CCleaner fails to remove 34 MBytes of Restore Point Junk.
It would actually be 104 MBytes of unremovable junk had I not suspected this and taken pre-emptive action.
Some users may have many GBytes of unremovable junk.
I am using Windows XP Home Edition with SP2, but I suspect this is a problem with any flavour of Windows that runs System Restore.
Here is the junk; the latest Cache which CCleaner can remove,
plus 3 variants of Cache(2)etc. which drew my attention to a problem :-
C:\Documents and Settings\Dad\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jzj1inju.default
Date Modified Attributes Size Name
14/03/2008 16:59 ----D---- 96,384 Cache
21/02/2007 11:53 ----D---- 26,478,089 Cache(2)
05/09/2007 10:43 ----D---- 12,564 Cache(2).Trash
27/07/2007 16:49 ----D---- 7,046,255 Cache(3)
04/03/2008 21:42 ---A----- 3,078,856 XPC.mfl
14/03/2008 16:13 ---A----- 1,357,968 XUL.mfl
Note especially the first item, 96,384 bytes of Cache
Here it is again - exactly the same size and date - just a different name !!!!
14/03/2008 17:22 ----D---- 12,564 Cache
21/02/2007 11:53 ----D---- 26,478,089 Cache(2)
05/09/2007 10:43 ----D---- 12,564 Cache(2).Trash
27/07/2007 16:49 ----D---- 7,046,255 Cache(3)
14/03/2008 16:59 ----D---- 96,384 Cache(4)
04/03/2008 21:42 ---A----- 3,078,856 XPC.mfl
14/03/2008 09:16 ---A----- 1,235,880 XUL.mfl
Explanation :-
After 14/03/2008 16:59 I launched System Restore to go back a few hours.
The CORRECT version of Cache was actually 69 MBytes,
but AFTER creating the Restore Point I used CCleaner to purge Cache,
and then I briefly ran Firefox again to get 96,384 bytes, before I did the System Restore.
What System Restore STUPIDLY did SO WRONGLY was :-
1) FAIL to make a clear distinction between system files to restore and user data to retain;
2) BODGE the files by renaming Cache as Cache(4);
3) STUPIDLY restore the earlier multi-Mbyte version of Cache - TOTAL WASTE OF TIME.
After System Restore, Cache should still be 96,384 bytes because it is user data.
System Restore not only got it wrong, it failed to restore the 69 MByte version.
This Restore Failure is probably because M.S. do not understand Firefox,
or that they do what they can to aggravate it.
After System Restore aggravation, Firefox was automatically launched on start-up,
and probably recognised its Cache had been trashed by M.S., so Firefox re-initialised it.
I suspect that Cache(2).Trash is evidence of a more serious Windows Whoops at 05/09/2007 10:43.
System Restore goes so distrously wrong with Cache that I think :-
it should keep its dirty paws of Cache and EVERYTHING in Mozilla folders, and
I doubt that reverting XUL.mfl back to its previous date and size has done me any good at all.
Had I not purged 69 MBytes from Cache, but allowed it to reach 70 MBytes before using Restore Point,
I would now have Cache(4) = 70 MBytes,
hence my initial statement that it could have a total of 104 MBytes that CCleaner will not touch.
I look forward to CCleaner being enhanced to fix this System Restore stupidity.
n.b. I am bitter about System Restore because of its deliberate unforgiveable aggravation :-
It trashes user folders it does not understand;
It tells me something like :-
????/Firefox/???? Cache became Cache(4)
????/Java/??? 6.0 became 6(2).0
IT IS SO STUPID - WHAT ON EARTH WAS Cache(4),
Regretably System Restore refused to allow me to launch anything to capture the exact message,
and after start-up there is no trace of this message,
I looked at 2000 files modified 14/03/2008, and I viewed all system and application events - nothing.
n.b. Although CCleaner does not touch Cache(4), or any earlier variants,
it does purge ????/Java/????/6(2).0
Incidentally, System Restore makes a pigs ear of Microsoft stuff as well.
I found the following by searching for (2)
$NtUninstallwmp11$(2) C:\WINDOWS
setup_wm(2).exe C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player
spuninst(2) C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallwmp11$(2)
wups(2).dll C:\WINDOWS\system32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups.dll\7.0.6000.381
Cache(2) C:\Documents and Settings\Dad\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jzj1inju.default
Cache(2).Trash C:\Documents and Settings\Dad\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jzj1inju.default
Trash(2) C:\Documents and Settings\Dad\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jzj1inju.default\Cache(2).Trash
Cache(2) C:\Documents and Settings\Dad\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jzj1inju.default\Cache(2).Trash\Trash(2)
I found and documented this problem several weeks ago, but have delayed reporting because :-
1) I needed time to calm down before defaming Microsoft and their System Restore;
2) I have been fighting with the latest Patch Tuesday update;
3) Extreme aggravation because Windows Disc Cleanup compressed an old unused UN-NAMED system file, and Windows File Protection insisted it was vital and corrupt, and the system was unstable, and I had to give it a CD which it refused to name, and it refused to name the corrupt file to be replaced - and it would NOT let me tell it this P.C. came from Dixons with everything pre-installed and there is no CD.
n.b. Although my search found 4 duplicated Microsoft files and folders, I do not suggest their removal - I have had too many years experience of Windows going gaga of its own accord - and if a simple Windows Disc Cleanup compression goes so wrong, we have no chance of surving the consequences if we touch anything in C:\Windows.