But are those troubled times behind it, and is CCleaner safe for Windows now?
What Is CCleaner?
CCleaneris a system cleanup utility, initially created for Windows by Piriform Software all the way back in 2004.
Jason Fitzpatrick / How-To Geek
But it actually originates from “Crap.”
Yep, the software was launched in 2004 as Crap Cleaner.
Piriform Software and CCleaner were bought by antivirus software giant Avast in 2017.
Unfortunately, that was very shortly before all the trouble started.
What Is the CCleaner Hack?
To its credit, Avast reacted quickly and updated users to a virus-free version 5.34.
Is CCleaner Safe to Use Now?
Despitethe hack of 2017, CCleaner can now be considered safe to use.
There have been no other successful hacks or breaches in the years since.
Avast did reveal that anattempt was made in 2019but was prevented before any software could be infected.
In that instance, the setting to disable automatic updates was reverting to allow them without user input.
It also defaulted to allow data to be collected.
This has since been fixed.
Another commonly asked question is: “Is the CCleaner Registry Cleaner safe?”
Butwe generally don’t think you’re gonna wanna run a Registry Cleaner.
Is CCleaner Good, and Are There Alternatives?
It is relatively easy to use, andfreeing up some storage spaceor decluttering your PC is quick and painless.
Several CCleaner alternatives are available that are as good or better than the Piriform/Avast cleaner.
These includeGlary Utilities,BleachBit, andWise Disk Cleaner, among a handful of others.
Should I Use CCleaner on Windows?
If you use the Pro version of the software, the driver updater can also be a handy feature.
There is less need for a stand-alone tool when you might find many of the samefile-cleaning features in WindowsSettings.
It certainly makes sense for Windows users to take advantage of the included tools before installing yet another app.
Related:10 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Windows PC
