spot the right product family before opening a detailed product page. The number of files detected is not a ranking. A useful selection depends on the applications installed, the data you want to keep, and the specific problem seen on your computer.
3 programs
6.0.4
BleachBit lends itself to selecting cleaning categories with a preview before deletion. This free project also offers a portable distribution. Removing caches or traces must stay suited to the data you want to keep.
CCleaner Free
CCleaner Free is made to remove temporary files along with a few traces left by PC use.
CCleaner Free groups cleaning operations in a free edition. Compare the options actually available with the paid offers in the range. The results depend on the categories chosen and are not a general measure of PC performance.
AdwCleaner
AdwCleaner checks your PC for adware and unwanted programs.
AdwCleaner answers the search for adware and potentially unwanted programs. It supplements a targeted investigation when browsing changes without explanation. It replaces neither a cache cleaner nor permanent protection.
Identify the data concerned
A temporary file may become useless once an application is closed. A cache sometimes keeps its usefulness, since it avoids reloading the same resources. A history and cookies cover still other needs. Before erasing, examine the proposed category and the effect it announces. BleachBit and CCleaner Free let you select the data to clean. Their presence in this directory does not mean enabling every option. Keep your account sign-in details if you remove cookies. After the operation, also review the preferences of the applications you use regularly.
Separate cleaning from the search for unwanted programs
AdwCleaner targets adware, potentially unwanted programs and some browser hijackers. This task is not the same as deleting a large cache. A browser whose start page changes calls for a different search than an almost full disk. A notification permission granted to a site can also explain messages without an adware program installed. The choose a cleaner according to the problem guide develops this diagnosis by symptom. This subcategory rather serves to grasp the scope of each tool and to find its product page. No cleaning result on its own proves that every cause of a malfunction has disappeared.
Read the conditions specific to each edition
BleachBit is a free project. CCleaner Free is a free edition within a range that also includes paid functions. AdwCleaner is offered free of charge by Malwarebytes and stands apart from this publisher's protection subscriptions. So do not infer an edition's functions from a screenshot taken from another offer. Also check the version of Windows accepted by the chosen download. Older releases of a program may require a different system than the current version. The product sheet brings these markers together, with the confirmed information and the requirements that remain unknown.
Fit cleaning into your organization
Cleaning is no substitute for backing up documents. Nor does it fix a disk failure or insufficient memory. Set an observable outcome, such as removing the temporary data of a specific application, then compare before and after. There is no need to repeat the operation daily if nothing calls for it. To equip a new machine, also see useful software after installing Windows: browsing, archives and documents belong to other tasks. You will then install the useful tools when a function is missing, without making cleaning a mandatory step of every session.
Frequently asked questions
Does a cleaner act as an antivirus?
Not by default. BleachBit and CCleaner Free process selected data categories. AdwCleaner looks for certain families of unwanted programs, without providing an antivirus's permanent monitoring. Choose according to the symptom and keep protection suited to the other risks of your use.
Why do temporary files come back?
Applications recreate caches and temporary data as they run. Their return may be normal. Examine the nature of the files and the volume involved rather than concluding a failure. Useful cleaning answers an identified need, even if some data is recreated afterwards.
Should I tick every category?
No. Observe the effects of each selection, in particular on history, cookies and preferences. Start with the items you understand. Saving your documents and reading the results before confirmation limits unexpected interruptions and helps explain the changes observed.