Microsoft to release a new windows cleaning tool similar to ccleaner.

[brad03]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez8miK9m8aw&t=137s

[mountaintree16]

😀 Ooo I likey this news!!

[brad03]

I know many dont like PC cleaners but i have to say AVG Tuneup does a good job. 

[nukecad]

I already have the new MS PC Manager installed on this laptop.

You can download it here (The download page is in Chinese but the app installs in English): https://pcmanager.microsoft.com/

EDIT. There's a write up on Bleeping: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-testing-a-windows-pc-manager-system-optimizer-app/

I'm still evaluating it, but from what I can see so far there is nothing new in it, it is just collecting already existing MS tools into one UI.
They could have just as easily put it all on one page in the settings menu rather than creating an app.

The point is obviously that they want to disrupt the 3rd party cleaner market so that MS can then decide/dictate what stays on your machine or not.

Of course MS are still going to only clean the same they do already, and leave behind the things that MS wants there for their own purposes.
So people will still want to use 3rd party cleaners that clear out what MS doesn't.

It even tries to force things MS on you.
For instance it includes a setting to force Edge to be the default Browser, if you set that then when you try make another browser your default it will just switch it back to Edge.
Edit- see the post below, it looks that with a bit of further digging in the options you can set that for Chrome or Firefox too.

Perhaps more interestingly for this forum it also suggests that I should disable Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit beta which I have running on this machine.
Not sure if it would say the same about Malwarbytes itself? (Obviously I'm not running that or MBAE wouldn't be running).
Edit - A friend who has also tried it shows that it suggests turning off her RTP, Sandbox, and VM. So I suspect that it will suggest turning off Malwarebytes/Malwarebytes Service too. I guess MS only want you using Defender.

Hitting that 'Poceed' button the app says it's cleaned those listed items.
Firefox is still running so it's cache hasn't been cleared, is it just cleaning Edge? (I'll see what it does when I close FFx later).
A quick analyze with CCleaner finds 18 Windows logfiles that the MS app didn't clean.
Update - After closing Firefox I ran the MS app again, it didn't clear the Firefox Caches, Session information, or Site preferences at all.

Like I said it will have to get a lot better if it wants to usurp 3rd party cleaners.

Edited October 23, 2022 by nukecad

[nukecad]

I've run through the rest of it.

Some sections such as 'Manage apps' and 'Storage sense' simply open the relevent page in the settings menu.
'Manage large files' simply opens File Explorer and searches for them there.

The 'Deep cleanup' is much faster than Disk Clean-up, if you believe it.

'Process management' appears to suggest that Firefox is an unused process and so should be ended., and MBAE is also listed there again.

'Startup apps' once again suggests that I disable MBAE.

Under 'Security; you find:

A 'Scan' button, it seems to run a standard Defender virus scan.
There's an 'Allowed threats' setting that simply opens the settings page for Windows security.

'Windows Update' basically a cut down version of the Settings page.

'Browser Protection' this shows Firefox as my default and there is a switch to 'Block change by malicious apps'.
If you click on 'Change default browser' below it you get this:

I'm not sure just what it does, time for a search.

Finally there's a settings cogwheel at the top that allows you to set automatic start of the app, and automatic updates for it, as well as manually checking for updates.

All in all I don't think it will be staying on my machine.

 

EDIT - See the Aditional info below: https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/291359-microsoft-to-release-a-new-windows-cleaning-tool-similar-to-ccleaner/?do=findComment&comment=1539362

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by nukecad

[noknojon]

 

Quote

From nukecad
The download page is in Chinese but the app installs in English
I'm still evaluating it, but from what I can see so far there is nothing new in it, it is just collecting already existing MS tools into one UI.

My 2 basic observations, it seems that -
1/ Why is it a Chinese download, (explained as "most likely testing"?) - are they not sure of their own tools, or trying to take out a market? (see 2/)
2/ (Devil's Advocate) As it is a collection of already "existing (presume installed) MS tools" in later versions, is this just to stop you downloading CCleaner or Iobit's Advanced System Care (China's once favorite)?
- Therefore, removing control from a 'free market' to only using programs that 'WE' want you to use.

I thought Iobit was garbage years ago, and CCleaner's main use now is to distribute Speccy's diagnostic program.

Windows Repair All in One from Tweaking.com was always the program (I am old as I call them programs, not apps), was / is the only (now available for Win 11) that I head to.

www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/windows-repair-all-in-one/

 

Quote

 From Bleeping Computer, By Lawrence Abrams
 Microsoft is developing a Windows system optimization program called 'PC Manager' that combines existing Windows tools into one interface. (so it is nothing new?) <Mine.
 As the page is written in Chinese, Microsoft is likely testing the PC manager beta in China first. 

