CCleaner persistently starts with Windows

CCleaner starts with Windows even though startup options are turned off everywhere.

   Windows 10 Home 64-bit

version: 21H2

   OS build: 19044.1645


   Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4170.0</em>

In CCleaner

• <strong>Settings </strong>&gt;&gt; "<strong><em>Run ... when you start Windows</em></strong>" is unchecked


• <strong>Smart Cleaning </strong>&gt;&gt; "<strong><em>Enable Smart Cleaning</em></strong>" is unchecked

In Windows

• <strong>Settings </strong>&gt;&gt; <strong>Apps </strong>&gt;&gt; <strong>Startup </strong>&gt;&gt; CCleaner is toggled Off


• <strong>Task Manager </strong>&gt;&gt; <strong>Startup </strong>tab &gt;&gt; CCleaner is Disabled


• no shortcut in <em><strong>%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\</strong></em>




What else could be starting up CCleaner automatically?

The one you are missing is in CCleaner:

Options>Updates>Keep CCleaner updated automatically.

Disable that (as well as Smart Cleaning) if you don't want an icon in the system tray.

Automatic Updating and Smart Cleaning run in the background, and so Windows puts an icon in the system tray if either/both are running.

"Run ... when you start Windows" doesn't run in the background, it just cleans once and then closes.

It does also put an icon in the system tray, but only for seconds while it runs. Blink and you'll miss it.

Thank you very much.

Hello!

Options>Updates>Keep CCleaner updated automatically is disable and:

Settings >Run ... when you start Windows
Smart Cleaning >Enable Smart Cleaning

But CCleaner starts with Windows.

What else to try?

I was having the same issue. All settings were off, yet Ccleaner still starts with Windows. What fixed it for me was opening Task Scheduler and disabling the "Ccleaner Update" and "Ccleanercrashreporting" tasks.

It's pretty silly that despite having auto updates and update notifications disabled it still runs in the background to check for updates.

Tasks sometime get 'stuck' either on or off in Windows itself, it's not just CCleaner it can happen with any task.

Toggling the switch for the task off/on a few times (or enabling/disabling a few times in Task Scheduler) will usually unstick them.