FAQ

FAQ

Why does it ask for administrator rights?

As Administrator on an NTFS drive, ClutterCutter reads the Master File Table directly, which is far faster than walking the filesystem — see Scanning & performance. Without elevation it falls back to a slower walker that still works. You can decline elevation.

Why do the file/folder counts differ from other tools?

In MFT mode, hard-linked files (heavily used by WinSxS) are counted once by their canonical name; tree-walking tools count each path separately. ClutterCutter's total reflects what's actually on disk.

Is it safe? SmartScreen/Defender warns on it.

The binaries are currently unsigned, and the app requests admin + reads the raw NTFS volume — behaviour heuristic scanners flag. Choose More info → Run anyway. The source is public and builds are reproduced by GitHub Actions; signing is planned. See Security & privacy.

What does "Safe-to-delete temp files" actually delete?

Nothing until you say so. That view lists known temp/cache locations; you pick what to recycle (multi-select, or Recycle all). Everything goes to the Recycle Bin, so it's recoverable.

There are huge files under "System Volume Information" — can I delete them?

No, not directly — and by default you won't even see them in the file lists. Those are Volume Shadow Copies (System Restore points / "previous versions"). Along with the page/hibernation/swap files, WinSxS and NTFS metadata, they're protected system data that's hidden from the Top/Oldest lists. To reclaim that space safely, use the System cleanup view, which sends you to the right built-in Windows tool (System Protection, Disk Cleanup, Virtual Memory settings…). See Usage → System cleanup. You can un-hide these files with Show protected system files in Settings.

Does deleting trigger a full rescan?

No. Recycling updates the view in place on a background thread — the sizes along the path adjust with no freeze and no rescan.

Which download should I use?

ClutterCutter-rust.exe (no runtime needed) for most people — it's the winget build. ClutterCutter.exe is the C# build and needs the in-box .NET Framework 4. Both are the same app.

How do I install / update via winget?

winget install StruisICT.ClutterCutter
winget upgrade StruisICT.ClutterCutter

See Installation.

Where are settings stored?

Everything lives under %APPDATA%\ClutterCutter\: your preferences (theme, size units, default panel, which columns to show, and the other File → Settings options) in settings.cfg, the window size in window.cfg, and the table's sort column/direction in sort.cfg.

How do I check for a newer version?

Help → About → Check for updates asks GitHub for the latest release and tells you if a newer one is out, pointing you at winget upgrade StruisICT.ClutterCutter or the releases page. It's opt-in and never downloads or runs anything on its own.