CCleaner disappears from the task bar

[Doupax]

Hello, the CCleaner icon disappears every time from the task bar. I've to reload the program. I've the 5.66.7716 version for windows 64 bits. Since the 2 or 3 versions i ve this problem.

[nukecad]

Is CCleaner being removed altogether, or just from the Taskbar?

What Windows version are you using, and which antivirus?

[Joe Liberty]

CCleaner icon disappears from the system tray and no longer has its automatic functionality unless you reopen CCleaner and leave it open on the desktop. Running Windows 10 with latest updates and using McAfee antivirus. This has been happening ever since Microsoft updated from v.1703 to the latest version, which has been several months maybe a year now. Additionally using CCleaner v.5.66.7716 and Windows 10 v.1909.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Joe Liberty
Additional specs and clarify

[nukecad]

That does sound like either a Windows or McAfee Issue.

It sounds as if one or the other is removing CCleaner.
Windows 10 will remove older versions of CCleaner that are not compatible with changes which get later made to Windows 10 in one of the Windows Updates. That shouldn't affect CCleaner v5.66 though.
McAfee was know to sometimes mistakenly remove CCleaner v5.66 in the first few days after v5.66 was released.

So I'd check that your McAfee is the latest version.
Note that you should not just 'check for updates' in the AV itself, but go to the website to see if there is a later version than what you are using.
Sometime 'check for updates' will only check for definitions and not updates to the AV version.
Some AV's/AM's even have two different buttons, in different places, to click and check - one for definition updates and one for version updates.

(We saw that with a different popular antivirus where it would tell users that they were 'up-to-date' when in fact their version was one, or even two, years out of date, updating from the AV's website rather than just 'check for updates' corrected the issue).

The next feature update to Windows 10 (Windows 10 v2004) is due to be released to users in the next 6 days or so, that may also make a difference.

[Joe Liberty]

McAfee is complete and up to date. Do not believe the problem is being caused by McAfee. CCleaner worked fine prior to the Windows 10 update from 1706 to 1909. Once Windows was updated to v.1909 the tray icon no longer works. It just disappears when a browser closes, it starts to clean then quits with no confirmation. If you run the cursor over top of the CCleaner icon in the system tray it then disappears. Hopefully the next update for windows will fix the issue as it appears Piriform is not interested. Won' t renew if it is not fixed one way or the other.

[Andavari]

Sometimes upgrading Windows may break something, or the CCleaner settings could just be corrupt. If you haven't done so yet you may need to do a clean/fresh install of CCleaner which details:
1. Uninstall CCleaner.
2. Restart Windows.
3. Install CCleaner.

[Joe Liberty]

Done the uninstall/install several times....not the problem. It seems real clear that it started with the windows update. Is Piriform going to address or work with microsoft to address? If not, for me it is one of the main reasons I liked it and if it does not work then CCleaner does not work for me. I have also re-installed windows. CCleaner works prior to windows v.1909

Edited May 20, 2020 by Joe Liberty

[Dave CCleaner]

Aside from AV and Windows settings, have you checked your CCleaner options settings?  For example, what are your settings for:

• Options > Settings > Run CCleaner when the computer starts
• Options > Smart Cleaning
• Options > Advanced > Close program after a Custom Clean
• Options > Advanced > Minimize to System Tray

 

[nukecad]

From you saying that CCleaner "disappears when a browser closes" I was thinking the same as Dave about it being settings that you have set in CCleaner itself.

I was thinking that it may be a combination of having both Smart Cleaner set to clean a browser on closing, and having 'Close program after a Custom Clean' set at the same time.

So I ran a test trying that particular combination of CCleaner settings on my Windows 1909 laptop.

The CCleaner icon was showing in the system tray as expected with Smart Cleaning active.

On closing the browser the CCleaner icon started flashing to show that it was cleaning the browser files.
The CCleaner icon then disappeared from the system tray,  just as you describe. - But CCleaner hadn't closed and Smart Cleaning was still active.

