How To Integrate CCleaner's Winapp2.ini File Into Bleachbit

Martin Brinkmann
Mar 18, 2012
Updated • Apr 26, 2015
Software, Windows software
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13

The winapp2.ini is the file CCleaner gets all its cleaning information from that allows you to add your own cleaning locations. CCleaner users can use the winapp2.ini file to add custom cleaning locations to the program. The popular CCenhancer for instance adds hundreds of entries to the file.

It basically contains all the cleaning information, from the directory or Registry location, to the files and keys, and the type of cleaning. At its core, it is just a text file which makes it ideal for integration into other applications as well. The Open Source disk cleaner Bleachbit takes advantage of this as it can import all of CCleaner's cleaning locations. the winapp2.ini file as well.

This guide explains how this is done. You basically have two options to import the datafile into Bleachbit. Without doubt the easiest option is to have the program download the information for you. You need to start Bleachbit for that first, and click on Edit > Preferences then to open the settings window. Locate "download and update cleaners from community (winapp2.ini)" and check it.

You then need to restart the program so that the new definitions are downloaded and added to the program's cleaning options. Downloading might be the easiest option, but it is not the best if you have modified the winapp2.ini file manually on your system.

If you have added your own definitions to it, you might want to import that file instead into Bleachbit to take advantage of those custom locations as well. If that is the case, you need to move the winapp2.ini into the Cleaners directory of the Bleachbit folder to have it recognized by the program after a restart. This works both with the portable version of the program, and the installer.

When the program restarts, you will notice the additional cleaning options listed in the sidebar. Just select the items like you would any other, and click on the preview or clean buttons to process the locations.

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Comments

  1. mad.madrasi said on February 18, 2013 at 3:01 am
    Reply

    Thankfully the confusion between CCleaner – BleachBit and Winapp2.ini has been sorted out.
    http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net/news/winapp2ini-issue-piriform-resolved

    LOL. Funny how a 10 month old article (somewhat misleading) can create confusion.

    BTW @charlie d, the line in this article, now amended it seems, was confusing.
    “… Bleachbit takes advantage of this as it can import all of CCleaner’s cleaning locations”

    Anyway glad they sorted it out.

  2. charlie d said on February 6, 2013 at 10:51 am
    Reply

    Anonymous: This isn’t ghacks fault; check your head. This is Piriform being total dicks for no reason.

  3. Anonymous said on February 5, 2013 at 11:13 pm
    Reply

    way to go ghacks, start a flame war between two great softwares

  4. charlie d said on February 5, 2013 at 3:29 pm
    Reply
  5. Jeremy Collake said on March 19, 2012 at 12:55 am
    Reply

    Well I bet the author of CCleaner LOVES this, LOL. A competing application that can use all the various locations and applications they’ve collected at CCleaner.

    1. Robbie Ward said on March 20, 2012 at 10:30 am
      Reply

      Hiya! I author Winapp2.ini! While I don’t know how Piriform feels about it, I love and encourage other programs (and have worked with BleachBit developer Andrew in the past to keep an updated file with them) to integrate it. :)

  6. anon said on March 18, 2012 at 8:19 pm
    Reply

    “The winapp2.ini is the file where the popular file cleaning software CCleaner gets all its cleaning information from.”

    mmhmm..

    Piriform added support for users to add new entries for the Ccleaner. These entries are stored in the file which is called “winapp2.ini”. Why it became so popular is that some users recognized it’s opportunity to expand the CCleaner’s cleaning capacity.

    Piriform doesn’t officially support these additional entries made by the community at all. And the default entries, which are supported and considered as safe to use, are not stored in the winapp2.ini.

    Just read the entries before selecting them..

  7. JJ said on March 18, 2012 at 8:09 pm
    Reply

    CLEAN FREAK! XO

  8. Willy said on March 18, 2012 at 8:01 pm
    Reply

    Why would you want to?

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