通常，当您与任何精通计算机的技术人员（或家庭成员）讨论如何保护您的计算机免受病毒或恶意软件的侵害时，他们会告诉您应该安装一系列应用程序以确保您的 PC 安全。
这些应用程序通常包括杀毒软件、反恶意软件桌面和浏览器应用程序，并且不可避免地还会推荐CCleaner。
CCleaner多年来一直是保护Windows
计算机的中流砥柱。它是在Microsoft Windows
缺乏许多内置保护和功能的时候创建的，因此CCleaner填补了这些空白。
今天，这些差距已经消失，许多安装
CCleaner的人可能对他们的计算机造成的弊大于利。
清除浏览器历史记录和 Cookie
CCleaner吹捧的主要功能之一是它通过删除您的浏览器搜索历史和浏览器 cookie 来“保护您的隐私”。
现实情况是，人们通常在他们的计算机上使用一个主浏览器，而如今，隐私功能已内置到浏览器本身中，以自动清理 cookie 和搜索历史记录。
例如，在Google Chrome中，您可以轻松地自动执行此操作：
- 单击菜单(menu)
，然后单击设置(Settings)。
- 向下滚动(Scroll)到底部，然后单击Advanced。
- 在隐私和安全(Privacy
and Security)中，单击内容设置(Content
settings)。
- 单击Cookie(Cookies)。
- 启用仅保留本地数据，直到您退出浏览器(Keep
local data only until you quit your browser)。
- 单击退出时清除(Clear on exit)
旁边的添加(Add)。
- 输入[*.]com
并单击添加(Add)。
这两项设置更改将确保在您存在浏览器时立即清除与您的浏览活动相关的本地数据和 cookie。
您还可以通过返回“内容设置(Content
settings)”屏幕并在“广告(Ads)”下防止恶意广告成为Chrome中的问题，确保第一个开关显示在显示侵入性或误导性广告的网站上被阻止（推荐）(Blocked
on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads (recommended))而不是“允许(Allowed)” 。
这些是当今几乎所有现代浏览器中都可用的常见设置，并且不再需要像CCleaner(CCleaner)这样的第三方应用程序来访问您的浏览器文件并修改任何内容。
CCleaner 注册表清理器
CCleaner还承诺如果您的计算机上未使用以下所有内容，则会从您的注册表中删除它们：
- 文件扩展名
- ActiveX 控件
- 类 ID 和 Prog ID
- 卸载程序
- 共享 DLL
- 图标和应用程序路径
几年前，注册表清理器非常流行，当时计算机磁盘内存非常有限，每一小块空间都非常宝贵。
现实情况是，注册表中的任何少量剩余部分（例如，来自卸载应用程序）占用的空间微不足道。它不是存储在注册表中的图像或视频文件。它只是文本。
此外，微软(Microsoft)从未推荐过运行注册表清理程序，也没有开发自己的，主要是因为它不希望用户弄乱注册表。删除注册表项时的一个(Just one)疏忽错误可能会损坏您的整个Windows操作系统。
现实情况是，有一些人因为运行 CCleaner 的注册表清理程序而损坏了他们的 Windows 操作系统。
如果手动浏览注册表并自行编辑对您来说很危险，您为什么要让第三方应用程序进入并尝试“猜测”哪些注册表项是不必要的？也没有证据表明注册表清理程序可以加速Windows。
(Add)最重要的是，Windows 10 在管理注册表方面比以前的所有(Windows)Windows版本都更有效，而且根本不需要使用任何注册表编辑器应用程序。
禁用不需要的启动程序
CCleaner吹捧的另一个功能是它能够加快您的计算机启动速度，但减少(reducing the number of startup applications)它在启动时加载的启动应用程序的数量。
该应用程序向您显示配置为在计算机启动时运行的所有程序，并提供可用于禁用或删除这些启动任务的工具。
现实情况是，CCleaner只是为您提供了 Windows 10 已经拥有的冗余应用程序。
您可以轻松查看计划在计算机启动时启动的程序。
- 单击开始(Start)菜单并键入启动任务(startup tasks)。
- 单击系统设置( System Settings)下的启动应用程序(Startup Apps )。
- 在此工具中，您可以启用或禁用计算机启动时可以启动的程序。
如您所见，直接通过已与Windows 10(Windows 10)集成的此工具，更轻松地浏览和禁用您不想启动的应用程序。无需安装任何东西。
具有讽刺意味的是，正如您在上面看到的，当安装CCleaner时，它会将自己配置为在您的计算机启动时启动的另一个应用程序加载，从而进一步减慢它。
清理“垃圾文件”
CCleaner承诺它可以帮助您的另一件事是从您的计算机系统中删除“垃圾文件”。声称通过定期清空您不需要的文件，它会加速您的计算机。
这有两个谬误。首先是删除文件会加速你的电脑。它可能会减少您使用的硬盘空间量，但不一定会使您的计算机运行得更快。第二个谬误是您甚至需要CCleaner来执行此操作。
Microsoft通过 Creators Update（版本 1709）在Windows 10中引入了一项新功能。这在称为Storage Sense的(Storage Sense)Windows 10功能中引入了一个新选项。这将自动删除Downloads文件夹、临时文件或回收站(Recycle Bin)30 天内未更改的所有文件。
要启用此功能：
- 单击开始(Start)菜单并键入设置(Settings)。点击设置(Settings)。
- 单击左侧导航窗格中的系统(System )，然后单击存储(Storage)。
- 打开存储感知(Storage Sense)功能。
这将始终确保您的临时文件和
回收站(Recycle Bin)保持整洁。
您可以通过单击更改我们自动释放空间(Change how we free up space
automatically)的方式链接来微调此功能的行为方式。
在那里，您可以微调Windows清理这些区域的频率，以及Windows允许未修改文件在这些区域中保留多长时间。
这只是Windows 10中的功能如何
使CCleaner过时的又一个示例。
CCleaner 发送“匿名使用数据”
