Is using CCleaner a bad idea?

When buying or building a new computer, many people are asked what programs to install to ensure its proper functioning. Among the various options, the CCleaner is often suggested as an easy way to clean up unnecessary data from the system. However, there are people who criticize the use of the program and claim he can do more harm than good.

What is CCleaner?

O CCleaner is a widely used operating system cleanup tool that is available for Windows, MacOS e Android. It is designed to help users clean their computers and smartphones by removing unnecessary files, improving privacy and security, as well as increasing overall system performance.

The program offers several tools that can be used to clean up the system. For example, the disk cleanup feature allows users to remove temporary files, browsing history, cookies, log files and much more. This can help free up disk space and improve system speed.

O CCleaner also includes a registry cleaner tool that you can use to remove unnecessary registry entries, helping to improve system performance. However, it is important to remember that using a Windows registry cleaner can be controversial. Some security experts claim that cleaning the registry can cause system problems and in some cases, even harm the stability of the computer.

Another important feature of CCleaner is the startup program manager. This feature allows users to manage which programs start automatically with the operating system, helping to reduce computer startup time and improve overall system performance.

The program also includes a secure wipe feature that allows users to permanently delete system files, preventing them from being retrieved by others. This is especially important for users who need to remove sensitive data from their computer.

CCleaner is a useful tool for keeping your system clean and optimized, and the fact that it's free and has been downloaded millions of times is a testament to its popularity and effectiveness.

Problems with CCleaner

In 2017 the CCleaner was criticized by collect system information without permission even after disabling the option. The problem occurred when the Avast, who had acquired the Piriform — developer of CCleaner — announced that a compromised version of the software had been distributed for about a month.

This version was downloaded by millions of users and contained a backdoor cuts, which allowed hackers to gain access to system information including usernames, email addresses and operating system details.

Backdoor is a hidden gateway into a computer system that allows an attacker to bypass normal authentication measures and access the system undetected. This port can be intentionally created by a programmer or hacker to allow remote access to the system without the need for passwords or other forms of authentication. Once a backdoor cuts is installed on a system, the attacker can access and control that system and install spyware and other types of malicious software.

spyware It is a type of malicious software designed to spy on the user's activities on a computer and send information to third parties without the user's knowledge or consent. Spyware can be used to steal confidential information, such as passwords and financial information, or to monitor user activities for targeted advertising purposes. O spyware can be installed on a computer without the user's knowledge, often through malicious software downloads, via backdoor cuts or infected email attachments.

A Avast quickly issued a fix and said no data had been compromised, but the incident raised concerns about the security of the CCleaner and user privacy. In January 2019, Avast disclosed that the program had collected browsing data from users of the free version, which was considered a violation of the company's privacy policy. Avast fixed the issue and promised to be more transparent about data collection in the future.

Conclusion

The evolution of operating systems and hardware has made the CCleaner less necessary for most users. from the Windows 10, the operating system Microsoft has its own disk cleanup tool that can delete unnecessary files like system cache, temp files and event logs.

The system also offers features to manage program startup, allowing users to disable applications they don't want to start automatically with Windows. In addition, SSDs have a much faster read and write speed than traditional hard drives, which means that the impact of disk wiping on performance is much less than in the past.

However, for users who need a more thorough cleaning or who are still using traditional hard drives, the CCleaner it can still be a useful tool. Furthermore, the version Pro of the program offers additional features such as automatic updates and scheduled cleaning. However, it is important to remember the security issues that the program has had in the past and be careful when downloading and using the software.

6 safe alternatives to CCleaner

There are many system cleaning and optimization tools on the market, we have separated some alternatives to CCleaner that will certainly keep your computer away from unwanted maintenance:

• Microsoft Total PC Cleaner (free) — Considered the best free alternative to CCleaner of 2021, this tool quickly cleans disks, optimizes the functioning of the Windows and still has many other optimization features;
• Privazer (free) — The Privazer is a PC and privacy cleaning tool from governmentsoft. It stands out for its emphasis on privacy, ensuring secure and irreversible wipes. Even specialized recovery software cannot recover files deleted by it;
• BleachBit (free) — The BleachBit it is a lightweight and easy to use free alternative. Being open source, it receives quick updates and bug fixes by the community. It offers a resource deepscan for a more detailed analysis of the file system, and its file shredder irreversibly deletes data;
• Glary Utilities (free/premium BRL 199,93) — The Glary Utilities is a popular option for optimizing PC performance, with versions for Windows e Android. With approximately 40 million users, it offers about 20 tools, including disk cleanup, temporary file removal, and memory optimization;
• Clean Master (free/pro BRL 149,64) — Clean Master, a popular optimization tool for Android, also has dedicated software for PCs. The PC version focuses on four main features: Junk File Cleaner, Booster, Privacy Cleaner and Driver Booster;
• Baidu Cleaner (free) — The Baidu Cleaner uses cloud cleaning technology to offer cleaning solutions for over 5000 programs and over 10000 cleaning points. The cloud technology of Baidu Allows removal of up to 2,5GB of junk files.

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Source: techquickie, CCleaner, G1, HowToGeek

reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 18 / 4 / 23.