CCleaner

ApplicationGen

Also called ccleaner free, piriform ccleaner

GenSystem

A registry and file cleaner from Gen, formerly Piriform. The 64-bit process is CCleaner64.exe. It is not Storage Sense.

What you need to know

CCleaner is Gen's cleaner. Storage Sense is the Windows one.

Piriform's CCleaner now ships under Gen. It cleans files and can touch the registry. Download it from ccleaner.com. Setup offers are the usual complaint. Storage Sense is already in Windows Settings.

What is it?: A third-party file and registry cleaner
Same as Storage Sense?: No. Storage Sense is in Windows Settings
Who makes it now?: Gen. It started as Piriform

Feex says

If a setup page offered extra toolbars with CCleaner, I would decline those boxes and keep going. I would not treat this as Storage Sense, and I would not clean the registry as a first step for a slow PC.

What is CCleaner?

CCleaner is a third-party cleaner. CCleaner64.exe is the usual 64-bit window. Storage Sense is the in-box Windows cleaner under Settings > System > Storage.

If you have never used it

If someone said "run CCleaner", this is the Piriform cleaner now owned by Gen Digital. Download it from ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download. It deletes temp files and can edit the registry. Bundled offers during setup are the usual complaint. It is not Storage Sense, not Revo Uninstaller, and not a Windows component.

What is it used for?

Clear temp files and browser leftovers

The file cleaner is the everyday job. Storage Sense already deletes some temp files without this install.

Registry cleaner

Optional registry scan. That is CCleaner, not a Settings > Apps list and not Storage Sense.

Uninstall and startup lists

Paid SKUs add extra tools. The free build is still CCleaner, not Revo's leftover hunter.

Who is it for?

People who were told to "clean the registry"
Users who want a third-party temp-file sweep
Anyone who should read the setup checkboxes before they click Next

Current status

CCleaner (2004) is a current system cleaner from Gen. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download.

How old is it?

CCleaner started at Piriform in 2004. Avast bought Piriform in 2017. The publisher on current pages is Gen. It is not the Storage Sense feature Microsoft added later in Windows 10.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Free

Professional

Business

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Current Windows 10 or Windows 11, per CCleaner's Windows download
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Rises during a full scan
Disk demand: The point is to free space. The app itself is small

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
CCleaner64.exe	64-bit cleaner window
CCleaner.exe	32-bit build name on some installs

Startup components

CCleaner can add a tray or update helper. Turn those off in CCleaner Options if you do not want it at logon.

File locations

Common CCleaner locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\CCleaner\

File formats

It deletes files. It is not an archive tool

Common problems

Bundled offers during setup

Uncheck extra browsers and toolbars. That is the installer, not a Windows update. Storage Sense never shows those offers.

Registry clean as a habit

A cleaner is not a monthly vitamin. Back up first. A missing DLL after a sweep is CCleaner, not Storage Sense.

Getting unstuck

Download only from ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download

Mirror "CCleaner Pro key" pages are not Gen. Storage Sense is Settings > System > Storage if you wanted the in-box tool.

Decline optional offers on the first setup screens

The cleaner can install without the extras. That is a CCleaner installer habit, not Revo.

Use Analyze before Clean, and skip registry if you only wanted temp files

The two tabs are separate. A registry change is harder to undo than emptying Temp.

Alternatives

Storage Sense for in-box cleanup. Revo Uninstaller if the job is leftovers after an uninstall. They are not CCleaner.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download Official installer or vendor page
Help	support.ccleaner.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

A cleanup does not replace a full disk or a failing drive. Check free space first.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

CCleaner official site · Vendor product page
CCleaner help · Vendor support
CCleaner product · What Gen ships today
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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