How ClearKun Works

An architectural overview of how ClearKun scans, categorizes, and safely frees up disk space on Windows.

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The 4-Phase Storage Engine

ClearKun processes your drives through four distinct, non-destructive phases:

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[ Discovery & Traversal ] ──> [ Metadata Classification ] ──> [ Safety Scoring ] ──> [ Verified Action ]

Phase 1: High-Performance Traversal

ClearKun queries the Windows filesystem using optimized Win32 APIs (FindFirstFileExW, GetFileInformationByHandleEx) with multi-threaded worker pools.

• Traversing 500,000 files takes approximately 3 to 8 seconds on modern SSDs.
• Low CPU footprint prevents freezing or impacting your background tasks.

Phase 2: Metadata Classification

Rather than inspecting file bytes, ClearKun inspects file attributes:

• File path patterns (e.g., AppData\Local\Temp, node_modules, AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache)
• File extensions (.iso, .vmdk, .mp4, .zip, .log, .dmp)
• Timestamps (Creation date, Last accessed time, Last written time)
• File size on disk vs logical file size

Phase 3: Safety Classification Matrix

Every discovered folder and file is evaluated against our 5-Tier Safety Classification Matrix:

Phase 4: User-Controlled Action

No file is ever deleted without your explicit confirmation.

• Recycle Bin Integration: By default, deletions move items into the Windows Recycle Bin for instantaneous recovery.
• Permanent Deletion Toggle: For large files exceeding Recycle Bin thresholds, permanent deletion requires manual confirmation.
• Audit Logging: ClearKun keeps a local record of cleaned items so you can review previous actions.

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Local-Only Execution Guarantee

ClearKun runs entirely within your Windows client environment:

• No File Uploads: File contents, filenames, and folder structures are processed in memory on your PC.
• No Cloud Indexing: All scan databases and cache files reside in your local %LOCALAPPDATA%\ClearKun directory.
• Offline Capable: Storage analysis, search, categorization, and cleanup work without an internet connection.

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Next Steps

• Understanding Storage
• Where Did My Storage Go?
• Safe Cleaning