https://github.com/dbfx/dustforge
Yet Another Windows Cleaner — opinionated.
https://github.com/dbfx/dustforge
cleaner cleaner-app privacy windows
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Yet Another Windows Cleaner — opinionated.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/dbfx/dustforge
- Owner: dbfx
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-03-08T06:09:47.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-03-08T10:29:33.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-03-08T13:49:30.805Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: cleaner, cleaner-app, privacy, windows
- Language: TypeScript
- Homepage: http://dustforge.blakey.co/
- Size: 6.74 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# DustForge
A modern, open-source system cleaner for Windows.
---
## Features
### Cleaning & Optimization
- **System Cleaner** — Remove temp files, logs, caches, and other system junk
- **Browser Cleaner** — Clear browser caches across all major browsers (never touches cookies, history, or sessions)
- **App Cleaner** — Clean up leftover data from installed applications
- **Gaming Cleaner** — Free space from game launchers and cached game data
- **Recycle Bin** — Scan and empty the recycle bin
- **Registry Cleaner** — Detect and fix broken or orphaned registry entries, scheduled tasks, and security issues
- **Startup Manager** — Control which programs launch at startup with boot impact analysis
- **Network Cleanup** — Clean DNS cache, Wi-Fi profiles, ARP cache, and network history
- **Disk Analyzer** — Interactive treemap visualization of disk usage across all drives
- **Debloater** — Remove pre-installed Windows bloatware by category
- **Driver Manager** — Scan and remove stale driver packages, check for driver updates via Windows Update
- **Uninstall Leftovers** — Detect and clean orphaned files from uninstalled programs
- **Program Uninstaller** — List all installed programs, uninstall with automatic leftover cleanup
- **Service Manager** — Scan, classify, and optimize Windows services with a built-in safety knowledge base
- **Software Updater** — Check for outdated applications via winget and bulk-update them
### Security & Privacy
- **Malware Scanner** — Multi-engine threat detection with signature matching, heuristic analysis, and Windows Defender integration
- **Privacy Shield** — Control 30+ Windows privacy settings including telemetry, advertising ID, Cortana, and tracking
### Monitoring & Tools
- **Performance Monitor** — Real-time CPU, memory, disk, and network monitoring with per-core stats, process manager, and disk health via S.M.A.R.T.
- **System Restore Points** — Create Windows restore points before cleaning operations
- **Secure Delete** — Overwrite files with random data before deletion for sensitive data
- **Cleaning History** — Track past cleaning sessions and space recovered
- **Scheduled Scans** — Set up automatic scans on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule
- **One-Click Clean** — Scan and clean junk files, registry, network, and stale drivers with a single click
- **CLI Mode** — Run scans from the command line without the GUI for scripting and automation
## CLI Mode
DustForge can run entirely from the command line — no GUI window is opened. This is useful for scripting, IT admin workflows, and scheduled tasks beyond the built-in scheduler.
### Usage
```
dustforge --cli [options] [categories...]
```
### Categories
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--system` | System temp files, caches, logs, crash dumps |
| `--browser` | Browser caches (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, etc.) |
| `--app` | Application caches (Discord, VS Code, npm, etc.) |
| `--gaming` | Game launcher caches, GPU shader caches, redistributables |
| `--recycle-bin` | Windows Recycle Bin |
| `--all` | All categories (default when none specified) |
### Options
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--clean` | Delete found items after scanning (without this flag, scan-only) |
| `--json` | Output results as JSON instead of human-readable text |
| `-h`, `--help` | Show help message |
| `-v`, `--version` | Show version |
### Examples
```bash
# Scan everything (dry run — nothing is deleted)
dustforge --cli
# Scan and clean system junk only
dustforge --cli --system --clean
# Scan system and browser caches
dustforge --cli --system --browser
# Scan everything and clean, output as JSON (for scripting)
dustforge --cli --all --clean --json
# Use in a scheduled task (Task Scheduler, cron, etc.)
dustforge --cli --all --clean
```
### JSON Output
When `--json` is passed, output is a single JSON object:
```json
{
"scan": {
"categories": ["system", "browser"],
"results": [
{
"category": "system",
"subcategory": "User Temp Files",
"itemCount": 42,
"totalSize": 104857600,
"items": [{ "path": "...", "size": 1024, "lastModified": 1700000000000 }]
}
],
"totalItems": 42,
"totalSize": 104857600
},
"clean": {
"totalCleaned": 104857600,
"filesDeleted": 40,
"filesSkipped": 2,
"errors": []
}
}
```
The `clean` key is only present when `--clean` is used.
### Exit Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| `0` | Success |
| `1` | Errors occurred during scan or clean |
## Download
Get the latest installer from the [Releases](https://github.com/dbfx/dustforge/releases) page.
## Disclaimer
DustForge is intended for **advanced users** who understand system maintenance and the implications of removing files, registry entries, and other system data. By using this software, you acknowledge that:
- **You are solely responsible** for reviewing all items before removal. Always inspect scan results carefully before cleaning.
- **We accept no responsibility or liability** for any data loss, system instability, or other damage resulting from the use of this software.
- **Create backups** before performing any cleaning operations, especially registry cleaning and debloating.
- This software is provided **"as is"**, without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
Use at your own risk.
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)