[Tracking files not cleared?]

6 hours ago, nukecad said:

Sorry, was looking at the designation 'Tracking Files' as being the important question.

As to CC finding new things just after a previous run, your first answer was the correct one. They are the same files you have just deleted.

Some of the files that get deleted are Windows (and other) files, that get recreated straight away when you delete them.
Others take a while longer to get recreated, it depends just what is running at the time. (Which is why you see different numbers of new files).
Your computer is using and creating temporary files all the time.

These files are created as empty 'storage' and 'fill up' with information as you use your computer.
Rather than trying to edit these and delete any contents, it's simpler just to delete the whole file and let Windows create a new, empty, one.
So when you run CC again it finds and deletes these files again even though they are empty.

Think of it like someone putting an empty box on your desk and then coming back and putting notes inside it; you throw the box away getting rid of the notes and they immediately put new empty box in its place, you throw that away and they immediately put a new ..............

Thanks for this explanation. I was about to put up a post saying that I was sure some of the files Ccleaner was reporting deleted had been recreated between runs becaue the same names kept reappearing, the main two being these:

Internet Explorer - Temporary Internet Files 5121KB
System - Windows Log Files                           1024KB

Well, for  me, that about wraps up the topic. It seems that you have to run Ccleaner several times to remove all of the unwanted files and that there will still be regenerated system files remaining at the end. I can live with that!

[Tracking files not cleared?]

13 minutes ago, tdixon said:

I didn’t see/read the answer I was hoping for.

I ran CClean Professional

Response:

1,234 tracking files removed; x amount of file space

I ran it again:

86 tracking files removed; xx amount of free space

I ran it again:

3 tracking files removed; xx amount of free space

Why did I have to run and rerun the cleaner to get all of the tracking files removed?

Why didn’t it clean all the tracking files the first time around?

Maybe government tracking files only get cleaned if you run it four (4) time in a row?

This is essentially the question I started with though I was more concerned with the designation 'Tracking files'. The latter point has been answered (the word 'Tracking' is not to be taken literally) but not the point about finding files remaining when one runs the program several times.

It seems to me that there are two possible answers. The first, and less likely, is that between runs of Ccleaner, new (Tracking) files are being created (how? and by whom?). The second is that Ccleaner does not delete all of these files but only a proportion of them on each run. That seems to me the more likely but I hope some clever soul will find a way to prove or disprove it. If this is so, then why is it so?

[Tracking files not cleared?]

My thanks to all who have contributed to this topic. I think my original question has been answered so that much at least has been gained!

 

[Tracking files not cleared?]

14 hours ago, nukecad said:

I decided to take a closer look.

I just ran CCleaner (5.42) and the new graphic results showed "1,283 tracking file(s) removed".

Switching to the Advanced Report I counted all the file detections and totalled them - you guessed it, 1,283 files.

So the new graphic UI is reporting every file found as a "tracking file".

As I suspected it's obviously a 'scare marketing' tactic.

Well spotted, nudecad.

That makes sense. It would also explain why 1. the makers did not respond to my original support request and 2. why they have not responded to us here.

I can accept that some system files are regenerated between runs of Ccleaner so, I suppose, it means that now I understand what is going on, my faith in the Ccleaner's cleaning ability has been restored. On the other hand, if there is an intention to mislead the user in this way, then perhaps I should be looking for an alternative, more honest, application to use.

Ccleaner receives almost universal, uncritical, praise from reviewers and it's rather surprising that none of them have noticed this piece of obfuscation.

[Tracking files not cleared?]

I'm sorry to disappoint but when I run my 'test' (running Ccleaner repeatedly while offline) I still see a positive number of tracking files supposedly deleted each time.

 

[Tracking files not cleared?]

I am using Ccleaner Portable on a Windows 8.1 PC. About two weeks ago I sent an enquiry to Piriform support but have as yet not received any reply or acknowledgement so I am trying this forum as an alternative.

First, what is it that Ccleaner calls 'tracking files'? Are these what everyone else calls 'tracking cookies' or something different? My query concerns the fact that Ccleaner seems never seem to remove these entirely. The easiest way to express my question is to copy in the text of my (unanswered) email to support (you will have to imagine the screen shots for yourselves!)

Quote begins

I have a further query and would be glad if you could cast some light on the matter. It concerns 'tracking files' and whether Ccleaner is deleting them or not. I attach three screen shots in support of my query.

I ran a test as follows:

1. I turned off the Internet on my PC (running under Windows 8.1) and then ran Ccleaner Portable. The result screen is shown in screen1.jpg. According to this, Ccleaner has deleted 85 tracking files.

2. I closed Ccleaner Portable and then ran it again - see screen2.jpg. This time it claimed to have deleted 5 tracking files.

3. I repeated 2. above - see screen3.jpg - and this time it claimed to have deleted 4 tracking files.

It seems to me that there are only two explanations: TfL status either Ccleaner is not deleting all the tracking files but only thinks it is or that more tracking files are being produced between runs of Ccleaner but how can that be if the Internet connection to the PC is turned off?

Perhaps you have an idea of what is happening and, if so, I would be glad to hear it.

Quote ends

Perhaps someone here can furnish an explanation as Piriform seems unwilling to do so,