Microsoft PC Manager is a free first-party cleaner for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that bundles a RAM boost, deep disk cleanup, startup and process management, and a health check — all wrappers around built-in Windows APIs. It is a convenient UI, not a replacement for CCleaner’s advanced tools, and it actively pushes Microsoft Edge as the default browser and Bing as the default search engine.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: April 14, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Microsoft PC Manager is free, signed by Microsoft, and available from pcmanager.microsoft.com or the Microsoft Store.
- The Boost button clears temporary files and trims standby memory — the same thing a reboot does, just faster.
- The Health Check and Deep Cleanup tools overlap heavily with Storage Sense, Disk Cleanup, and Settings > System > Storage — there is no new cleaning logic underneath.
- Health Check tries to reset Edge as default and Bing as search engine every run. If you uninstalled Edge, PC Manager reinstalls WebView2 and brings Edge back with it.
- For an equally free but cleaner utility without the Edge/Bing push, install Wintoys or run my Winhance utility instead.
Quick Verdict
- Good for: Casual users who want a single Microsoft-branded button to clear junk files without hunting through Settings.
- Skip if: You already use CCleaner, BleachBit, Winhance, or Wintoys — PC Manager does not add new cleaning capability over these.
- Watch out for: The Edge/Bing defaults. Untick every Edge/Bing suggestion on first launch and inside Health Check, or both will be silently restored.
Edge and Bing: The First Thing You Need to Know
The very first screen after installing PC Manager prompts to reset Edge’s default search engine to Bing. The suggestion also appears inside the Health Check flow every time it runs, even if you untick it. Regardless of whether you use Edge at all, the prompt will come back.
If you have uninstalled Edge following my Edge removal guide, PC Manager installs the WebView2 Runtime as a dependency during setup — and WebView2 pulls Edge back in. This is the single biggest reason to think twice before installing PC Manager on a debloated system.
Tip: On the first launch, uncheck Set Microsoft Edge as default browser and Use Bing in Edge. Do the same every time Health Check reappears — the toggles reset each run.
Install Microsoft PC Manager
Microsoft publishes the tool in two places:
- pcmanager.microsoft.com — the standalone installer (roughly 12 MB).
- Microsoft Store — the Store build, which handles automatic updates.
Run the downloaded installer. If Edge is not present on the system, the setup routine installs WebView2 Runtime as a silent dependency. On a clean Windows 11 machine the whole install takes under a minute.
Feature Walkthrough
Boost
The Boost button on the Home tab clears the Windows temporary files folder and trims the standby memory list. It is the same behaviour as closing and reopening an app, just exposed as a one-click shortcut. Expect 50–500 MB of RAM “freed” and a modest drop in disk usage. Enabling Smart Boost in Settings runs the same action automatically whenever RAM usage crosses a threshold or more than 1 GB of temp files build up.
Health Check
Health Check scans for “issues” and offers to fix them. In practice the suggestions are:
- Reset Edge default search engine to Bing.
- Revert taskbar customisation (StartAllBack, ExplorerPatcher, Windhawk).
- Remove a preselected set of temp files.
- Disable some startup items.
If you use StartAllBack, ExplorerPatcher, or Windhawk, always uncheck the “taskbar and Start menu” suggestion — the “fix” undoes everything those tools have configured. Likewise, untick the Edge/Bing items every single run.
Deep Cleanup
This is the most useful feature of PC Manager. Deep Cleanup aggregates Windows Update leftovers, Delivery Optimisation files, browser caches, app caches, and recycle-bin contents into a single list, then clears everything you tick. On a year-old Windows 11 install it typically reclaims 2–8 GB in one pass.
Deep Cleanup is genuinely good, but nothing it does is unique — the built-in Settings > System > Storage page offers the same cleanup categories, and my free disk space guide covers more aggressive alternatives like WizTree for duplicate and large-file hunting.
Process Management
The Process Management tab is a stripped-down Task Manager. It lists running apps with their RAM usage and offers a one-click End task. It is quicker than Task Manager for killing a single stuck app but misses the per-process CPU/GPU/disk columns, so I still open Task Manager for anything more involved.
Startup Apps
PC Manager shows the list of autostart programs and a toggle to disable each one — identical to the Startup tab in Task Manager, just with a cleaner UI. Pick whichever you prefer; the underlying Windows API is the same.
Pop-Up Management
Pop-Up Management is intentionally vague. Microsoft does not document exactly which pop-ups it suppresses — in testing, it blocks some third-party installer upsells and a handful of in-app nag screens, but has no effect on browser pop-ups or Windows notifications. Leave it on; it costs nothing to enable.
Microsoft PC Manager vs. CCleaner
- Cost: Both have free tiers. CCleaner Pro is paid; PC Manager is fully free.
- Cleaning scope: CCleaner’s registry cleaner and scheduled cleans are not in PC Manager. PC Manager’s Deep Cleanup matches CCleaner Free for temp-file categories.
- Telemetry and bundleware: CCleaner has a chequered history with bundled offers; PC Manager pushes Edge/Bing hard. Neither is clean.
- Trust: PC Manager is Microsoft-signed and lives on Microsoft’s update channel. CCleaner is owned by Gen Digital (Avast).
Neither app does anything Windows cannot do on its own. If you want a genuinely low-footprint utility without the Edge/Bing push, install Wintoys or run my Winhance utility.
Is Microsoft PC Manager Worth Installing?
On a clean Windows 11 PC that still uses Edge, PC Manager is a reasonable cleaner that consolidates several Settings pages into one window. The Deep Cleanup screen alone is worth the install for users who do not want to navigate Windows storage settings manually.
On a debloated or customised PC — Edge uninstalled, third-party taskbar installed, Bing blocked — PC Manager will fight you every run. Use Winhance, Wintoys, or the built-in Settings app instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft PC Manager safe?
Yes. It is published and signed by Microsoft and is updated through the Microsoft Store. The main downside is behavioural, not security-related: it repeatedly prompts to reset Edge and Bing as defaults and reinstalls WebView2 if you have removed Edge.
Does Microsoft PC Manager really boost RAM?
The Boost button trims the standby memory list and clears temp files. It does not add physical RAM or make apps run faster — it just asks Windows to release memory that was already being recycled as needed. Results are modest and short-lived.
Will Microsoft PC Manager reinstall Microsoft Edge?
Yes, indirectly. PC Manager installs the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, and WebView2 brings the Edge binary back onto the system if it was previously removed. For PCs following my Edge removal guide, do not install PC Manager.
Is Microsoft PC Manager better than CCleaner?
For temp-file cleanup, they are roughly equivalent. CCleaner Free adds registry cleaning and scheduled cleans that PC Manager does not have. Neither offers much that Windows cannot already do through Storage Sense and Task Manager.
What is the best Microsoft PC Manager alternative?
If you want a utility without Edge/Bing nags, Wintoys and my own Winhance are the cleanest free options. For disk space specifically, WizTree and Storage Sense cover everything Deep Cleanup does.
