Best Disk Cleanup Software
Best Disk Cleanup Software At A Glance
G2 takes pride in showing unbiased reviews on user satisfaction in our ratings and reports. We do not allow paid placements in any of our ratings, rankings, or reports. Learn about our scoring methodologies.
Learn More About Disk Cleanup Software
What is Disk Cleanup Software?
Computer storage can get pretty easily cluttered by a variety of junk files. The most common of these are temporary files, more commonly referred to as temp files. Many programs generate temp files in response to file creation, which are used as backups for the files that are being worked on in case the program closes unexpectedly. Browsers also create temp files to store information like browsing history or cookies. When these programs are closed, temp files should be deleted, but that’s not always the case. Users can be left with numerous files taking up valuable disk space and slowing down processing power. These junk files can also come in the form of unintended duplicate files, from a program not saving a file properly, for example, or from unpurged program logs that track performance data from using the program. Other files that could be considered junk are those that haven’t been opened in a long time, usually a year or more.
All of these temporary, duplicate, unpurged, and unused files can bloat a computer’s hard drive. They take up storage space that doesn’t need to be taken, and they can force a computer to work more than it needs to while performing basic processes. Disk cleanup software—sometimes referred to as disk cleanup utilities—is designed specifically to find the files that bloat a computer’s hard drive(s) and remove or purge them. Effectively, a disk cleanup utility works to optimize a hard drive’s storage and callback capabilities.
Key Benefits of Disk Cleanup Software
- Decrease hard drive bloat
- Improve drive performance
- Improve process performance for virus scans and backups
- Reduce likelihood of confusion due to file duplication
Why Use Disk Cleanup Software?
Drive efficiency is key to ensure a smooth hard drive performance. Long unused files and junk files can weigh down hard drive’s searching ability and artificially bloat the amount of perceived used storage. Accidental file duplication can also contribute to this bloat, as well as create confusion around which files are the proper ones to work out of. Clearing out these files with a disk cleanup solution can free up significant storage space and remove files that would otherwise slow down process performance for large-scale processes like backups and virus or malware scans.
Who Uses Disk Cleanup Software?
Disk cleanup utilities can be used by anyone with a computer. Utilities exist that can clean for any major operating system, which helps ensure all computer users can efficiently run their devices. Specifically, server admins might get extra use out of these tools due to increased demand towards server performance for overall business functions. Windows Server and Linux Server disk cleanup tools fall into a server admin’s wheelhouse.
Kinds of Disk Cleanup Software
As noted above, there are two main kinds of disk cleanup solutions.
Personal computer oriented — These tools are built to handle a standard user’s computer hard drive and can be designed for any major operating system.
Server oriented — These solutions focus specifically on server drives and tend to be oriented towards Windows or Linux servers.
Disk Cleanup Software Features
The following are some core features typically found in disk cleanup software.
Cleanup target selection — Disk cleanup utilities let users decide where they need to clear up extra space.
File type selection — Maybe the files a users wants to get rid of aren’t necessarily all in one place, but are all one type of file. Some disk cleanup software lets users select from a list of common file types to focus on while cleaning.
Disk defragmentation — The process of optimizing where data is physically stored on a hard drive, disk defragmentation is another part of the disk cleanup process that can help optimize how a device accesses data.
Post-cleanup reporting — After disk cleaning is complete, cleanup utilities generate a report of how much extraneous data was removed. This can give insight into what programs are generating the most junk data and how often users need to run a disk cleanup.
Potential Issues with Disk Cleanup Software
Slow runtime — Not necessarily the fault of the cleaner as much as the size of the drive, cleanup utilities can take some time to run if there’s a significant number of files to go through. Consider giving the software sufficient time to run a disk cleanup utility if the device has a high storage volume.
Compatibility — Not all cleanup utilities are compatible with all operating systems; usually, they are built for a specific operating system. When selecting a disk cleanup solution, be sure to select one designed for the operating system used by the company.
