The best free apps and tools to clean Windows 10 without formatting

We bring you a small compilation with the best applications and tools to clean Windows 10 without formatting.

Sometimes, third-party developers can offer users tools that speed up specific processes or the entire process of cleaning the operating system, and today we are going to try to offer you the most outstanding ones. All these applications work on Windows 10, some of them are free, and others are free versions of other paid ones that are more advanced.

In the end, cleaning Windows is a more delicate task than you think, especially if you want to delegate applications to do it for you. If you are not careful, some solutions can be worse than the problems. And if you know of any reliable tools you would like to recommend, we encourage you to leave your recommendations in the comments section, so that all readers can benefit from your knowledge.

Advanced SystemCare 14 Free

Advanced SystemCare 14 Free

A cleaning application that aims at helping you minimize as much as possible what you have to do to make your operating system as good as new. It does this with an AI system that automates the process a lot depending on the result you want to achieve. It has a free version with basic functions, and then its payment plans.

The big downside of this program is that its free version allows you to improve the speed of your computer or your Internet connection, but it does not have the function of deep cleaning of the computer, and it does not have a system to improve the privacy of the computer. In any case, an interesting option if you want the program to do almost everything for you.

BleachBit

BleachBit

BleachBit is an open-source alternative to CCleaner. It’s available for Windows and GNU/Linux, it’s portable because it doesn’t need installation, and it will help you clean up hard disk space or maintain your privacy.

That’s because it can do several things. The one that matters to use today is that it allows you to detect and delete the residual files of the most popular programs so that they do not remain occupying space after uninstalling them. But it also allows you to delete your private files so that no trace is left on your hard drive and the same with applications.

CCleaner

CCleaner

We can say that CCleaner is a very controversial application, especially because if you are not attentive to the installers it comes with, you can very often end up with more unnecessary things installed on your computer instead of the opposite. However, it is still a very functional tool, and although it is far from being the best on the list, it has the benefit of being “the one and only”, and many users already know it well.

The application allows you to clean your computer and speed up its operation by removing unnecessary files, uninstalled applications, and more. The downside is that its free version is very limited, with tools to improve your privacy and speed up your computer. But advanced tools are left for the paid version, such as advanced driver updates or real-time computer monitoring.

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Czkawka

Czkawka

It is a tool that may not be too well known, but it is an open-source alternative and free. So, there is no free version that offers you the minimum and then leads you to pay. Here what you see is what you offer, and although not as powerful or with as many algorithms as some large paid versions, it does offer very good tools for a thorough cleaning. It is multi-system, with versions for Windows, GNU/Linux, and macOS.

Czkawka allows you to find duplicate files or files so large that you might want to delete them. Also, broken files or empty folders. All this will show you in a hard disk analysis where you will see all the residual files and what they occupy, and you will only have to decide whether to send them to the trash, keep them or move them to an external hard disk. In addition, it has filters to exclude some file types such as videos or photos from searches.

Find.Same.Images.OK

Find.Same.Images.OK

This is one of the best applications out there for finding and deleting duplicate photos. It is a small free application that simply detects duplicate photos and shows them to you in its double window, showing you the characteristics of each one in case they have some different features.

The application will do a complete search on your computer and will show you a list with the results of duplicate images. In this list, there are two columns, and you can click on each image to preview it. It will give you two options, to directly delete the photo or go to its folder to move it or do some management.

Glary Utilities

Glary Utilities

This is a free and quite professional program, a Swiss army knife that offers several tools to clean your computer without having to format it or complicate it too much. With it, you will be able to improve the speed of your computer by solving occasional errors, crashes, and those problems that can cause the computer to freeze.

It seeks ease of use above all, with many one-click or automated functions. In total, it has up to 20 different tools to clean and optimize your computer, and if you like it but want more, it also has a paid version. However, the free one is more than enough to repair your computer registry, remove traces of uninstalled applications, and so on.

OneSafe PC Cleaner

This is a free application that scans your computer for problems and then repairs them to make it run better. It also allows you to clean redundant or unnecessary files, as well as delete confidential data that you won’t need. It also finds obsolete data that is slowing down your computer.

