certain desktop shortcuts repeatedly removed

CCleaner for Windows
1

I'm running Ccleaner on a Win7-Pro-64bit pc. I've been using Ccleaner free for years, but in mid-July I upgraded to the paid version of Ccleaner 5.19 (64-bit). Ever since I upgraded, every couple of weeks 6 shortcuts disappear from my desktop. 5 are shortcuts to pdf files (the current version of certain newsletters) and 1 is a shortcut to an Excel 2003 spreadsheet.

I noticed recently that DESKTOP SHORTCUTS was checked under the SYSTEM section of Ccleaner’s WINDOWS tab. I un-checked that, and thought for awhile that the problem was fixed. But today those 6 shortcuts disappeared again.

On opening Ccleaner this afternoon (after I saw the shortcuts were missing again) I was prompted to upgrade from v5.19 to v5.21 and did so. In checking the various settings, I verified that DESKTOP SHORTCUTS was still unchecked, and I also noticed that under OPTIONS | EXCLUDE both the Public and the Owner desktop directories are listed. Under CLEANER | APPLICATIONS | APPLICATIONS, both “Adobe Reader DC” and “Office 2003” are still checked, but I would not expect those options to remove shortcuts from the Desktop directories.

Am I wrong about that assumption? Is there another setting I need to look at? Or any other ideas? Is there any likelihood that the upgrade from 5.19 to 5.21 might have fixed the problem? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim

2

I wasn't sure if Desktop Cleanup Wizard was included in Win7 like it is in old XP and it isn't. However in searching I found this which is worth reading:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/ada5d392-2af7-43c3-9191-08baf63f0098/desktop-icons-disappear?forum=w7itprogeneral

3

where were those shortcuts pointing to, as in, temp folders maybe, or locations that are getting cleaning by CC?

and how were they created, and put on the desktop, initially?

4

Just in case you've forgotten how to see where a desktop shortcut points to, just right click on it and select properties and then look where it says 'Target'

(apologies if you hadn't forgotten this :))

5

As to the question "where were those shortcuts pointing to":

"5 are shortcuts to pdf files (the current version of certain newsletters) and 1 is a shortcut to an Excel 2003 spreadsheet." They are links to actual files, not folders.

For the spreadsheet, I've had that link on the desktop for years, and I've used the link to open it 2-3 times in the last month.

For the pdf files: As I get newsletters, I store each pdf file in an appropriate folder, create a shortcut to that file, and then move that shortcut to the desktop. At the same time, I delete the shortcuts to older versions of that newsletter.

As to the link that Andavari referred me to:

(It's a discussion that occurred when Win7 was in its public beta.)

Win7 has done multiple updates since I upgraded to Ccleaner Pro in July, so it's possible that one of them caused the problem. It's good info worth chasing down, but I can't do it this morning. I'll re-read and work thru it as soon as I can.

Thank you all for the help so far.

-- Tim

6

in case it sheds light on the problem, can you give us the shortcut names, the filenames of where the shortcut points to, and the folder those files live in? (or the full pathname if that's easier)

also, since you have the Pro version, if this community forum can't quickly find a solution, you can get direct priority support from Piriform.

7

All files are in folders within the Users\(me)\My Documents\ directory. All shortcuts are in the Users\(me)\Desktop\ directory.

In …\Users(me)\Desktop\ the disappearing shortcuts are:

GenLdgr 201607.lnk

GenLdgr 201608.lnk

LSM news 201606.lnk

OHBC news 201609.lnk

TimBkp financials.lnk

The files they are shortcuts for are:

…\Clippings\AIPB Newsletters\GenLdgr 201607.pdf

…\Clippings\AIPB Newsletters\GenLdgr 201608.pdf

…\Churches and Ministries\LittleSamaritanMission\LSM news.201606.pdf

…\Churches and Ministries\OconeeHeightsBapt-Athens\Newsletters\OHBC news 201609ms.pdf

…\Job Info\TimBkp\TimBkp-financials.xls

8

The 5 shortcuts were deleted again today. I know they were there last night, and I think they were there this morning (9:00-9:45am). But I booted up the computer this afternoon around 1pm, ate lunch, and came back to it about 2pm -- and the shortcuts were gone. I've spent the last 2 hours hunting thru log files in hopes of finding a clue, but without success.

I DID discover that the checkbox at | Cleaner | Applications | Applications | Adobe Reader DC | (which I had previously UN-checked) had a checkmark in it again. I removed it, and also removed the checkmark for Office 2003.

Any other ideas?

-- Tim

9

might be time to call in the big guns.

you can raise a support ticket here; https://piriform.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

but to rule something else out, any chance you have, knowingly or unknowingly, some other cleaning utility running.

something specific that you installed, or something you aren't aware of, say for example, your AV software.

I know Nortons does some system cleanup stuff when your PC is idle.

and recently I updated my EaseUS Partition Master software and at next reboot, it started doing some cleansing as well.

10

It happened again today (Sunday 9/18) just like last Sunday (9/11). I had the computer on from 8:30-11:30 this morning, and the shortcuts were there. Turned it back on around 12:45pm, went to do other things while it came up, and when I got back a few minutes later those shortcuts were gone. Last time & this time I checked the Recycle Bin, but they were not there.

As far as I can see, my Desktop contains 3 kinds of things:

1. links to programs - none of which are affected.

2. actual pdf files - none of which are affected

3. links to individual pdf & xls files - all of which disappear when this happens

Further, it appears now that this is happening according to a schedule. Now that I'm writing about it I can see that the last 3 occurrences have been on the last 3 Sundays.

As to mta's last comment, I'm using Avira Antivirus Pro. I've searched thru that as well as I know how, but don't SEE anything that looks like it might be the culprit. (That doesn't mean it's not, but if it is I haven't spotted it.)

I also have McAfee's Security Scan Plus installed. As far as I can tell, the only thing it does is a 2-minute scan every Thursday evening.

The closest thing I can think of to another suspect is GWX Control Panel, designed to keep Microsoft from turning my Win7 pc into a Win10 pc. But I can't see anything that would make it a likely suspect either.

I guess one of the Win7 automatic updates could have done something to cause this (somewhat like the link that Andavari found talks about). I'll have to re-read that and do more research in that direction.

Meanwhile, if anyone here comes up with any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks,

Tim

11

don't forget you are entitled to direct support from Piriform since you have the Pro version.

12

One workaround if it's CCleaner doing this, which will also rule CCleaner out if it continues happening afterwards:

1. Put those desktop shortcuts into a new folder on the desktop.

2. Open CCleaner, click: Options > Exclude > Add > Drive or Folder

3. Input the path to the shortcuts folder on the desktop to exclude.

-----

Edit:

Also in CCleaner you can untick the cleaning of Desktop Shortcuts, it's located in Windows (tab) under System (heading).

Screenshot (click image to zoom):

post-26-0-48271900-1474433894_thumb.png

13

Andavari, here on this xp box using firefox 4.8.02 portable, that screenshot link just goes to the page, not an image.

But the thumbnail looks right on the forum page.

edit: its the same on win 7. 

http://www.bild.me/
14

I fixed it login123. When the bild.me hosted image wouldn't show full size I changed it to this forum but for whatever reason it didn't hold the change.