I took an in depth look at how CC worked, how it stored information, etc. Then another suggestion surfaced.
When the user uses the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections to wipe an extra number of files and/or folders, that information is stored in ""Ccleaner.ini"" or in a special part of the registry. But when the user wants to add extra options to ""Windows"" and/or ""Applications"", he must modify/create ""Winapp2.ini"". Storing that information in two separate ""*.INI"" files does have serious implications for CC.
Currently, when the user uninstalls CC (e.g. v2.30) with the CC un-installer program then both ""Ccleaner.ini"" and information in the registry are deleted but ""Winapp2.ini"" is allowed to survive. So, if the user then would upgrade to v2.31 the user still has the old settings available from ""Winapp2.ini"" but he/she is forced to reprogram the information in the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections because ""Ccleaner.ini"" was wiped.
That's why, I think, the user defined information from the ""Include"" and ""Exclude"" sections should be stored in ""Winapp2.ini"" or in another extra separate file that won't be wiped upon un-installation of CC. And that information certainly shouldn't be stored in ""Ccleaner.ini"".
Perhaps a number of other settings should be stored in ""Winapp2.ini"" as well. Perhaps ""Ccleaner.ini"" shouldn't be wiped at all.
These suggestions would make - IMO - CC truly ""portable"".
As I have stated before: ""A discussion always stimulates the braincells"".
You made a comment about making CCleaner truly portable. There is a portable version of CCleaner and that stores all your settings in a ini file not the registry.
I took an in depth look at how CC worked, how it stored information, etc. Then another suggestion surfaced.
When the user uses the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections to wipe an extra number of files and/or folders, that information is stored in ""Ccleaner.ini"" or in a special part of the registry. But when the user wants to add extra options to ""Windows"" and/or ""Applications"", he must modify/create ""Winapp2.ini"". Storing that information in two separate ""*.INI"" files does have serious implications for CC.
Currently, when the user uninstalls CC (e.g. v2.30) with the CC un-installer program then both ""Ccleaner.ini"" and information in the registry are deleted but ""Winapp2.ini"" is allowed to survive. So, if the user then would upgrade to v2.31 the user still has the old settings available from ""Winapp2.ini"" but he/she is forced to reprogram the information in the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections because ""Ccleaner.ini"" was wiped.
That's why, I think, the user defined information from the ""Include"" and ""Exclude"" sections should be stored in ""Winapp2.ini"" or in another extra separate file that won't be wiped upon un-installation of CC. And that information certainly shouldn't be stored in ""Ccleaner.ini"".
Perhaps a number of other settings should be stored in ""Winapp2.ini"" as well. Perhaps ""Ccleaner.ini"" shouldn't be wiped at all.
These suggestions would make - IMO - CC truly ""portable"".
As I have stated before: ""A discussion always stimulates the braincells"".
Easy way to keep your INI file from being deleted. Copy the .ini file before install to another location, then copy it back after install.
I am also fairly certain that doing an update as opposed to an uninstall, will also keep the ini file.
Putting the exclude & include in the other ini file would NOT be a good idea, because the ini file CCleaner saves its settings in is the one that is generated when being used portably. Users would then have to remember to add another ini file, the app2 ini, & I will tell you that most users will not remember to use that one when trying to go portable!
They have that part right, so I think it is fine to leave it alone! Switching that info to the other ini could cause obvious problems!
Easy way to keep your INI file from being deleted. Copy the .ini file before install to another location, then copy it back after install.
That's an easy way to save the settings which I store with the CCleaner setup file on another disk. However during uninstall when a user has no choice but to do a clean install to fix an issue it would be nice if CCleaner would ask to save the settings for instance on the desktop or where ever, or to purge the settings completely as some programs do.
I'm seriously surprised ccleaner saves to C:\Program Files. This is where programs live, not data. On Windows Vista, it takes special permissions to write to anything in or under C:\Program Files (correct me if im wrong iv never used vista)
So, Microsoft recommends storing program data in some "AppData" location,
1. Common AppData, which is shared by all users.
2. Non-roaming AppData, which is specific to the computer.
3. Roaming AppData, which will be part of a user's profile if they are on a domain.
Once again correct me if im wrong, but if ccleaner saved the .ini file in "Roaming AppData" this ensures that if the user has the program installed on multiple computers on a domain, they don't have to set up their settings on every machine.
It would be interesting to hear the devs comments on that, but i know they are to busy to reply.
I posted earlier but that post seems to have mysteriously vanished. Anyways wouldn't using the portable version of CCleaner solve any issues with what settings get saved where? Everything would be saved in the one folder that portable CCleaner is in.
Well I can see it now but I swear it was not there last time I checked the thread Wonder what happened?
Any ways I use the portable version of CCleaner and settings and upgrades are no issue for me. Curious why some one would want to install it rather than use the portable version? What is the advantage to installing it?
