CCleaner handling of Microsoft Security Essentials

After running CCleaner with MS AntiMalware checked, MSE will complain that the computer is insecure, and that a scan is required. This happens even if a scan has run shortly before CCleaner was run.

Related discussions:

I have done a bit of research and testing; the results are all in the first of the above topics.

On Windows 7 (and likely Vista as well) the following folders get deleted:

  • %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick
  • %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Resource
  • %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System

On Windows XP the following folders get deleted:

  • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick
  • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Resource
  • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System

The folders Quick and System contain information about performed scans; Quick = quick scans, System = full scans. Resource contains information about all other MSE activities.

For MSE to remember when the last scan was performed, the contents of the Quick and System folders are used.

In order for MSE to know when the last scan was performed, the newest entry in either Quick or System must be retained.

All data in the Resource folder can safely be deleted.

I am sure that all MSE users will be very happy that they can safely check MS AntiMalware again, without MSE starting to complain shortly after every CCleaner run.

Thank you for a great product, and thank you for listening to your users.

I've pinned this topic in the hope that Piriform finally do something about it.

In order for MSE to know when the last scan was performed, the newest entry in either Quick or System must be retained.

Would that requirement be met if files with an age of less than 24 hours were retained ?

Would that requirement be met if files with an age of less than 24 hours were retained ?

Probably, but what of people who have MSE set to run weekly (like myself - even though I don't experience this issue)

Would that requirement be met if files with an age of less than 24 hours were retained ?

No, the default is a weekly scan. That would be 168 hours, +12 = 180 to give the user another 12 hours time for a scan.

This seems to be working well for me, note you have to be using ccleaner.ini for the settings in order to manually input it.

Just replace 51 and 52 with the actual Exclude numbers which are next in your ccleaner.ini file:

Exclude51=PATH|%CommonAppData%\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick\|*.*
Exclude52=PATH|%CommonAppData%\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System\|*.*

what for an ini? i have only two exe files and a language flle

the ini is an alternative to using the registry. I'm not sure why Andavari suggested it in that manner, but you can add those as excludes using ccleaner exclude section under options

Hello,

I am experiencing this problem.

Love Bleachbit, but this is getting to be a problem for those not possessing much in the way of technical skills.

Is there a simpler way to defeat this issue in Bleachbit?

Many Thanks, Rick

Hi rick.

These are the CCleaner forums, and while we're happy to give advice on other software, doing so for CCleaner competitors is generally frowned upon. Try asking your question on the BleachBit forums: http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net/forum

thank you :-)

i have looked at

C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results

and there really missing the 3 subfolders -Quick; -Resource; -System...

is it enough to exclude...

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results" ?

or must i have exclude...

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick"

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System"

and perhaps

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Resource"?

or perhaps is it in ccleaner 4 integradet?

is it enough to exclude...

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results" ?

Yes that will work. Although CCleaner then won't be able to clean the "safe to clean" items.

or must i have exclude...

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick"

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System"

That's what I excluded on my system so that MSE would stop complaining about the system needing to be scanned. In my findings that was all I needed to exclude on my system.

One thing that's important to do is disable/untick in CCleaner "MS AntiMalware" and "MS Security Essentials", and then when you want to clean only enable them temporarily then, and then disable/untick them immediately again so they aren't being cleaned everytime you use CCleaner and possibly causing problems. As in problems I mean; Like the one time I used them and then restarted Windows, and when Windows started to my surprise MSE instantly complained about not having any Virus/Spyware signature files installed and then it automatically downloaded and installed the big full set of them, some 70MB+ worth. That didn't really bother me because I have a broadband connection but had I been on a slow connection it would have bothered me enough to complain on the forums.

and perhaps

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Resource"?

I don't know if that needs excluded or not, it would not hurt anything to exclude them though. Perhaps your intial thinking of just blocking the whole thing "C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results" is safer, or to just be done with it altogether and exclude absolutely everything:

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware"

hello andavari,

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\Quick\"

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results\System\"

i mean, i take the "save to clean" -version :D

One thing that's important to do is disable/untick in CCleaner "MS AntiMalware" and "MS Security Essentials", and then when you want to clean only enable them temporarily then, and then disable/untick them immediately again so they aren't being cleaned everytime you use CCleaner and possibly causing problems. As in problems I mean; Like the one time I used them and then restarted Windows, and when Windows started to my surprise MSE instantly complained about not having any Virus/Spyware signature files installed and then it automatically downloaded and installed the big full set of them, some 70MB+ worth. That didn't really bother me because I have a broadband connection but had I been on a slow connection it would have bothered me enough to complain on the forums.

oh yes :-) my ms security ess... would like to download 2 different of 78 mb signatures, defender only 222 kb new signatures and i have no broadband connection - whatever :wacko::)

i try an older signatur to install over and i will see ;)

do i inderstand correctly, that "antimaleware" and "security client" summary are MS Security Essentials?

I don't know if that needs excluded or not, it would not hurt anything to exclude them though. Perhaps your intial thinking of just blocking the whole thing "C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Scans\History\Results" is safer, or to just be done with it altogether and exclude absolutely everything:

"C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\All Users\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware"

yes-this was my thinking-in this folder seem to be only this 3 subfolders -system,-quick and ressources with contentfiles...or so...and i wanted exclude the 3 subfolders together,.at a time

thanks you for your help :)

do i inderstand correctly, that "antimaleware" and "security client" summary are MS Security Essentials?

CCleaner has Microsoft Security Essentials under two completely different names, so they'd both have to be disabled/unticked, they are:

* MS AntiMalware

* MS Security Essentials

I suppose if you also have Windows Defender on a computer you'd need to untick that if it's also cleaned by CCleaner - I don't know if it is because I don't use Windows Defender.

yo, i have defender and security ess...

thank you for your help :) i have unticked this 3 ccleaner points

So, ...what is the final solution for this kind of BIG BUG in the CCleaner program ?. Is Piriform going to do something about this in the future ?

Doesn't seem like a ("big") bug IMO. MSE could lock the latest/most recent file or use better location/file type for "settings".

Can anyone please confirm that this issue is not present if cleaning was performed not later than 24 hours since MSE installation? I have just checked it - MSE works well in this case.

I can't test because I'm using another av program at the moment. However; I think MSE has to produce some files and it will produce many over a few days normal use and after daily signature file updates. Also having CCleaner clean it will not always cause an issue immediately it could take days before MSE complains about a needing to scan the system, or worse when it wants the full signature files to be re-downloaded.

I have not found any problems with CC series 4 and MSE