Installing more of these type(s) of programs is against smooth and faster loading / running that from Windows 8.1 (not 8) to 10 to 11 (and beyond) were designed.
I may never be the technical equal to Lawrence Abrams or nukecad, but just a logical old Gravel Pit worker, so I find my 2/ as the logical reason for this move (Market Domination).

 

The world is being taken over by the Machines, and control begins (has begun) last month. (Remember, Soylent Green is People).. New Signature.

Edited October 24, 2022 by AdvancedSetup
Corrected font issue

[AdvancedSetup]

It looks like this person from Twitter was one of the first to find and report on this beta program

Aggiornamenti Lumia
@ALumia_Italia
Microsoft PC Manager (Public Beta)

https://twitter.com/ALumia_Italia/status/1583332269879877632

Neowin post about it
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsofts-upcoming-pc-manager-will-try-to-boost-performance-and-switch-you-to-edge/

Reply from NoneRain on comments on Bleepingcomputer post about CleanmgrPlus that looks to have died out and was supposed to be a similar tool
CleanmgrPlus: https://github.com/builtbybel/CleanmgrPlus
Author: https://twitter.com/builtbybel

There is actually a Cleanmgr+ v1.50.1300 released this Jan 24, 2022
Not sure why the main github page was not updated to show changes

https://github.com/builtbybel/CleanmgrPlus/releases/tag/1.50.1300

 

 

The good thing is that there is no Registry cleaning tool in the PC Manager program.

 

 

[nukecad]

6 hours ago, noknojon said:

(I am old as I call them programs, not apps)

Me too, although being English I spell it with an 'e', - but apps is less letters to type.
(And many younger non-techies only come across the word programme on their washing machine, microwave oven, or other kitchen device).

I agree that it's just MS jumping on the bandwaggon and/or trying to water down the 3rd party market.
They want virtually everything 'Windows' to come from their app store, much like Android does with the Play Store.

[nukecad]

4 hours ago, AdvancedSetup said:

The good thing is that there is no Registry cleaning tool in the PC Manager program.

One of the senior managers at Piriform has been prompted by discussion over there of this MS app to promise (again) to prioritise moving/removing the registry cleaner in CCleaner. We'll see.

[Porthos]

4 hours ago, nukecad said:

to prioritise moving/removing the registry cleaner in CCleaner.

And the driver updater and the software updater and whatever else they have added since I do not use it.

[nukecad]

Working on getting them to junk those as well, but we have been badgering them on the reg cleaner for years now, so the newer additions might be there for a while.

(Or following the latest acquisition they might just change marketing direction and junk them anyway, the tone of the post from that manager hinted at some changes, we'll see).

TBH the CCleaner forum is seeing surprisingly few issues from either of those two updaters recently, not like when they were first added.
In October the only 2 complaints about the driver updater was that is was skipping some updates. There was nothing on the Software updater.
Has CCleaner somehow pulled a miracle and ironed out the usual problems with such updaters? (I doubt it).

[AdvancedSetup]

Software updater if not constantly running and doing it cleanly might not be too bad, better than nothing for many users that never update. But could risk issues if updating licensed software that updates to a version you're not licensed for.

Driver updater could potentially cause a non-boot, aka like an FP. Not a risk I'd personally want to leave to automation

 

[nukecad]

Additional info.

Having done the Windows preview update this morning I ran PC Manager to see what Deep Clean would say for Windows Update Clean-up.
Very fast as it was before, says it's completed the clean, but:

Running Disk Clean-up straight afterwards it still spent it's usual long time on Windows Update Clean-up.

Whatever PC Manager did it was not the same at all as Disk Clean-up does.

I also noticed another 2 things.

After closing PC Manager it was still running in Task Manager.
More that that it had also opened 5 instances of Edge Webview2.
When I ended task on PC Manager all 5 Webview2 processes also closed.

I have now uninstalled PC Manager using Revo; the scan found a lot of leftover registry entries and files not removed by the standard uninstaller
(Edge Webview2 has been uninstalled as well, no leftovers found).

[AdvancedSetup]

Have not investigated but perhaps Disk Cleanup used an old API or WMI method that is very slow. Maybe the new method uses a faster API or other method?

 

[nukecad]

That might explain if Disk Clean-up just took longer analyzing it, but not why it then spent time cleaning it after PC-M said it had just done so.

There again Windows Update works in odd ways now and can apply the update over days/weeks.
(Cleaning of Windows Updates was removed from CCleaner for that very reason of some update files still being needed days after you had done the update).

I believe that Disk Clean-up removes no longer needed update files and then compacts/consilidates the ones that are still to be implemented.

PC-M may just be deleting the unneeded ones and not doing the consolidation bit, which could explain the speedier result.