Wait, I'm confused as this post says Portable. . . then talks about uninstalling
uhhhh
if it's portable it isn't installed and you uninstall it by deleting
Nuff said
Good night Nurse
p.s. don't talk to me about upgrading. I've always used the portable version I know what I am talking about upgrading the portable version is just overwrite and it does not overwrite the ini file
Wait, I'm confused as this post says Portable. . . then talks about uninstalling
uhhhh
if it's portable it isn't installed and you uninstall it by deleting
Nuff said
Good night Nurse
p.s. don't talk to me about upgrading. I've always used the portable version I know what I am talking about upgrading the portable version is just overwrite and it does not overwrite the ini file
Your not the only one confused. The thread seems to be about making a installed version of CCleaner into a portable one. Why reinvent the wheel when there is already a portable CCleaner.
The reason I started this thread was that in certain circumstances the user defined information from the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections could be lost and must be reprogrammed by the user.
The reason I started this thread was that in certain circumstances the user defined information from the ""Include"" and/or ""Exclude"" sections could be lost and must be reprogrammed by the user.
Not a problem for me with the portable version. Update right over the current version and it retains all settings. Also just in case I make a duplicate of the current version of portable CCleaner in a different location so if the update does mess up (never has but you never know) I have the original ready to go. Can`t do that with the installed version of CCleaner.
That's an easy way to save the settings which I store with the CCleaner setup file on another disk. However during uninstall when a user has no choice but to do a clean install to fix an issue it would be nice if CCleaner would ask to save the settings for instance on the desktop or where ever, or to purge the settings completely as some programs do.
Just wondering, since the portable.dat file causes CCleaner to avoid using the registry, does it also work for older versions such as 1.41?
I created a version in winrar SFX that will unregister the dll & ocx files silently, then register them, then run ccleaner, then unregister them on close.
Will portable.dat work for that?
Also, will the portable trick work for other programs such as Defraggler, Recuva, or maybe even Firefox?
Your not the only one confused. The thread seems to be about making a installed version of CCleaner into a portable one. Why reinvent the wheel when there is already a portable CCleaner.
The "portable" version of CCleaner that exists also exist in many pieces.
The portable version I have, because it is winrarred down into max compression + solid, it is much smaller than the version someone else created.
Here is why I created my own portable version:
- Much smaller in size than the other "portable" CCleaner. I can fit many more files on my flash drive!
- Exists as a single EXE, not as multiple files. Since having a folder just for CCleaner is eliminated, it makes it simpler!
- Extracts to hosts temp dir, then cleans up after closing out... Runs faster than from a flash drive.
- Settings are in a rar SFX file so they always stay the same no matter what. Users can change settings, but they always revert back!
Maybe you love having folders with 4, 5, or who knows how many files, but I don't! It is expressly because I think running a single EXE is so much simpler, easier, & faster than having a folder! I can put other EXE in the same folder this way, & it works sooooo much better. Especially with programs that try to auto backup certain settings, since the settings will be in the user temp folder, & cleared out when ccleaner is run! They can't save them on the flash drive, & if someone does change your default settings, the rar file is locked so they are always the same every time you launch them!
I'm seriously surprised ccleaner saves to C:\Program Files. This is where programs live, not data. On Windows Vista, it takes special permissions to write to anything in or under C:\Program Files (correct me if im wrong iv never used vista)
So, Microsoft recommends storing program data in some "AppData" location,
1. Common AppData, which is shared by all users.
2. Non-roaming AppData, which is specific to the computer.
3. Roaming AppData, which will be part of a user's profile if they are on a domain.
Once again correct me if im wrong, but if ccleaner saved the .ini file in "Roaming AppData" this ensures that if the user has the program installed on multiple computers on a domain, they don't have to set up their settings on every machine.
It would be interesting to hear the devs comments on that, but i know they are to busy to reply.
The reason for this, is that including the ini file is easy when you make it portable.
Were CCleaner to have the ini file in the App Data folder, then it would raise all kinds of problems, INCLUDING people who could not find the ini settings file, & even if they did, they would have to then make an installer or SFX extractor to import the INI file to the app data folder, which would be left on the machine after running the cleaning.
The object is NOT to try to include as much trash as possible on the user's machine, but to remove trash.
Adding the INI to the app data folder instead of the program file folder would seriously make ccleaner a much more difficult app to work with. NOT simpler.
Just wondering, since the portable.dat file causes CCleaner to avoid using the registry, does it also work for older versions such as 1.41?
I created a version in winrar SFX that will unregister the dll & ocx files silently, then register them, then run ccleaner, then unregister them on close.
Will portable.dat work for that?
Also, will the portable trick work for other programs such as Defraggler, Recuva, or maybe even Firefox?
Thanks~!
Hi, As I posted elsewhere earlier last week, Portable.dat is a text file with the phrase #PORTABLE# and nothing else, no Hard-Return.
what this does is force any and all of Piriform's Products of any version into save to ini mode. this will not work for firefox (it is something writen into Piriform softwares. For Portable Firefox check out John Haller's Portable Firefox more many many more portable items go through that site and also through http://portablefreeware.com