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Windows often seems like one of those small islands where layers and layers of garbage get dumped. From the get-go, your new Windows PC typically comes with junky applications and bloatware that can slow down or clutter your system. Over time, the more apps you install and uninstall and the more files you add, the greater the impact on both disk space and performance. Well, here's a free utility that can come to your rescue.
Freely available for Windows 11 and 10, Fluent Cleaner promises to rid your system of temp files, junk files, old Registry entries, and other stuff that take up space and slow down Windows. The tool analyzes all the extra and unnecessary items across several categories.
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Based on the results, you can remove everything in one shot. But you should first review the analysis to see exactly what would be deleted. You can also run an analysis on one category at a time. In the end, you should find your system less cluttered and possibly a bit faster.
Free Windows utilities often raise a few red flags. Some try to add their own bloatware or extra apps as the developers hope to monetize their efforts. Many require a full installation in which they fill your hard drive with their own folders, files, and Registry entries. Others claim to be Registry cleaners but have little or no real impact on your PC. Some even attempt to track and monitor your use.
In contrast, the developer of Fluent Cleaner promises no annoying toolbars, no extra partner apps, and no telemetry. Plus, you don't need to install the program; just run the .exe file to launch it. Think of the software as a modern and clean version of CCleaner.
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"FluentCleaner targets things that are unambiguously junk: cache files, temp data, leftover logs," the developer says on the GitHub page. "It deliberately avoids the feature creep that turned CCleaner from a focused utility into bloatware with a VPN upsell on every launch."
The only word of warning is to be careful when you remove items based on the analysis. You want to make sure the utility doesn't remove things you actually need. But that rule goes for any utility that aims to clean up Windows.
Now, here's how Fluent Cleaner works.
To grab Fluent Cleaner, head to the utility's GitHub page. Download and unzip the FluentCleaner-win-x64.zip file. Among the extracted files, drill down through the FluentCleaner-win-x64 folder and run the FCleaner.exe file to launch the program. If you receive a warning from Microsoft Defender Smart Screen that blocks the app from starting, select the More info link and click the button to run the software anyway. The main window then appears.
Before you dive into the utility, you can review the categories to see which applications, features, and settings are covered. At a minimum, you should find categories for Microsoft Edge, Applications, Multimedia, Utilities, Windows, Microsoft Store, and Games.
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On my Windows 11 laptop, I also saw categories for Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet, AI, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft PowerToys. Click a specific category to see the items included.
Fluent Cleaner automatically runs an initial analysis after it launches. You can run the analysis again to get the latest results. If so, make sure that no other applications are open. Otherwise, the utility won't be able to incorporate files in memory. Click the Analyze button at the bottom, and Fluent Cleaner then shows you the results. Among them, you'll likely find cache files for your browsers, apps, and files no longer being used, and unnecessary Registry entries.
Though it may be tempting to click the Run Cleaner button to dispose of all the discovered files and entries, you should investigate further. Click a specific result to see which files and Registry entries are targeted for removal.
As a further precaution, you can explore and treat each category separately. Click a specific one to see the individual elements that have been checked for removal. Each piece of data also displays its size, so you can see how much disk space you would actually free up if this item were removed. Hover over the ellipsis icon next to each item. From the menu, you can analyze and clean just that item.
A third entry in the menu offers to explain it with AI. Sounds intriguing. To get started here, you will need to add a free API key from AI company Groq. Click the Settings icon in the lower part of the left pane. Scroll down to the section for AI explanations and click the Get key button. That step takes you to the Groq website where you set up a free account.
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After confirming your email address or username, you're deposited back at the website. Click the button to create an API key. For the display name, type something like Fluent Cleaner. Don't allow the key to expire. Click Submit and then copy the generated key.
Return to Fluent Cleaner and paste the key into the key field in the AI explanation section. Click the Test button to make sure the key works. Then click Save to save it.
Go back to the cleaner section, hover over the ellipsis icon for a specific item, and choose to explain it with AI. A window pops up that describes the item's purpose and function and explains the pros and cons of removing it with Fluent Cleaner.
Beyond analyzing all extraneous apps, settings, and Registry entries, Fluent Cleaner can focus on just a single category. For this step, hover over the ellipsis icon next to the category name and select Analyze category. You can then review the results.
After reviewing the results yourself, you can now try running a cleanup. You can start with a single category to see how it works. Hover over the ellipsis icon for the category and select Clean category after performing the analysis. The utility tells you how many items were removed and how much space was freed.
If you want to try to clean up everything, I'd suggest creating a Windows Restore Point, just in case you lose files, settings, or Registry entries you need. This article explains how to do this step in Windows 10. In Windows 11, go to Settings, select System, and then click the link for System protection. Click the Create button to set up the restore point and then follow the steps.
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Return to Fluent Cleaner. First, click the Analyze button to get the latest results. When done, click the Run Cleaner button. The tool may display a warning if certain files will be affected. Click Continue and allow the process to complete.
After the cleanup has completed, Fluent Cleaner tells you how much space was freed and how many files were skipped because they were in use. You can now resume your regular work in Windows with more disk space and potentially boost overall performance.
Fluent Cleaner has more features and settings, including advanced ones. But if you're looking to get rid of unnecessary junk in your Windows environment, the steps I described here should do the trick.
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