[SOLVED] How to use CCleaner on portable/non-installed software?

CCleaner for Windows CCleaner Windows Bug Reporting
1

Hi,

Not sure if the title is explicit enough, so I'll elaborate: I use Portable Firefox and Portable Thunderbird on a budget PC whose internal storage is limited (both Mozilla software are "installed" on a microSD card I use as extended storage), and I'd like CCleaner (the installed version, sitting on my C drive) to do its job on those apps.

Problem is, since they aren't in Registry, CCleaner can't find them. Should I use aliases, or is there a way to point CCleaner in their direction?

2

To clean the portable versions you'll need to input where it's at using a custom location. See here:

https://www.ccleaner.com/docs/ccleaner/advanced-usage/ccleaner-ini-files/how-to-clean-user-data-from-non-standard-mozilla-browsers

Example to clean Firefox Portable: 

CustomLocation1=FIREFOX|C:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\Data\profile

3

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I've read the instructions in the link you supplied, but I can't find the ccleaner.ini file to edit. I've looked into the CCleaner folder in Programs, in AppData, everywhere, and it's nowhere to be found.

Truth be told, I've just installed the April Update on my PC, so maybe some caches have been cleared and it's gone. I suppose it's a file CCleaner creates to save user preferences, but if it's not there... I'll try to run CCleaner and get back to you afterward.

Stay tuned...!

4

Options...Advanced..save setting to ini file.

https://www.ccleaner.com/docs/ccleaner/ccleaner-settings/changing-advanced-settings

5

Got it, done that, found the file, edited it, but couldn't save changes, because I don't have permission (and no, CCleaner isn't running). I saved the file in a different location, and I'll try to place it in the CCleaner folder in Programs later.

6

OK, it works. Kinda... It does compact databases for both FirefoxPortable and ThunderbirdPortable, but doesn't seem to empty cache for the browser. Since I didn't know which exact subfolder to point CCleaner at in the FirefoxPortable folder, I just let CCleaner decide for itself. Wrong move?

EDIT: I had to take ownership of the ccleaner.ini file first, so I could edit it and save changes.

7

It "should clean the same" as if it were an installed version of Firefox, since you told it where to look for the browser via the CustomLocation.

The folder you point it at is going to be very similar to what I already posted above as an example but that's only an example since you can have the PortableApps installer for it put it literally anywhere, therefore you just have to point it exactly towards the "profile" folder of Firefox Portable or Firefox ESR Portable.

Example 1: 

CustomLocation1=FIREFOX|C:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\Data\profile

Example 2: 

CustomLocation1=FIREFOX|W:\Not In The Default Location\FirefoxPortableESR\Data\profile

8

To open ccleaner.ini, if it resides in c:\program files, you need to open notepad as admin; then open the ini from the file menu in said notepad instance.

9

Hi,

Thanks to you both, my "problem" is solved! I added the right path to both profile folders in ccleaner.ini, after opening it in Notepad as an admin, and it seems to work fine.

One big thank you to both of you!