by Martin Brinkmann on May 15, 2019 in Software – No comments
Piriform released www.ccleaner.com/ on May 15, 2019. The new version of the popular cleaning software introduces a new simplified cleaning mode called Easy Clean. We followed development of the program for a long time, you can still read our 2007 “second look” of CCleaner.
Piriform calls it one of the “biggest changes in CCleaner history” as it makes the program more accessible to a non-tech savvy audience. CCleaner’s new mode helps non-technical users clean their devices through an easier to follow and understand workflow.
We started looking at CCleaner and its interface through the eyes of a non-technical CCleaner user and decided to design an alternative cleaning flow. We wanted to simplify cleaning, guide users through it, and serve up information in a way they understand (so they know what they’re cleaning and the benefits of doing so).
Easy Clean
The new Easy Clean mode is placed at the top of the sidebar, the place of the original cleaning mode; that mode is still there, but it has been renamed to Custom Clean. Experienced users and those who want more control over the cleaning process need to select Custom Clean. The mode offers the same options as before.
Easy Clean displays a single button in its interface. Analyze works similarly to CCleaner’s original mode but it gives users no customization options.
Analyze checks if web browsers run and prompts you to close them, just like CCleaner’s regular mode does. You can skip that and continue but data won’t be deleted in that case. CCleaner focuses on Trackers and Junk in that case.
The scan displays the number of trackers and the total size of the identified junk after the scan completes. You can click on review links to display additional information but you can’t make a case by case decision as Piriform moved the decision making steps up a level.
You can decide to clean certain browsers for instance but not which trackers, and the same is true for identified junk. A click on “clean all” removes the data from the device.
Closing Words
Easy ‘Mode makes the cleaning simpler and more straightforward. Technical users won’t find much use in the new mode, but it may help inexperienced users who feel overwhelmed by the program’s cleaning options.
While I think that it is better that these users put in an hour or so of work to understand the cleaning options of custom clean, some might prefer an easy option to clean some of the data that CCleaner supports.
Piriform learned from the past. The company made Easy Clean the default but added an option to CCleaner’s Settings to change that to Custom Clean mode instead. Just select Options > Settings > CCleaner Home Screen > Custom Clean to make it the start mode of the program.
Now You: What is your take on the program’s new Easy Clean mode?