Same story for me. I’ve had to restore my system three times because of this, thinking it was a virus. I have a lot of games from the 90s that are difficult to install. I had one duplicate and wanted to remove it for CC7. This time, I immediately saw what was happening.
It mixed up all the .exe file shortcuts on the desktop, removed several important files from most games and programs, and made many files invisible. Chrome won’t launch also. In fact, 90% of apps don’t work.
Did you put the apps to sleep with performance optimizer
The only way that this could happen is if you blindly clicked clean on the second
So not the same problem as where you posted at all.
That thread was about the Uninstaller - From what you describe you have used the Duplicate Finder and not the Uninstaller.
I’ll split your issue to it’s own thread..
I’m assuming that it went like this:
If you tell CCleaner to delete every duplicate file then it will delete every duplicate file.
What you should have done is just search for your own files, not for every duplicate file on the drives.
Windows and installed apps need some duplicate files to work properly - if you remove those System and App duplicates then they will stop working.
As you have already found out. (I am somewhat surprised that you have apparently done the same thing three times - surely once was enough to tell you that you were doing something wrong?).
If you have deleted all the System nd Application duplicate files then you will need to restore them.
A backup System Image is the best (you should be making regular backups).
If you don;t have a backup then you can try a Windows Restore point. (If they are turned on).
In the worst cases you will need to Reinstall windows and any Apps that were affected.
PS. I do agree that as it stands the “Bulk Selection” in the Duplicate Finder in CCleaner7 can be dangerous for the unwary or inattentive user.
Like any powerful tool it is fine when used correctly.
However if you don’t know how to use it, and/or rush into things, then you can cause damage using it - just like any other powerful tool used without care (or used for the wrong job).
PPS. You say that you only wanted to remove one duplicate, It would have been easier and a lot quicker just to select it and delete it.
my computer experienced a serious crash immediately after using CCleaner’s Find and Remove Duplicates feature. After running the duplicate-file scan and deleting the selected items, my system developed hard-drive problems and then completely crashed.
Good evening,
Thank you.
I understand now. I am in the same position. I don’t have a backup and I can’t get past a blue s reel that asks for my Bitlocker recovery key over and over again. Says hard drive has errors, a fatal error. I don’t have access to a restore point.
The only thing I use this computer for is QB which I saved onto the desktop.
If I reset my computer because there is that option, I will lose QB, right?
Any other suggestions, please?
Thank you so much.
See this for ways to find your Bitlocker key:
Or see this for how to turn off Bitlocker from that ‘lock’ screen, - You can get to a command prompt from that screen and turn off Bitlocker:
PS. For those who can still access their computers - Check and make a note of your bitlocker key NOW, you never know when you might need it:
Bitlocker is yet another reason why every computer user should make regular backups these days. Preferably full system image backups.
When you have a recent full system image backup you can fairly quickly put you machine back exactly as it was when that image was made.
