DeepClean

Cleans what Windows' own cleanup can't reach, and shows the space Windows hides from you.

DeepClean is a single PowerShell script for Windows 10/11. It goes below Windows' own tools: system logs and traces, leftovers of deleted programs in the registry, orphaned installer files, superseded drivers, dead startup and right-click entries, and more. Everything is previewed first, nothing is deleted until you confirm, and registry changes are backed up.

• System-only: Windows and system locations, plus browser and app caches found by their folder structure. No per-app lists.
• Leaves Windows' jobs to Windows: Temp, Recycle Bin, Downloads, Windows Update cache and Windows.old are deliberately not touched. Use Windows' own Disk Cleanup or Storage Sense for those (w in the first question opens them).
• Safe by design: preview, then confirm; files in use are skipped; junctions are never followed; unplugged drives are never treated as "missing"; backups before any registry change.
• Lightweight: no installer, no service. Nothing is written to disk except what you approve: deletions, the safety backup, and an optional report.

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Run it

1. Download DeepClean.ps1.
2. Right-click it and choose Run with PowerShell, or open a terminal in its folder and run:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\DeepClean.ps1

Windows blocks downloaded scripts by default; this command runs it once without changing any system setting. DeepClean asks for Administrator rights itself. Some groups need them: system logs, installer files, drivers, WSL.

Options

Command	What it does
.\DeepClean.ps1	Interactive wizard (recommended)
.\DeepClean.ps1 -Intensity Maximum	Ignore age limits: remove every such file not in use
.\DeepClean.ps1 -Defaults	Accept the default answers, still shows the preview and asks before applying
.\DeepClean.ps1 -Unattended	No questions at all: defaults, applies everything, backs up, saves a report (for Task Scheduler, run elevated)
.\DeepClean.ps1 -Detailed	List every single file instead of one line per location
.\DeepClean.ps1 -InstallerQuarantinePath D:\Quarantine	Move orphaned installer files there instead of deleting them
.\DeepClean.ps1 -LargeFileMB 500	Size limit for the "largest files" report (default 1024)

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How it works

1. STEP 1/3: How old? Balanced keeps recently used files (browser cache 7+ days, logs 30+ days…). Maximum removes any age, as long as it isn't in use.
2. STEP 2/3: What to clean? One short question per group. Type ? for an explanation where offered.
3. STEP 3/3: Preview. Shows exactly what would be removed and how much space each group frees. Nothing is deleted yet.
4. Apply all, choose group by group, or cancel.

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What it cleans

Group	What	Admin
Browser & app web caches	Every Chromium and Firefox-engine browser profile and every Electron / WebView2 app, found by folder structure. Running apps are skipped. Plus abandoned partial downloads.	–
Deep system junk	Windows logs (C:\Windows\Logs, Debug, Panther, update orchestrator, WMI traces, archived event logs), diagnostic / telemetry traces, temp and web caches of Windows' own service accounts, SystemTemp, LiveKernelReports dumps, failed-reset ($SysReset) and update-assistant leftovers, stuck print jobs, Store-app temp and web cache, RDP cache, crash dumps, OneDrive logs, graphics-driver installer leftovers and driver shader caches	partly
Orphaned Windows Installer packages	.msi/.msp copies in C:\Windows\Installer that no installed program uses any more (often GBs)	✔
Superseded driver packages	Old driver versions replaced by a newer one. Windows refuses to remove drivers in use.	✔
Registry & system hygiene	Entries pointing at deleted programs: Uninstall, App Paths, Run, startup on/off switches, MuiCache, compatibility records, "Open with" apps, SharedDLLs counters, fonts, right-click menu handlers, scheduled tasks, firewall rules. All backed up to your Desktop first.	partly
Broken shortcuts	Start Menu, Desktop, taskbar shortcuts whose target no longer exists	–
WSL disk compaction	Shrinks WSL virtual disks, which never shrink on their own	✔
$PatchCache$ (off by default)	MSI update baseline copies	✔
ResetBase (off by default)	Makes installed updates permanent to free WinSxS space; they can no longer be uninstalled	✔

What it shows (never deletes)

• Space Windows doesn't show you: hibernation file, page file, reserved storage, System Restore storage, search index, with what each one is and how to change it yourself.
• What starts with Windows: startup apps plus the scheduled tasks and auto-start services Task Manager doesn't show, each marked on or off.
• Leftover folders of uninstalled apps, largest files, services pointing at missing programs.
• Duplicate files (optional). Cloud-only OneDrive files are skipped so nothing gets downloaded.

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Undo / restore

Registry changes are exported to DeepClean_Backup_<date> on your Desktop before anything is removed:

• Registry: double-click a .reg file.
• Scheduled tasks: import the .xml in Task Scheduler.
• Firewall: netsh advfirewall import "<backup>\firewall_policy.wfw"

If any backup fails, that group is not touched at all.

Will it make my PC faster?

Cleaning frees storage. It speeds Windows up mainly when the system drive is nearly full. The startup report is the part that helps speed: it shows everything that starts with Windows, so you can turn off what you don't need.

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11 with Windows PowerShell 5.1, which is built in. When started from PowerShell 7, DeepClean hands over to 5.1 automatically.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.