All that had happened was that following the browser cleaning Windows had simply moved the icon into the system tray 'overflow' area, accessed from the up-arrow on the tray.
Could this be the behaviour that you are seeing? (I can't remember if 1709 had the system tray 'overflow' area).

More info: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/30031/windows-10-customize-taskbar-notification-area

[Joe Liberty]

CCleaner settings:

• Options > Settings > Run CCleaner when the computer starts - checked
• Options > Smart Cleaning - checked 
• Options > Advanced > Close program after a Custom Clean - not checked
• Options > Advanced > Minimize to System Tray - checked

And no....the icon is not moved to the overflow area. CCleaner completely closes. I can tell this by opening it and doing a scan and seeing what should have been removed was still not cleaned. Have to perform a manual clean.

I appreciate your thoughts...but you have not come up with anything yet that I have not already checked and triple checked.

I have created a ticket for the issue with Piriform. I believe it has gone to second level support. Hope they are reading this.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Joe Liberty
addition

[Joe Liberty]

Let me reiterate what I have already said and actually seen....believe it or not.....the problem started after the windows update to v.1909. CCleaner worked fine prior to that update. I do not have and not had any problems with the windows update. It definitely was an improvement for the gui aspect of windows. 

[Joe Liberty]

Task manager shows that CCleaner is not running.

Just noticed something...after a reboot and if I open a browser and subsequently close it CCleaner will work as expected. If I re-open a browser and then close it the CCleaner icon flashes a couple times but does not clean. Then, as before if I run the cursor over the icon in the taskbar it disappears and is not in the overflow area and it does not clean the browser. Bottom line, it works one time as expected after a reboot.

Just did more research and found that if either a Task Manager window is open or if CCleaner window is open CCleaner will work as expected consistently. Tried opening and closing a browser a half dozen times with the Task Manager window open and CCleaner does fine. Once the Task manager window is closed CCleaner will close and not perform a clean. This is also true if I leave a CCleaner window open on the desktop.

Any ideas?

Edited May 21, 2020 by Joe Liberty
make smaller

[nukecad]

Your screenshots of task manager don't show anything CCleaner related, apart from CCleaner Browser Crash Handler running two instances.

I'm intruiged by your mention of Firefox though, what is happening with that?
It may indicate that there is something deeper going on.

You are the only one reporting these oddities, which makes it more likely that it's something with your particular machine.

Hopefully with a bit of patience, and maybe some testing, we can sort out just what the issue may be.
It does sound like the update to 1909 has changed something; your jump from 1709 to 1909 was a big one, 4 Windows versions.

[Joe Liberty]

That was obvious so I removed the screen shots. Please see my edited post.

By the way the reason I joined in this post was because of the first post....I was not the only one at the time. The person that started the post apparently has not posted again.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Joe Liberty

[nukecad]

We often see a first poster never come back, usually because the first answer makes them realise that their problem wasn't what they though at all and/or they were doing something wrong.
(From the date of the first one here I suspect that it was an AV, Trend or McAfee, removing the new CCleaner version until the AV got definition updates, once the AV was fixed the poster had no need to come back).

Your is much more specific, and frankly pretty odd.

I can't think of any reason why having the TaskManager (or anything else) window open or not should affect CCleaner (or anything else) running.
You say that Firefox is also behaving oddly?

Things running once and then not again often indicate that an AV is interfering to stop the later runs.

Could I suggest temporaraily disabling your McAfee and seing if that behaviour changes?

If not then it does sound more like a Windows problem (or possibly even a malware infection) than a CCleaner problem, espicially with what you report about opening closing things.

If disabling the AV doesn't change anything then come back and we can point you to where someone will give a thorough check of your machine for malware, Windows problems, or other hardware/driver problems for free.

 

[Joe Liberty]

Actually when windows was reloaded it did not have an AV and CCleaner was not doing its thing. It all started with the latest windows update to v.1909. Nothing should have been interfering  with CCleaner. It happens on both CCleaner browser and Firefox browser, no difference. 

Second check...Tor Browser and Opera both have the same effect as CCleaner and Firefox Browsers...

Edited May 21, 2020 by Joe Liberty

[nukecad]

OK, as various things are being affected, and not just CCleaner, then I think it's time to get your machine thoroughly checked out.

