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I use ccleaner to clean stuff that often bloats my system, though I turn of registry cleaning (like Memory dumps, browser history things, stuff that disk cleanup *never* seems to clean no matter what I do), but I don't feel safe having it monitoring my system like how it is.
What would a recommended version to look for be? I'd ask for links but I'm pretty sure thats against the rules, not to mention I haven't really found a non shady site for it.
I've not liked what AVAST has been doing to CCleaner ever since they took it over and even before that I wasn't liking some of the aesthetic changes to the GUI Piriform had made.
I actually run two different older versions of CCleaner, one on a 64bit PC and the other on the same PC but when using a WinXP 32bit VM. I still think the the one on the VM despite it being older looks better and it certainly works faster too although that may well be down to the lack of system clutter on the VM.
64bit: CCleaner 5.35.0.6210
32bit: CCleaner 4.19.0.4867
Attachment 56875
Attachment 56876
The important thing with any recent version of CCleaner is to make sure if you go to the official download page is that during install you untick any option to install AVAST or the Chrome browser. Both may be 'offered' as part of the install and there is more than just anecdotal evidence that sometimes the opt out option is missing. In which case: walk away.
That is another good reason for installing an older version too.
However: where to get them?
Now FileHorse and FileHippo used to be reliable sources but FileHorse now often doesn't offer older versions of any software and that is true in this case. FileHippo does but...........you now have to be very certain what you've downloaded because I've found increasingly that beyond a certain archived point the links simply download one older version and nothing else.
With v5.35.0.6210, I've just tested it, there is no problem so that should be OK and what I'd recommend. The v4.19.0.4867 one is a different matter; I've tested three FileHippo downloads for v4.19 and earlier and one for the first v5 series and they were all the same 4.74MB file, plus or minus .01MB. The file version shown in all cases was v2.0.0.0.
Obviously I can't test these installers as I'm not going to risk stuffing up my existing installations. It might just be that the version in these cases refers to the installer version rather than CCleaner version. However as I don't know for sure I can't confirm what any of those older version installers shown as v2.0.0.0 actually install.
In all the years (8+) I've been using CCleaner I've had no problems with either its default settings (used daily), registry cleaner (used monthly) or system monitoring practices which, AFAIK if you've unchecked the monitoring option in settings, amount to detailing what programs you have installed.
I wouldn't use it for uninstalling, better to use a purpose designed tool like Revo Uninstaller (very reliable) for that. But for simple restore point cleaning, cookie management, free space and drive wiping and some other stuff CCleaner, at least the older versions, is still the business.