The operation of the tool is quite simple. First, it will analyze your computer, and after getting the results, you can do a cleaning to remove what you do not need and improve its performance. It has a paid version with some advanced features such as removing duplicate files or irreversibly delete files, but with the basic options, it is also a capable tool.

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Privazer

This is a privacy-focused hard drive wiping application, which means that it deletes files so that they cannot be recovered, something it uses different overwriting techniques for. To give you an idea, this means that after deleting the file, it writes and deletes several times over the areas of the hard drive where your files were so that they cannot be recovered.

To ensure that these wiping methods do not affect the lifespan of your hard drives, the application detects whether you use SSD or mechanical hard drives and adapts its wiping algorithms to them. It also deletes files from uninstallations, unnecessary shortcuts, history, or caches. The way it works is easy, when you open it, it will ask you 15 questions about the things you want it to do and how, and then it will simply execute the tasks.

Razer Cortex

Razer Cortex

This program enters the list by the skin of its teeth, as it is less about cleaning your computer and more about optimizing it. So, if you have an old computer, it will not clean it to make it run faster all the time, but it will make specific optimizations to make it run faster when you use video games.

It is not a program that works miracles or that will allow you to play the best games with a computer that does not meet the required specifications. However, it can certainly give you a little extra push for when you’re out there and need a little more to make everything run smoothly, with the facility to optimize these settings so you don’t have to worry too much.

System Ninja

System Ninja

An application designed to find junk or residual files that slow down your computer and delete them to speed it up. It has a free version and a paid version, although it is appreciated that the most essential functions are in the free one, and for the paid one they simply keep other more advanced technologies.

It stands out mainly for having a search engine to find files that you do not need in all the hard disks, and a series of options like the one to manage the programs that are initiated with Windows or the processes. These things you can already do with Windows, but if you install this application you might be interested in it.

Total PC Cleaner

Total PC Cleaner

This is a free cleaner that you download directly from Microsoft’s app store, and it has several tools to be able to leave Windows clean and with more space. The application analyzes your entire computer and allows you to improve performance while deleting residual and junk files and other things.

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For starters, you can delete files in the cache, both system and application files, browsers or emails, and even Office files. It also lets you delete the contents of the downloads folder, locate duplicate files or files that are especially large to delete or advertising systems that have been left installed.

Windows10Debloater

Windows10Debloater

It is a simple script, a code that you will execute to simply uninstall all the preinstalled applications of Windows that are not necessary. Thus, you will not have to search and uninstall them one by one, you can do it all at once.

In addition to this, it will also stop some native Windows functions such as the use of Cortana in the search index, disable some tasks that developers consider unnecessary, and stop telemetry functions that may collect more data about you than necessary. Mind you, it does have the difficulty of needing to be used in PowerShell, and that it may cause some Windows functions to no longer work properly.

WinOptimicer

WinOptimicer

This is one of the solutions of the German developer Ashampoo, with a free version and a somewhat more advanced paid version. However, in the free version, you already have a complete suite of solutions of all kinds, among which are those that help you to analyze the computer or improve its performance, as well as customize it, or do maintenance cleaning.

The bad news you may find with this application is that some important tools are not included in the free version as they are in other applications on this list, although in exchange you have a modern suite with a large number of options.

Win Utilities

An all-in-one application to clean your computer and optimize it. The pity is that its free version has a somewhat basic maintenance mode, while all the great features are taken by the paid version. However, it may be interesting to try it to see what its more than 20 tools offer to optimize the computer, and then if you are convinced you pay or look for another alternative.

Wise Disk Cleaner

Wise Disk Cleaner

This is another alternative to clean and optimize your computer in a fast and intuitive way. It has a simple interface, where you can choose the items and file types you want to choose, and you can perform an immediate cleaning or simply schedule it for the date or time you want.

The application will allow you to delete all leftover or unnecessary files, as remnants of deleted applications, previous versions of Windows, and others. It also deletes files so that they cannot be recovered, and erases your browser tracks to protect your privacy. All of this, like all the items on the list, is for free.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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