默认情况下，当您安装CCleaner时，它被配置为向 CCleaner 发送“匿名使用数据”(CCleaner)。Data Factsheet声称唯一监控的使用情况是您如何使用CCleaner应用(CCleaner)程序。
虽然没有明确说明收集了哪些特定数据，但这仍然意味着CCleaner会在您尝试将网络用于其他目的时定期连接互联网并将数据发送到CCleaner服务器。(CCleaner)
考虑到CCleaner默认配置为作为启动应用程序运行，这意味着CCleaner可以在
您甚至没有意识到的情况下与CCleaner服务器进行通信。(CCleaner)
对于声称尝试减少计算机启动时间并尝试加快 PC 速度的应用程序，默认情况下启用此功能的事实似乎违反直觉。
CCleaner 之前曾被黑客入侵
CCleaner等软件最重要的方面是信任。当用户下载一个应用程序以保持他们的计算机清洁并且没有垃圾或垃圾应用程序时，它应该是一个以没有恶意软件或病毒而闻名的应用程序。
不幸的是，在 2017 年，黑客成功地将恶意软件注入CCleaner应用程序，将其分发给数百万安装了
CCleaner的用户。
直到思科(Cisco)的研究人员追踪到Avast（CCleaner的所有者）服务器的安全漏洞，Avast才迅速做出回应，修补了最初允许黑客入侵的安全漏洞。
不幸的是，损害已经造成。
这次攻击证明，安装像
CCleaner这样的应用程序只是为黑客引入了一条新途径，让他们可以找到进入你的系统的途径。它还证明CCleaner软件不够强大，无法防止此类攻击。
而且由于您基本上可以通过调整Windows 10中的现有设置来完成(Windows 10)CCleaner中可用的所有功能，因此根本没有理由安装CCleaner。
Why You Shouldn’t Download CCleaner for Windows Anymore
Often, when you talk tо any computer-savvy technician (or
family mеmber) about how to protect your computer from viruses or malware,
they’ll tell you that you shоuld install a collection of apps to keep your PC
safe.
These apps usually include antivirus software, anti-malware
desktop and browser apps, and inevitably they’ll also suggest CCleaner.
CCleaner has been a mainstay for protecting Windows
computers for many years. It was created at a time when Microsoft Windows
lacked many built-in protections and features, so CCleaner filled those gaps.
Today, those gaps are gone, and many people who install
CCleaner could be doing their computer more harm than good.
Erasing Browser History and Cookies
One of the primary features touted by CCleaner is the fact that it “protects your privacy” by erasing your browser search history and browser cookies.
The reality is that people usually use one primary browser
on their computer, and these days privacy features are built right into the
browsers themselves to automatically clean up cookies and search history.
For example, in Google Chrome, you can easily automate this:
- Click the menu
and click Settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click Advanced.
- In Privacy
and Security, click on Content
settings.
- Click Cookies.
- Enable Keep
local data only until you quit your browser.
- Click Add
next to Clear on exit.
- Type [*.]com
and click Add.
These two settings changes will ensure that local data and
cookies related to your browsing activities are immediately cleaned whenever
you exist the browser.
You can also prevent malicious advertising from becoming a
problem in Chrome by going back to the Content
settings screen and under Ads,
make sure the first switch reads Blocked
on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads (recommended) rather than Allowed.
These are common settings available in nearly all modern
browsers today and obsolete the need for a third-party app like CCleaner to
reach into your browser files and modify anything.
