DevCleaner

A powerful and safe PC optimization suite for Windows. DevCleaner efficiently cleans temporary files, finds and removes duplicates, and monitors system resources—all with comprehensive safety protections.

Features

🧹 System Cleanup

• Scans and removes temporary files from multiple locations
• Targets: System Temp, AppData Temp, Prefetch, and browser caches (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
• 1-Hour Safety Rule: Protects recently modified files from deletion
• Comprehensive preview before cleanup
• Detailed statistics on space freed

🔍 Duplicate Finder

• Uses SHA-256 hashing for accurate duplicate detection
• Recursive scanning of user-selected directories
• Shows potential disk space savings
• User confirmation before any deletion
• Keeps one file, removes duplicates safely

📊 Resource Monitor

• Real-time system statistics (CPU, memory, disk, swap)
• Top 5 resource-consuming processes
• Detailed process information (PID, usage percentages, memory)
• System performance monitoring at a glance

🎨 Modern Interface

• Dark-themed CustomTkinter GUI
• Tabbed navigation for easy access
• Real-time status updates
• Non-blocking background operations

🔒 Safety First

• Protected system file detection (.dll, .exe, .sys, etc.)
• Excluded system directories (Windows, Program Files)
• Two-step confirmation for all deletions
• Complete operation logging
• Graceful error handling

System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11
• RAM: 512 MB minimum (1 GB recommended)
• Disk: 100 MB for application
• Python: 3.8+ (for source installation)

Installation

Option 1: Standalone Executable (Recommended)

Download DevCleaner.exe from the releases section and run it directly. No installation required.

Option 2: From Source

1. Install Python 3.8 or higher
2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/DevCleaner.git
   cd DevCleaner

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the application:

   python main.py

Usage

System Cleanup

1. Open DevCleaner
2. Go to the System Cleanup tab
3. Click Scan for Temp Files to identify cleanable files
4. Review the list of files to be deleted
5. Click Clean Selected Files and confirm
6. Check the status for results

Duplicate Finder

1. Click the Duplicate Finder tab
2. Click Browse to select a folder to scan
3. Click Scan for Duplicates
4. Review the duplicate groups found
5. Click Delete Duplicates to remove them
6. Confirm the action

Resource Monitor

1. Click the Resource Monitor tab
2. Click Refresh Stats to update information
3. View CPU, memory, disk, and process information
4. Monitor the top 5 processes by resource usage

View Logs

1. Click the Logs tab
2. All application activities are logged here
3. Use Refresh Logs or Clear Logs as needed

How to Build

To create a standalone executable from source:

Prerequisites

Install PyInstaller:

pip install pyinstaller

Build Command

pyinstaller --onefile --windowed --name DevCleaner --add-data "modules:modules" main.py

Output

The executable will be created in the dist/ folder as DevCleaner.exe.

Build Options Explained

• --onefile: Creates a single executable file
• --windowed: Hides the console window
• --name DevCleaner: Sets the application name
• --add-data: Includes the modules folder in the executable

Project Structure

DevCleaner/
├── main.py                    # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies
├── LICENSE                    # MIT License
├── .gitignore                 # Git ignore rules
├── README.md                  # This file
├── test_modules.py            # Module verification script
├── modules/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── utils.py              # Safety utilities and logging
│   ├── system_cleanup.py     # Temp file cleanup module
│   ├── duplicate_finder.py   # Duplicate detection module
│   └── resource_monitor.py   # System monitoring module
└── dist/
    └── DevCleaner.exe        # Standalone executable

Safety Features

Protected Files

The following file types are never deleted:

.dll, .exe, .sys, .drv, .ocx, .ini, .config, .bat, .cmd, 
.com, .msi, .scr, .vbs, .ps1

Protected Directories

These system directories are always excluded:

• C:\Windows
• C:\Program Files
• C:\Program Files (x86)
• C:\ProgramData
• System Volume Information

Additional Protections

✅ 1-hour file modification threshold
✅ Two-step confirmation for deletions
✅ Permission error handling
✅ Complete operation logging
✅ User preview before cleanup

Logging

All operations are logged to devcleaner.log including:

• Application start/stop times
• Scan results and statistics
• Files deleted and space freed
• Errors and warnings
• Process terminations

View the logs in the Logs tab or open devcleaner.log with any text editor.

Troubleshooting

"No files found" in System Cleanup

• Temp directories may be empty
• Most files might be recent (within 1-hour protection)
• Try scanning user directories with Duplicate Finder instead

Permission Denied Errors

• Some files might be in use by running applications
• Close unnecessary applications and retry
• Run as Administrator for better access

Slow Duplicate Scanning

• Large directories take time to process
• Scan smaller folders first
• Close other applications to improve performance

Application Won't Start

• Verify Python is installed: python --version
• Reinstall dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt
• Check for errors in devcleaner.log

Performance Tips

• Start with smaller directories for faster results
• Close unnecessary applications before cleanup
• Run during off-peak hours for large operations
• Backup important files before cleanup

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Disclaimer

Use at your own risk. While extensive safety measures are implemented:

• Always backup important files before cleanup
• Review files before deletion
• Test on non-critical files first
• DevCleaner is not responsible for data loss

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the logs in the Logs tab
2. Review the troubleshooting section
3. Check devcleaner.log for detailed error information
4. Verify system permissions and file access

Version History

v1.0.0 (January 2026)

• Initial release
• System cleanup with 1-hour safety rule
• SHA-256 based duplicate finder
• Resource monitor with top processes
• Modern CustomTkinter GUI
• Comprehensive logging and safety features

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Made with ❤️ for Windows users
Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: January 2026