Deutsche Dokumentation · Türkçe documentation
Deleter is a Windows desktop application for accessible storage analysis and safety-first cleanup review. It helps users find large files and installed programs while keeping Windows-critical paths technically protected.
Version 0.2.0 is the first functional public release. It includes protected system-wide scanning, verified Recycle Bin cleanup, supported uninstall execution, exports, accessibility, and simulation mode.
- Programs and Files tabs with incremental background scanning.
- Multi-selection with protected and inaccessible states.
- Size threshold filtering from 500 MB.
- Pause, resume, and cancellation.
- English, German, and Turkish UI text.
- Qt keyboard accessibility and Accessible Output 2 announcements.
- Windows ACL-aware error handling and UAC elevation support.
- Verified cleanup moves eligible files to the Windows Recycle Bin after confirmation; simulation mode remains available for review.
- Registry and Microsoft Store/AppX uninstall providers, with validated command planning and isolated execution.
- JSON and CSV exports for scan results.
Large files are never treated as automatically unnecessary. Windows, boot, driver, recovery, security, package, installed-program, reparse-point, and ACL-uncertain locations remain protected or inaccessible. The application does not take ownership, rewrite ACLs, disable security software, or bypass Windows protection mechanisms.
Controls use native Qt roles, names, keyboard focus, check states, and status labels. Important scan and warning events are announced through Accessible Output 2 when available. Test reports should document NVDA, JAWS, and Narrator results for the target release.
The supported UI languages are English, Deutsch, and Türkçe. Windows 10 or Windows 11 and Python 3.14.5 are required for source execution. Portable release artifacts do not require Python.
For normal users, download the portable ZIP from the Releases page. From source, run run.bat; it creates .venv, installs controlled dependencies, and starts python -m app. Developers can install requirements-dev.txt and run the same module directly. Authenticode signing is enabled by the release workflow when the maintainer configures the encrypted WINDOWS_PFX_BASE64 and WINDOWS_PFX_PASSWORD GitHub Secrets.
The application starts a system scan automatically. Files are filtered by the selected minimum size and appear incrementally. Programs are read from supported Windows uninstall registration sources. Select entries with the keyboard or mouse, review the selection, and use the simulation preview. Protected checkboxes cannot be enabled.
The app can request administrator elevation for the system-wide scan, but an elevated token does not override explicit ACL denies, in-use files, or Windows security boundaries. Local file metadata, paths, and program information remain on the device and are not transmitted.
The application is organized under app/accessibility, app/cleanup, app/config, app/localization, app/models, app/providers, app/scanning, app/ui, and app/windows. Tests are under tests.
Permanent deletion is intentionally unavailable: cleanup is restricted to verified, confirmed moves to the Recycle Bin. Provider availability depends on Windows registration and installed Store packages. See ROADMAP.md and CHANGELOG.md.
Use the issue templates for bugs, accessibility, performance, translations, program detection, filesystem analysis, and build problems. Report security issues through GitHub Security Advisories as described in SECURITY.md. See CONTRIBUTING.md for development, testing, formatting, review, and release expectations.
Deleter is released under the MIT License.