Microsoft has released the Windows Optimisation tool quietly. It can be downloaded and installed for free from the Microsoft Store. The tool is user-friendly and offers advanced functionality for Windows users. It is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft PC Manager is designed to optimize the overall system performance, management, and security of Windows 11. The company aims to offer a native solution to clear unnecessary processes from the background that helps in resolving high memory usage and disables and terminates unnecessary processes, similar to CC Cleaner.
At this moment, the company hasn’t integrated it into Windows 11, so users need to separately download it from the Microsoft Store. Let’s see how you can download and use it on your computer. The Windows Optimisation tool consolidates both optimization and security panels into a single location for convenient access. Some of the features are already available in Windows, but the PC manager shortcut makes them more convenient to use. All of the important settings that are dispersed throughout Windows are brought together in one place.
The Boost button allows users to clear memory usage and temporary files with a single click. The Security panel includes HealthCheck, which is powered by the Windows Defender tool and displays potential security threats. The Clean-up section includes Storage Management, which allows users to remove temporary files to help keep the system clean. It also has Process Management, a version of the Task Manager that displays all running tasks in the background.
Why should you use Microsoft PC Manager instead of CCleaner?
Many Windows users use CCleaner immediately after installing a new operating system, where they use it to clear all temporarily stored files from their PC. The app is free to download, which makes it one of the most popular PC cleaners. These are all unnecessary data stored in various locations, and CCleaner allows users to remove all of them at once, such as browsing history, caches, temporarily stored files, or even a system restore point, blank registry entries, startup control, and the secure wipe feature.
It was first released in 2004 as “Crap Cleaner” and was later renamed “CCleaner.” In 2017, popular antivirus software developer Avast acquired Piriform, the developer of CCleaner. After that, CCleaner is in trouble and starts making headlines. They start collecting system information, which is ostensibly for diagnostic purposes. This is nothing specific to any software company, but what makes it worse? Even after disabling it, it keeps turning back on after some time, which is a potential privacy concern.
In addition, the tool also provides a quick view of startup apps, which can have a significant impact on your machine. You can disable certain applications based on your preferences. Although this feature has been available for some time, it was recently released on the Microsoft Store, but it is not accessible through search. You may appreciate this Windows PC manager, which offers advanced features for speeding up your PC, freeing up storage, and enhancing security all in one place. In terms of security, it includes Windows Update, Browser Protection, and Pop-Up Management.
DOWNLOAD PC Manager
This is especially useful for low-end laptops, which often have limited storage and can benefit from a smoother experience. The Storage Manager also includes a Deep Cleanup option to remove unnecessary files and other clutter from Windows. If you are searching for a large file, the Manage Large Files feature can help you locate it on the C drive.
You can download the PC manager either from the official Microsoft website or from the Microsoft Store by clicking on Install from this link. Click on the Get or Install button. After installing PC Manager, click on Start, which will prompt you to seek permission.
The PC Manager is currently in beta and is working to address issues that may impact daily tasks. Thank you for joining us. If you have any questions, please share them with us in the comments section below. We welcome your valuable feedback.
How to use Microsoft PC Manager
When you launch PC Manager, you notice that it can’t be maximized. It aims to quickly launch and optimize without disturbing your current session. It does include functionality, including recommendations and tools to optimize your PC to run smoothly.
Below, we have shared the options that you can use.
Home
In this section, you have the option to boost your PC’s resources alongside other shortcuts for the health check, process, deep cleaning, and startup.
- PC Boost will show you the status of your memory and temporary file usage. Clicking on Boost will free up unused resources to further enhance performance without needing to restart or close any applications.
In this, there are also options for checking PC health, such as Health Check to remove temporary files, Processor that shows a real-time process to help with disabling the startup, Deep Clean for checking the C Drive, and Startp to let you choose to disable the startup.
It also allows users to restore the taskbar to its default configuration, which lets you disable the app at startup.
Protection
This gives quick access to some functionality of Microsoft Defender, like scanning your PC to protect against viruses and threats, Windows Update, taskbar repair, restoring default apps, and also pop-up management to block pop-ups in applications.
Storage
With this option, you can scan your drivers to clear space with a single click. But you can also check for the Manage Large Files option to open it in File Explorer.
Apps
There is a mini-taskbar that has process management that lets you view and terminate a real-time process. Another is the startup apps, which let you disable startup apps. Others are the Manage app and Microsoft Store settings options.
Toolbox
In this section, there are shortcuts to Windows’s features like the Snipping Tool, Sound Recorder, Captions, Notepad, Calculator, and Edge Search. You can toggle to enable or disable according to your preference.
Settings
Lastly, there’s the PC manager’s settings page, which lets you toggle Smart Boost, the option to tweak the shortcut settings, and Startup PC Manager, as well as the option to check for the latest update.
If you’ve been using it and want to disable it, here is the quick guide mentioned below.
- Start CCleaner and select Option from the left sidebar.
- Navigate to Monitoring, and from there, check the checkboxes for Enable System Monitoring and Enable Active Monitoring to disable them.
- Click “Yes” to confirm your action. That’s it!
Nevertheless, reports and people are advising against using CCleaner. Since CCleaner got hacked in 2017, which affected more than 2.27 million PCs around the globe, it’s not pleasant news. Backed by the antivirus company is a backdoor to spyware, which is supposed to clean computers instead of inviting hackers to get into your PCs.
Not to mention, the company fixed it with the patch release, but more things were going wrong. They started bundling additional software during installation, which you can avoid by digging through the options. CCleaner learned from its past, and there is no such issue at this moment. However, what CCleaner used to offer for common PC cleaning, such as cleaning temporarily stored files and switching startup programs, is no longer available. Microsoft PC Manager comes with all those, however, and includes more like Windows Update, Windows Security, and Process Management, which CCleaner doesn’t have.
CCleaner Pro features include automatic learning of browsing data and driver updates. Chrome, for example, can handle the automatic collection of browsing data, and driver updates are done automatically with the utilities that come with your upgraded hardware.
Modern PCs use SSDs, which complicates the use of CCleaner to improve system responsiveness. Unless you have a specific need for CCleaner, don’t use it since Microsoft confirmed that deleting the registry could break your computer. Keep your PC clean, or you can use Microsoft PC Manager; that’s enough.
Conclusion
PC Manager, which doesn’t bring anything new that Windows doesn’t have, just gives users quick access to these features. If you already practice the best ways to optimize Windows, then you won’t see any major benefits with PC Manager, but it’s good for beginners to boost performance on a computer with old and limited hardware.