Winmole

WiMo (Windows System Optimizer — Mole for Windows) is an all-in-one system maintenance CLI toolkit for Windows. It acts as a comprehensive tool combining the features of common optimization applications into a free, open-source, fast, and colorful terminal experience.

The problem

Windows accumulates temporary files, browser caches, and orphaned application data over time. Built-in cleanup tools are often slow and lack extreme detail, while third-party tools are frequently bloated or paid. There was a need for a unified, fast, and safe terminal-based solution for system maintenance and building artifact cleanup.

The solution

WiMo is built with PowerShell for system integration and Go for real-time, interactive TUI dashboards. It features a persistent interactive menu, parallel scanning, and .NET-accelerated file operations.

Key Features

• Deep System Cleanup: Safely removes temp files, browser caches, and Windows Update leftovers with a 4-layer safe delete system (protected paths, user data patterns, recycle bin fallback, and dry-run).
• Interactive Uninstaller: Merges applications from the Windows Registry, winget, and local programs into a unified interface for complete removal.
• Visual Disk Analyzer & Live Status: Utilizes Go binaries built with Bubble Tea for rich terminal UIs, offering real-time directory scanning and system health dashboards.
• Build Artifact Purge: Concurrently cleans project build artifacts (like node_modules, target, and __pycache__) across directories using runspace pools for parallel execution.

Highlights

• Performance Overhaul: Uses System.IO.Directory.EnumerateFiles/EnumerateDirectories instead of Get-ChildItem for significantly faster directory walking.
• Parallel Execution: Employs PowerShell runspace pools for concurrent size calculation and deletion, drastically reducing wait times.
• Seamless TUI: A split-pane persistent menu with vim-style navigation mapping providing a fluid user experience even in constrained terminal widths.

Architecture

The project splits responsibilities effectively:

• PowerShell (wimo.ps1): Handles the core logic, argument parsing, file operations, and the split-pane menu.
• Go (analyze/main.go, status/main.go): Powers the high-performance TUIs using goroutines to handle live updates and concurrent directory scanning quickly and with minimal UI blocking.

What I learned

Integrating Go with PowerShell to handle specific TUI capabilities highlighted the strengths of compiling separate targeted binaries to solve specific UI performance concerns within a broader scripting environment. Developing the 4-layer safe delete system underscored the complexities of writing robust file operation logic on Windows, where system permissions and user data boundaries are paramount.

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If you'd like a walkthrough or have feedback, reach out or check the repository.