We are not allowed by the forum rules to do that on here, but can point you to expert free help.

Go to one of the websites listed in chapter 10 of the forum rules.
https://community.ccleaner.com/announcement/15-forum-rules/

They all have experts who specialse malware removal, but will check a computer thoroughly for other problems as well, they will take you through things step-by-step.
They will ask you to run certain tools and provide them with logs so they can see just what is going on with your machine.
Be sure to do what they say, and only what they say, until they give you the all clear.
Only use one help/removal service at once, trying to use 2 at once will screw things up.
(The same guys work on more than one of those sites).

I recommend Malwarebytes, but the choice is yours and there are another 5 listed, if you choose Malwarebytes then start here:
https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/9573-im-infected-what-do-i-do-now/

They will use the logs to track down just what the problem is and fix it for you.
Please let us know how it goes, and just what the issue was.

[Andavari]

3 hours ago, Joe Liberty said:

Actually when windows was reloaded it did not have an AV

 

It would've had Windows Defender by default, and enabled.

[Joe Liberty]

All good...will figure it out...if not there are other capable programs. Thanks for the help!

[nukecad]

I strongly suggest that you get your machine checked out, it does sound as if you may have picked up malware from somewhere.

One of the things that some malwares will (try to) do is to stop cleaning tools, including those built into browsers as standard, from running and removing the malware's own logfiles/spyfiles/rouge registry entries.
They will also try to stop your AV from working correctly.

If any of those types of applications are behaving strangely, especially if multiple ones are as yours seem to be, then it's an indication that your machine may be infected.

[Joe Liberty]

Ya know...I would almost believe you except I am on a fresh install of Windows. After going through all the crap of updates from 1607 or something like that I must have picked up the malware on this forum because the same thing is happening. It is not a malware...at least not a malicious malware. On the old system I had McAfee, Windows Defender and Malware Bytes....now you tell me I have malware even though I get the same result with a fresh install of Windows. I am going back to my backup and unless I can get an answer to this problem whether it is something on my machine on something wrong with CCleaner. The only program I have had any sort of a problem with is CCleaner....NOTHING ELSE gives an issue. Everything else works perfectly. I am going to a different cleaner for the PC which works reliably. CCleaner has changed....ever since they starting charging so much for something i have to work and waste time to try and fix!!!

[hazelnut]

Joe when you say a fresh install of Windows do you mean exactly that? You know where your previous version of Windows is totally gone, no programs you once had etc. Fresh download of a 1909 iso file and installing from scratch.

So if it was a clean install I take it you downloaded a fresh copy of CCleaner and are now using Defender as your AV ?

In a previous post you said you used McAfee, Defender and Malwarebytes.  Win 10 Defender turns off if it sees another AV installed. Was Malwarebytes running in real-time or just as a second scanner?

 

 

[nukecad]

I'm not sure why you seem to have an aversion to having your machine checked out for free by an expert?

They can rule out any malware, they can rule out any Windows installation problems, they can rule out any hardware problems, ......

What's to loose, apart from a bit of time?

Nobody else is reporting a problem with the CC icon disappearing from the System Tray when a browser is closed, - and believe us if it was a bug in CCleaner there would be many shouting on this forum.
So it would seem something specific to your particular machine that is at issue.

[Andavari]

With it misbehaving on two completely different installs of Win10 I wonder if it has something to do with how it's configured to run in Task Scheduler.

[Andres Lara]

On 03/05/2020 at 11:18, Doupax said:

Hello, the CCleaner icon disappears every time from the task bar. I've to reload the program. I've the 5.66.7716 version for windows 64 bits. Since the 2 or 3 versions i ve this problem.

I've the same issue as yours. I've reported it since a while ago and till now i didn't receive any solution for it.

 

Even through the paid support since I'm using the paid version. I've even followed many direction to solve the issue but still not able to find a solution for it.

 

 

 

you will just keep receive an answer that the issue from your side. i think that the developers need to really check from the application side ! the issue is exist ! it's even within google search !