DevCleaner

Project Overview

DevCleaner is a Windows cleanup tool with a native PySide6 window, packaged as a single exe that runs offline without a browser, Node, or Java. On launch it scans your disks automatically, groups what it finds by category, and shows the size or item count of each group. Its rule is evidence-driven cleanup: only items that can be confirmed safe are removed, and anything unclear is left alone.

See at a glance what can be safely cleaned, instead of digging through folders yourself.

Key Features

• Installer cleanup: confirms software is installed through process name, install directory, and uninstall registry evidence, then removes leftover installers
• Legacy junk cleanup: clears thumbnails, jump lists, browser caches, shader caches, and crash dumps
• Temporary file cleanup: removes temp items untouched beyond a set number of days while skipping directories in use
• Developer junk cleanup: detects build, test, and cache artifacts such as build, __pycache__, and cache folders
• Python environment cleanup: finds virtual environments with config files, package manager caches, and any custom directories you add
• Registry cleanup: removes uninstall entries and startup items pointing to missing programs, and resets safely recoverable MRU keys
• Empty file and broken link cleanup: clears zero-byte files, empty folders, and dead shortcuts while skipping system placeholders
• Multiple themes: six built-in palettes switch live from the top-right corner and are remembered

Target Audience

• Windows users running low on disk space
• Developers who clean caches regularly
• Users who care about leftover files and a tidy registry
• People who want cleanup they can roll back

Quick Start

1. Download DevCleaner.exe from Releases and double-click it; the scan starts automatically
2. Categories are collapsed by default; expand one for detail or click Expand All
3. Tick the items to clean and confirm; the dialog lists the item count and the first items
4. To restore, pick the session in the UI and roll it back within seven days

Core Advantages

• Evidence-driven: multiple signals decide what is safe, lowering the risk of mistakes
• Reversible: files move to a local backup folder with one-click restore for seven days
• Registry backed up first: deletion only runs after a successful export, otherwise it is refused
• Git protection: local repositories are read-only by default, and only those without a remote and long untouched become deletable

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	Windows 10 / 11
Distribution	Single exe, no installation
From source	Python 3.10 or later

Notes

• Removing system-level registry entries needs administrator rights; a normal run reports insufficient permission
• Registry and empty-file cleanup is about tidiness, not reclaiming much space
• More recursive scan roots means a longer scan
• The interface text is currently in Chinese