RunAmok

I noticed this today right after I installed 318.1707. A few of my installed programs now show an "Installed Date" of today (including McAfee which does update pattern files daily and CCleaner), and while many others appear 'normal', there are quite a few which show recent dates even though they've been there for quite some time and have not been updated etc. As far as the 'today' programs, HP Precision Scan (not updated for - literally years and not even used for over a month), FireFox, VLC, Windows Media Player 11 (which I haven't used since I installed VLC over a year ago), Compaq's Easy Access Button Support on this old Compaq which hasn't been touched since the OS was installed 4 years ago, etc. XP Pro, 32Bit, SP3.

With a line in the release notes for 318.1707 about tweakage in handling folders, I had hope, but... nope. Still failing.

Nergal and Kroozer are absolutely right. And GoneToPlaid just hasn't been bit yet. It is NOT always safe to simply delete everything CCleaner thinks is unused. A couple years ago the first run of a new release told me that there were a bunch of "unknown" file extensions. I'd always seen a few - like .dbx from Outlook Express which appeared to be correctly associated in the file type list - and just let it delete them, but this time the list was a lot longer and it deleted several critical extensions like .msi. I had to restore from the backup to get Windows back to normal working condition and even then it still gives me that same long list in the newest version. I learned the lesson of checking closely before deleting anything I'm not sure about. I've left the "Unused File Extensions' unchecked ever since because it still gives me the same long list if I try it.

FYI, the original problem still exists in 317.1689. I did stumble on to one additional and interesting piece of data though. With several small files and one directory in the recycle bin, an analyze shows what I expect with some small number of bytes in the recycle bin, cleaning appears to work (although the recycle bin icon does not change), But... if I try to empty the recycle bin manually at that point (CCleaner still open) it asks if I want to delete "Windows" but this time it fails when I say yes - telling me that DC4 (the recycle bin file name for the directory) is in use by another program. Exiting CCleaner resolves that problem and the manual empty completes normally. Soooo.... CCleaner deletes any files, resets Info2 to it's default empty state, fails to delete the directory entry, but leaves it hooked until the program exits. I know the devs have not been able to duplicate the problem, but reviewing what changed in the release where it started failing, the details of exactly what's happening, and the fact that the portable version works should help pinpoint why it's failing.

Well... that's interesting. 317 portable works as expected - emptying the recycle bin containing a folder and deleting all the folders in %temp%, even though I'd just installed 317.1688 which still fails. The portable version may be ignoring something left over (and compatable with the old version) when I've been deleting the newest failing version, dropping back to the old version until a new version is announced, and then download and install the new version - which upgrades the old version. I'll do some digging and see if I can find any remnants left over after an uninstall.

Well... that's interesting. 317 portable works as expected - emptying the recycle bin containing a folder and deleting all the folders in %temp%, even though I'd just installed 317.1688 which still fails. The portable version may be ignoring something left over (and compatable with the old version) when I've been deleting the newest failing version, dropping back to the old version until a new version is announced, and then download and install the new version - which upgrades the old version. I'll do some digging and see if I can find any remnants left over after an uninstall.

Me too. I fully understand that the devs have new features to design and test, that there are other bugs which are much higher priority since this one has a simple and easy 'getaround', and that it appears to be isolated to whatever is unique to my environment since others haven't been able to duplicate it, but... since it still works as it should in a previous release, whatever changed should be fairly easy to track down. And I think I've described exactly what it's doing (or not doing). And by the way, it's still failing in 317.1688. So is what I've come to believe is the root problem involving deleting any folder - which I just described in another problem entry last week. Perhaps if that one appears to be more global, it will be addressed and the fix will take care of this symptom as well.

For the record, I've been trying each new release, then when it fails, reverting to the last working version (310.1525). I haven't tried the portable version. I'll see if I can find it, and will give that a try.

