CCleaner

CCleaner, originally known as Crap Cleaner, was first developed by Piriform Ltd in London, United Kingdom. Launched in 2004, it became one of the most popular utility programs for cleaning unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries. The software's reputation was built on its effectiveness and simplicity, eventually expanding from Windows to support macOS and Android platforms.

In 2017, Piriform was acquired by Avast, a prominent Czech cybersecurity company. This acquisition integrated CCleaner into a larger portfolio of security and optimization tools. The ownership structure changed again in 2022 following the merger between Avast and NortonLifeLock, which led to the formation of Gen Digital Inc. Today, CCleaner remains a core product within the Gen Digital ecosystem, maintained by its original developers under the new corporate umbrella.