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Microsoft Explains Why Windows Defender classifying CCleaner
Installer as PUA
Last updated on July 30, 2020 By Venkat — No Comments

Apparently, Windows Defender in Windows 10 is classifying CCleaner Installer as Potentially Unwanted

Application (PUA). And Windows 10 is locking other Piriform product installers such as Recuva,
Defraggler, and Speccy from running. Microsoft has come up with an explanation of why it has agged
popular Cleaning tool as “PUA: Win32/CCleaner”.

CCleaner users rushed to report on Piriform forums that Windows Defender is reporting CCleaner as
Potentially Unwanted App. You should note that the newly available PUA Protection feature in Windows 10
2004 enabled by default is causing this. The issue can also be seen reported on Reddit.
As of now, we can con rm CCleaner can be installed without any issues on Windows 10, but you’ll still see
it being marked as PUA in Protection History.

On the other side, Windows Defender acts more aggressively on other products of Avast. If you download
Speccy, Recuva, and Defraggler, their setup les will be locked but not removed, and you’ll receive an error:

” Windows cannot access the speci ed device, path, or le.  You may not have appropriate permission to
access them”.

Microsoft said “bundling of software, especially products from other providers, can result in unexpected
software activity that can negatively impact the user experiences. To protect Windows users, Microsoft
Defender Antivirus detects CCleaner installers that exhibit this behavior as potentially unwanted
applications (PUA)”.

For instance, it cites CCleaner bundling with Avast antivirus may disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus if
the user opts into installation accidentally.
The company says CCleaner instalers use a Nullsoft plugin to offer different products during installation
and comes bundled with following applications:

Google Toolbar,
Google Chrome
Avast Free Antivirus
AVG Free Antivirus

Microsoft reports how CCleaner installer with Nullsoft plugin offers unwanted applications.

This CCleaner installer uses a Nullsoft plugin to download a le named Microstub.exe from
avast.com. When it is launched, it provides a preselected option to install Avast Free Antivirus.

Some installers for the free version of CCleaner, also based on Nullsoft, include an installer for
Google Chrome with the le name PF-Chrome-2019.exe. After installing Google Chrome, the
installer sets the bundled application as the default web browser. Some variants of the same
installer also add the Google Toolbar to Chrome as an extension.
The software giant says “exercise caution when installing software to avoid unwanted applications that
came bundled with the installer”.

Related articles:

Windows 10 May 2020 Update gets PUA blocking feature, how to enable?

Microsoft Chromium Edge can now block Potentially Unwanted Application downloads

Piriform now bundles CCleaner with CCleaner Browser

Careful, CCleaner may install Avast

Filed Under: News

Tagged With: Windows 10, Windows 10 2004

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