Last October, I reported a problem where CCleaner was not able to correctly empty the Recycle Bin if it contained one or more folders. In the discussion, I briefly touched on a possibly related problem where folders were not being deleted in %temp%, but never followed up on that specific aspect. After some additional testing with the current release (both problems are still valid in 316.1666), it appears that for some reason the expected deletion of folders where applicable just isn't happening. For example, in my temp directory, I may have a dozen folders, some with subfolders, and there are files scattered in the top level, in the folders, and even in the subfolders. When I run CCleaner, all the files get deleted but... all the folders are left behind and remain as they were. I'd originally thought that the problem was something in the way the recycle bins on a dual disk system were being handled, but now believe it's a more global problem specifically related to folders since the recycle bin is also cleaned correctly - except for leaving behind any folder. %temp% is in the default place, and it's being cleaned as expected - except for any folders. This problem started several releases ago (I don't remember the release where the problem began, but it's listed in the recycle bin problem discussion). Reverting to a prevous release runs as expected - also as described in the recycle bin problem. XP, 32bit, SP3

FYI, this problem still exists - as described above - in 316.1666.

FYI, this problem still exists - as described above - in 315.1643.

There's been an on-going problem with CCleaner correctly cleaning the recycle bin on a dual disk system, first entered back in November. Any folder in the recycle bin for either drive causes the problem where the recycle bin's files and the related info2 file are not correctly reset (actually, the info2 file is reset to it's empty state but the file representing the deleted folder is still there). I re-entered this since the problem is still occuring in the latest release - 315.1643. I don't remember now which version the error began in (that was in one of the entries of the original post) but it was 4 or 5 releases ago. . Interestingly, if I delete a folder, running CCleaner shows that it's going to clean the recycle bin in the analyze scan, but after cleaning it does not show the recycle bin in the list of cleaned selections. At that point, the recycle bin icon still shows that there's something in it, opening the recycle bin shows there's nothing there, but clicking on the Empty link (which is not greyed out) asks if you want to delete "Windows" - which is a known problem from as far back as W98 if the recycle bin structure or contents are hosed. Luckily, ignoring the possibility that "Windows" will be deleted, clicking the 'Empty' link resets the recycle bin to it's normal empty state.

'Winapp2.ini' Anything in %localappdata%\temp\ will be cleaned by the Temporary Files check box. Make sure to go into your CCleaner settings and let CCleaner clean temp files younger than 24 hours old. Not true here. As mentioned above, any files in my username\local\temp directory (or subdirectories) are gone, but any directories (and their subdirectories if any) are not removed. XP/SP3, and Temporary Files is checked and 'Only 24 hours' is not.

Criky18 is right. He has a legimate problem. Or perhaps more accurately, a combination of two problems. First, if I do check the McAfee option - which is off by default - CCleaner 'cleans' something that McAfee thinks it needs. And second, if McAfee can't recover from a missing log file or whatever by surveying what modules are installed and what revisions are up to date, and requires a full uninstall and reinstall at that point, then they have some work to do as well. The McAfee supporter's challenge to 'find a better online help company' is easily met. While there are far too many companies who are just as bad - or worse - McAfee's 'support' (or lack therof) is the subject of hundreds of similar complaints in their own Customer Support forums - and some of those are mine. The McAfee tier-1 folks often have two initial answer to every problem: "It's yours (or someone elses) fault", or "Uninstall and Re-install". And even tier-2 people who can be helpful - if you can get tier-1 to involve them and then direct them to the real problem - often resort to the same mind set as seen above. I have, for example, an open and well documented problem with a McAfee script. Windows detects a script error and offers to debug it for you. McAfee support has looked at the debug display showing a failed reference to an empty tab/label and claims that's a Microsoft problem since Windows found it, Their suggested fix is to turn off all script checking. That problem has been 'open' for over 8 months now, and while I check on it every now and then, they consider their response to be a 'fix'.