CCleaner Registry Cleaner
CCleaner also promises to remove all the following from your
registry if they’re unused on your computer:
- File extensions
- ActiveX controls
- Class IDs and Prog IDs
- Uninstallers
- Shared DLLs
- Icons and application paths
Registry cleaners were very popular years ago when computer
disk memory was very limited, and every small ounce of space was very precious.
The reality is that any small number of left-over pieces in
the registry (from uninstalling an app, for instance) takes up an insignificant
amount of space. It isn’t an image or video file stored in the registry. It’s
simply text.
Also, Microsoft has never recommended running registry
cleaners, nor has it developed its own, mostly because it doesn’t want users
messing around with the registry. Just one inadvertent mistake in deleting a
registry key could potentially corrupt your entire Windows operating system.
The reality is that there are stories out there of people experiencing
damage to their Windows OS by running CCleaner’s registry cleaner.
If it’s dangerous for you to manually go through the
registry and edit it yourself, why would you let a third-party application go
in and try to “guess” what registry keys are unnecessary? There is also no
evidence that registry cleaners speed up Windows.
Add on top of that the fact that Windows 10 is far more
effective at managing the registry than all past versions of Windows, and
there’s really no need to use any registry editor application at all.
Disable Unneeded Startup Programs
Another feature touted by CCleaner is its ability to speed up how quickly your computer starts but reducing the number of startup applications that it loads on bootup.
The application shows you all programs configured to run
when your computer starts and provides a tool you can use to disable or delete
those startup tasks.
The reality is that CCleaner is simply providing you with a
redundant app that Windows 10 already has.
You can easily view the programs that are scheduled to
launch when your computer starts.
- Click on the Start menu and type startup tasks.
- Click on the Startup Apps under System Settings.
- In this tool, you can enable or disable which programs can start when your computer boots up.
As you can see, it’s easier to just go through and disable
the apps you don’t want to start, right from this tool that’s already
integrated with Windows 10. There’s no need to install anything.
Ironically, as you can see above, when CCleaner is installed, it configures itself to load as one more application that launches when your computer starts up, slowing it down even further.
Cleaning Up “Junk Files”
Another thing CCleaner promises it can help you with is
deleting “junk files” from your computer system. The claim is that by regularly
emptying files you don’t need, it’ll speed up your computer.
There are two fallacies to this. The first is that deleting files will speed up your computer. It may reduce the amount of hard drive space you use, but it won’t necessarily make your computer run any faster. The second fallacy is that you even need CCleaner to do this.
Microsoft introduced a new feature into Windows 10 with Creators Update (version 1709). This introduced a new option in a Windows 10 feature called Storage Sense. This will automatically delete any files in the Downloads folder, temporary files, or the Recycle Bin, that haven’t been changed in 30 days.
To enable this:
- Click the Start menu and type Settings. Click on Settings.
- Click on System and then Storage in the left navigation pane.
- Turn on the Storage Sense feature.
This will always ensure that your Temporary Files and
Recycle Bin remain free of clutter .
You can fine tune how this feature behaves by clicking on
the Change how we free up space
automatically link.
There, you can fine tune how often Windows cleans up these
areas, and how long Windows allows unmodified files to remain in these areas.
This is just one more example of how features in Windows 10
make CCleaner obsolete.
CCleaner Sends “Anonymous Usage Data”
By default, when you install CCleaner, it’s configured to
send “anonymous usage data” to CCleaner. The Data Factsheet claims that the
only usage that’s monitored is how you use the CCleaner application.
While there’s nothing that clearly states what specific data
gets collected, it still means that CCleaner will regularly connect with the
internet and send data to CCleaner servers while you’re trying to use the web
for other purposes.
Considering that CCleaner is configured to run as a startup
application by default, this means CCleaner could be communicating with
CCleaner servers without you even realizing it.
For an application that claims to try and reduce the time it
takes for your computer to boot, and to try and speed up your PC, the fact that
this is enabled by default seems counter-intuitive.
CCleaner Has Been Hacked Before
The most important aspect of software like CCleaner is
trust. When users download an application to keep their computer clean and free
of garbage or junk applications, it should be an application with a reputation
of being free of malware or viruses.
Unfortunately, in 2017 hackers successfully injected malware
into the CCleaner app to distribute itself across millions of users who had
CCleaner installed.
It wasn’t until researchers at Cisco tracked the security
breach to servers at Avast (the owners of CCleaner), that Avast quickly
responded by patching the security flaw that allowed the hack in the first
place.
Unfortunately, the damage was done.
What the attack proved is that installing applications like
CCleaner just introduces a new path for hackers to find their way into your
system. It also proved that the CCleaner software isn’t robust enough to
prevent such attacks.
And since you can essentially accomplish every feature
available in CCleaner by tweaking existing settings in Windows 10 anyway,
there’s really no reason to install CCleaner at all.
