Kaspersky Cleaner is a free CCleaner-like program for Windows

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 22, 2016
Software
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10

Kaspersky Cleaner is a new program by Russian security firm Kaspersky that has been released as a free beta version on the company's website.

The program has been designed to assist users in removing junk files and temporary files from PC systems running the Microsoft Windows operating system, and to improve their privacy on top of that.

You can download a web installer from the Kaspersky website which you need to run on a local device to install Kaspersky Cleaner on the computer.

Kaspersky Cleaner

The interface of the program is bare-bones currently. It displays a "start scan" button in the center of the program window, and four additional icons below it that don't reveal right away what they are used for.

You need to move the mouse cursor over the icons to reveal their function. They do the following from left to right:

  1. System Cleanup - Clear Recycle Bin contents and temporary files.
  2. Restore System Settings - Restore settings that affect operability of your operating system.
  3. Private Browsing - Block collection and use of your personal data.
  4. Remove Activity Traces - Clear cookies, history, logs.

If you hit Start Scan, all of the four tools will be used to scan the system. The software displays the issues it has detected after the short scan, and it is up to you to fix them automatically, or review them first.

You can do that with a click on one of the tools which displays details of that particular scan on the next page that opens.

Issues are divided into important, medium-severe and minor problems, and color-coded on top of that. Red colored items highlight problems found during the scan that need your attention while green colored items indicate that everything's alright.

You need to go through the whole listing as issues are listed under their severity level and not collectively at the top.

cleanup details

You may uncheck any of the issues found during the scan so that it is not addressed when you hit the fix button in the main interface after you went through the list of discovered problems.

The third tool, private browsing, is not appropriately named which you will notice when you open the items that it scans for on the system.

It has nothing to do with private browsing modes that web browsers offer, and will mostly detect Windows logging preferences. It does so like other privacy tools for the operating system by suggesting to turn off "features" such as participation in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program or the use of ad IDs by applications.

Restore System Settings is another tool that may require explanation. It checks various system-related settings, autorun, invalid file type associations or whether programs like the Task Manager or Registry Editor are blocked, and proposes to undo any issue found during the scan.

Comparison to CCleaner

Kaspersky Cleaner offers a surprising number of items that it scans or recommends to change, but it does not come close to what everybody's darling CCleaner offers, especially if you consider that you can extend CCleaner's functionality manually or automatically using CCEnhancer.

Another issue with the current version of Kaspersky Cleaner is that you cannot customize the scan before you start it.  If you don't want particular items scanned or fixed, you have to have them scanned anyway and uncheck them each time after the scan to make sure of that.

Closing Words

Kaspersky Cleaner is an easy to use program for the most part, and while it may be tempting to hit scan and then fix to be done with it, it is usually better to go through all the issues found by clicking on each of the tools to make sure that you are okay with the proposed operations.

The program would benefit from a streamlined interface that displays all issues on a single page instead of divided into a maximum of four that you all need to click on one after the other.

The application is labeled as beta currently which means that it may see improvements before the first stable version of it gets released by Kaspersky. (via Into Windows)

Summary
Kaspersky Cleaner is a free CCleaner-like program for Windows
Article Name
Kaspersky Cleaner is a free CCleaner-like program for Windows
Description
Kaspersky Cleaner is a new program for Windows that scans the system for temporary files, junk and privacy issues, and proposes to clean them.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. S2015 said on February 23, 2016 at 4:47 am
    Reply

    This junk cleaner by the Russia security program company is still a BETA product (v1.0.0.106), one had better try it on a VMware station for security reason.

  2. pepe said on February 23, 2016 at 3:13 am
    Reply

    Go and investigate who in-q-tel is and how GEESEEHQUEUE is financing british free software makers. They have free access to all your system

  3. D. said on February 23, 2016 at 1:41 am
    Reply

    Does any one know, Martin or who ever, for example like in CCleaner can you use the file secure deletion over write, say 1 or 3 times or what ever on a solid state drive, or does that even work correctly on a solid state drive. I know you can’t defragment. From what I have read it sounds like it does not work correctly on one. Do you just count on Trim…

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on February 23, 2016 at 7:24 am
      Reply

      SSDs don’t have a standard method for deleting files securely on them. I think that encryption is probably the best way to deal with this issue.

      1. D. said on February 23, 2016 at 5:02 pm
        Reply

        Thank you for posting back about that Martin. I have read so many different things and some people still using that file secure deletion over write on a solid state drive that I did not know. Obviously it is just giving them a false sense of security that it is working as it should. I read one thing from a college in California that advised the same as you to use encryption on the SSD’s.

        I never knew that much about SSD’s until recently and I have found them interesting and eye opening at the same time. My apology for bringing up CCleaner and you talking about Kaspersky Cleaner. I was just wondering if that file secure deletion over write worked if they offered it on any of them for a SSD.

  4. juju said on February 22, 2016 at 10:50 pm
    Reply

    Kaspersky is not russian firm. It is not security firm. There are no such firms.

  5. CHEF-KOCH said on February 22, 2016 at 10:48 pm
    Reply

    CCLeaner and nothing else, no need other faked programs, don’t get me wrong but Kaspersky better concentrate and take the focus on there other wonderful projects. It’s waste of time because CCleaner exists since years, there are million other clones of it present and just another is not needed, maybe this is something optional for the Security Suite which then could be useful.

  6. Kin said on February 22, 2016 at 4:26 pm
    Reply

    No thanks. “Free” applications like this coming from big vendors are always abandoned about a year or two after launch when a new manager comes in and reevaluate “core assets”

    CCleaner has at least a track record of keeping a free version available to all.

  7. Dwight Stegall said on February 22, 2016 at 3:48 pm
    Reply

    I use CCleaner and KCleaner. I also use Ultimate PC Cleaner. But you have to be very careful what you select in it or you have all lots of trouble later. Be especially careful in the Startup section. Some things in there should not be kept from loading at startup.

  8. Tom Hawack said on February 22, 2016 at 12:07 pm
    Reply

    I ignore if my apprehension is well-founded but I tend to be particularly cautious when it comes to applications developed by big companies as I fear extras added to the application itself, mainly in the registry. Maybe only a Google syndrome, no idea really. I admit I prefer dedicated applications such as CCleaner rather than what appears to me as a possibly opportunistic move from majors which would aim a wider audience rather than a pertinent application. Also, in the case of this application, I just don’t like betas when it comes to regulating the system itself. Finally I see no undo function, no registry backup… no return ticket so to say. It may be just fine, but nowadays wait ‘n’ see is my credo, on the Web nevertheless. I’m no longer an adventurer when I’ve spent too much time removing apps which required cleaning of leftovers. On another hand the “If it works don’t touch it” seems to me an inadequate slogan which, if applied, would have left humanity close to a prehistoric stage. As always perhaps it’s a per-event attitude as opposed to static principles which may be the wisest attitude…

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