CCleaner is one of the most widely used PC cleanup applications for the Windows operating system. It is free to use. Users may, on the other hand, be shocked to learn that the program is now available in the Microsoft Store. This is due to a long-standing issue with the Piriform-developed app that Microsoft is trying to resolve.
According to Softpedia, CCleaner is now accessible for download from the Microsoft Store, though it may not be suitable for everyone at this point in time. So, what is it that has brought about this sea shift in which Microsoft and Piriform have buried the hatchet together? To get to that point, however, we must first examine the preceding events.
As of January 2019, Microsoft has banned the CCleaner registry cleaning utility from its Support Forum network, effectively suppressing any discussion of the software. The fear expressed by Redmond was eventually proven to be warranted when Avast revealed that CCleaner included a significant bug. As of 2020, Microsoft Defender was categorizing the tool as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA) (PUA).
It is important to note that a PUA is not a harmful application per se, nor is it one that poses a security risk. It refers to any application that has been installed on a computer without the user’s authorization. Microsoft provided the following justification for blacklisting CCleaner at the time in an official explanation:
“When software is bundled with other software, especially items from different suppliers, it might result in unanticipated software activity that can have a detrimental influence on the user’s experience. This activity is detected as a potentially unwanted program (PUA) by Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which protects Windows users against CCleaner installations that display this behavior.
Customers who are using Windows 11 may now get the utility directly from the Microsoft Store. There has been no indication as to why Microsoft has granted the go-ahead to CCleaner at this time. Is it conceivable that the app has slipped through the cracks and into the Store?
It appears that Microsoft and Piriform have set their disputes aside for the time being. It also appears that Piriform made this announcement at the end of last year, indicating that it will take place. Despite the fact that the announcement’s source has not been identified, the following quotation has been widely circulated:
According to David Peterson, General Manager of CCleaner, “Reviving aging PCs and keeping brand-new Windows 11 devices healthy continues to be a top concern throughout the world, especially during work-from-home periods when people rely even more on their home PCs to be quick and reliable.” It is important that users maintain their brand-new gadgets functioning at peak performance, which is why CCleaner is now available for Windows 11.
