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The headline is misleading. The installer for the free version of CCleaner includes numerous bloatware applications with privacy concerns. So Microsoft’s issue

The headline is misleading. The installer for the free version of CCleaner includes numerous bloatware applications with privacy concerns. So Microsoft’s issue is not CCleaner itself but the fact that it installs a bunch of unwanted garbage, unless you’re tech-savvy enough to uncheck some boxes during the install. IMO it’s shady as hell to install or side-load other apps unless the user specifically opts-in. I have no desire to download and inspect the CCleaner Free installer, but I’ve seen numerous examples on other offenders where you have to go into the “Custom install” option just to get the boxes to uncheck in order to not change your browser homepage, install a toolbar, or other types of bullshit.

P_I_Staker 6y ago
This is why Foxit is dead to me. We truly live in a brave new world, where these projects get sold to someone that just wants to cash in. It's not enough to know that a project was once reputable. I think the new management plead ignorance ("did you not want spyware?"), and supposedly doesn't do that anymore, but I refuse to deal with them now.
RealStickman_ 6y ago
Registry cleaners and driver installation software seem to be popular for bundling stuff with them. I think the android version of CCleaner literally installed ads on the phone. I'm also doubting the positive effect claimed by such programs.
- WorldMaker 6y ago
  Registry cleaners are absolutely a theatrical sham. The worst part is they are more likely to do harm than any positive effects simply by the nature of "registry cleaning". The registry is an extremely MRU (Most Recently Used) optimized database. At best "regular cleaning" just trashes MRU statistics deoptimizing exactly what the OS tries to optimize in the first place. The registry is also heavily optimized to be read heavy rather than write heavy. At worst that MRU churn from "regular cleaning" directly becomes a cause for database corruption simply by the volume of writes it forces and the likelihood that a power loss or similar occurs during those writes. The number of times I've seen friends/family regularly using CCleaner and then complaining about corrupt registry hives and needing to drastically recover Windows is far too many.
- P_I_Staker 6y ago
  It's true for most freeware, unfortunately. Project gets a good reputation, and looks to cash in; unfortunately the options are limited. Often times it's not even the original authors, who sold out, and moved on.
tinus_hn 6y ago
Especially shady if your product is supposed to remove that kind of malware

P_I_Staker 6y ago

This is why Foxit is dead to me. We truly live in a brave new world, where these projects get sold to someone that just wants to cash in. It's not enough to know that a project was once reputable. I think the new management plead ignorance ("did you not want spyware?"), and supposedly doesn't do that anymore, but I refuse to deal with them now.

RealStickman_ 6y ago

Registry cleaners and driver installation software seem to be popular for bundling stuff with them. I think the android version of CCleaner literally installed ads on the phone. I'm also doubting the positive effect claimed by such programs.

WorldMaker 6y ago
Registry cleaners are absolutely a theatrical sham. The worst part is they are more likely to do harm than any positive effects simply by the nature of "registry cleaning". The registry is an extremely MRU (Most Recently Used) optimized database. At best "regular cleaning" just trashes MRU statistics deoptimizing exactly what the OS tries to optimize in the first place. The registry is also heavily optimized to be read heavy rather than write heavy. At worst that MRU churn from "regular cleaning" directly becomes a cause for database corruption simply by the volume of writes it forces and the likelihood that a power loss or similar occurs during those writes. The number of times I've seen friends/family regularly using CCleaner and then complaining about corrupt registry hives and needing to drastically recover Windows is far too many.
P_I_Staker 6y ago
It's true for most freeware, unfortunately. Project gets a good reputation, and looks to cash in; unfortunately the options are limited. Often times it's not even the original authors, who sold out, and moved on.

tinus_hn 6y ago

Especially shady if your product is supposed to remove that kind of malware