Just out of curiosity, have you looked in those directories to see if there's files there? I'm also running XP/SP3 and have a similar problem (although not with the creatiion of the directories you mentioned) where CCleaner will delete any files in Local Settings\Temp, but won't delete any folders that are there. If those folders contained files, they're gone, but the folders remain.

I must be missing something here... I see what both of you are saying, but... First, by checking the 'MS Search' box, we've told CCleaner to clean the search index and database, and if it's gone, empty (or invalid), Windows will need to rebuild it. But second, if CCleaner 'clean's the search index and/or database files in a way which causes system event "Errors", then perhaps how it's 'cleaning' needs to be revisited. Replacing those files with default 'empty' versions might be a better method. Or anything else which simply makes Windows do a total rebuild...

FYI, although the release notes for 3.14.1616 say that there were improvements made to recycle bin cleaning, this problem still exists in the 3.14 release. Info2 is still reset to the default 'empty' state and the Dc1 directory has still not been deleted.

Keith - Is it possible that this only happens when there's a folder in the recycle bin? There's a thread started back in October which detalis a problem emptying the recycle bin under XP which was initially confusing since it only fails when there's a folder in the recycle bin. The good news is that a manual recycle bin "Empty' cleans up the incomplete results left behind when CCleaner attempts to empty a recycle bin containing a folder.

Nergal, you point is valid, and I'd echo the danger of allowing automatic deletion of files and folders marked as 'system' in a manually added path. But your response ignores one of the major claims in the original report. If CCleaner deletes system files when you've set Windows Explorer to 'unhide' them but ignores them just because you don't choose to view them when you're looking at disk contents, it's both inconsistant and dangerous. One of the first things I do on a new system is set Windows Explorer to display hidden files. And while I'd have no problem with CCleaner killing 'desktop.ini' when found in %temp%, for example, I'd be very leary of allowing CCleaner to delete all system files in folders it checks - either by default or when added manually.

Thanks for the thought, but the only boxes checked here are the "Show Prompt..." and "Save all settings". I only mentioned it here since it would appear that CCleaner - at least in my environment - seems to have issues with folders. I thought about adding %temp% (or the actual full path) with the include option, but since it's already deleting everything there (except one file - hfperfdata_username - which is always in use, and the folders) I just clean it out manually every now and then. All those folders do however create the original problem in the recycle bin although it simply asks if I want to permanently delete 57 items when I use the manual empty link and still shows nothing there when I view the recycle bin via the Open link or via Windows Explorer.

Thanks. I'm sure that someone will get around to this item on their 'to-do' list one of these days, but from the looks of the reported bugs in the latest release, I suspect it's not very high on the list since we proved that using the Empty link from the Recycle Bin resolves the error created by CCleaner - as long as you're brave enough to agree to permanently delete "Windows". And you won't see that if there's anything other than a single folder in the recycle bin. Gotta wonder why someone changed CCleaner to not delete directory entires in the Recycler folder while correctly resetting Info2 to it's empty state. Should be an easy problem to resolve - unless I'm missing some obscure reason it was deliberately done that way... Which reminds me, as I was scanning through the chain, that there's one other 'bug' described in the previous entries which I probably should enter as it's own report. CCleaner (including the lastest version and the previous three or four previous versions) does not delete any folders in %temp%. It scraps any files - including any files in those folders - but leaves any folders - including sub-folders. Blanket fix for a problem back there somewhere because some app expected to find a folder in %temp%?

Just an update to notify that the symptoms described did not change when running 3.13.1600. In my dual disk environment, as long as there is at least one folder in the recycle bin (which is a visual combination of the two recycler folders) , CCleaner will not empty the Recycle Bin correctly. If there's only one folder in either recycler folder, after runnng CCleaner a manual 'Empty' of the recycle bin will ask if you really want to delete "Windows". If there was more than one folder, a manual 'Empty' will simply ask if you want to delete "all the items in the recycle bin". In either case, the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop will continue to show that the Recycle Bin is not empty after running CCleaner until you manually empty it using the Recycle Bin icon. Luckily, a manual empty does NOT delete 'Windows', and simply resets both recycler folders to their default 'empty' configuration.

@Alan_B - Nope. Just two single partition NTFS drives as C: and F: And I don't know why it would matter, but one is on the primary controller and the other is on the secondary with DVD drives (as D: and E:) also split between controllers. As to the apparent duplication where a deleted file shows up in the recycler on both drives, Windows Explorer 'helps' us by faking that. But... DOS shows there's a DC4 only in the recycler on the drive the file was erased from. The recycler on the other drive only contains Info2, and the Info2 in the recycler of the second drive is 'empty; (as shown above). I suppose I should point out that if I erase a folder on the second drive, the DC4 and updated Info2 exists in that drive's recycler and the one on the C: drive is empty - even though Windows Explorer fakes it and makes it look like there's a file in both recycler folders.

It's not that Info2 is missing - or even damaged. It just doesn't match the contents of the recycler folder! I won't go into why XP asks if you want to delete "Windows" when it knows there's something wrong, but at least I've finally figured out what it's interpreting as 'wrong'. Here's what Info2 looks like with both a file and a directory in the recycler folder ♣ ♥ C:\Documents and Settings\techjtr\Desktop\CCtestfilel.jpg ☻ ☻ 0Φ]üê¥╠☺ ` C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d S e t t i n g s \ t e c h j t r \ D e s k t o p \ C C t e s t f i l e l . j p g C:\Documents and Settings\techjtr\Desktop\CC_testdir ♥ ☻ îFQë¥╠☺ C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d S e t t i n g s \ t e c h j t r \ D e s k t o p \ C C _ t e s t d i r And here's the matching entries in the recycler folder: ↑.. ↓DC3 (Note that this is a directory) DC2 .JPG DESKTOP .INI INFO2 After running CCleaner, here's what's in the recycler folder: ↑.. ↓DC3 (Yep, it's still a directory) DESKTOP .INI INFO2 But here's what Info2 has in it: ♣ ♥ Not suprisingly, that's exactly what the Info2 of an empty recycle bin looks like. And I verified that with an FC comparing this Info2 with one created when I used the Empty link to empty the recycle bin. Sooooo.... What CCleaner is doing (at least here) is resetting Info2 to it's 'empty' state/contents but failing to remove the directory(s) in the recycler folder itself. Why it's doing that in my particular environment - and not in others - is a great question, still to be answered. EDIT: Posting the above removed some of the spaces in the examples, but the gist of what happened is valid.

Win XP Pro, x32, SP3, patched up to date. There are several Microsoft 'Tips' (example - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/136517/EN-US/ - dated 2007 so it should include XP) which explain how the recycle bin works, how the files are renamed when moved to the recycler folder, etc, and using a DOS window and the DIR command, I see the renamed files and folders even though Windows Explorer's view translates the name back to what you deleted. What I hadn't seen until tonight until I knew what to look for - is a hidden file called "Info2" which is supposed to hold corresponding informaton such as the original path, and which never shows up using Windows Explorer or a Windows search including hidden and system files in the search options. In any case, again using DOS and DIR, there's still a "Dc4" left in the recycler after I run CCleaner which is evidently the test folder "Test_CC" I created and deleted. It's a directory, and not hidden or system. There's also two hidden files ("Info2" and "desktop.ini") and desktop.ini is of course, also a system file. Info2 contains 20 bytes of unrecognizable binary data; not enough to hold the full 40 byte path and original name, but... it's obviously is enough to hold whatever internal translation Windows needs to restore the directory. At this point, all I really 'know' is that CCleaner works fine on my wife's PC (XP Home Edition) which has a single larger hard drive and does not work on my PC which has two smaller hard drives set up for individual recycler bins.