CCleaner disappears from the task bar

[nukecad]

Thank you for that report @Andres Lara;

It seems that your original post about this was overlooked for some reason?

So we now have two reports of this happening (sometimes) when a browser is closed and Smart Cleaning is active to clean that browser.

It seems quite specific that sometimes when Smart Cleaning is set to clean a browser on closing it is crashing, and not giving any warning that it has crashed.
@Joe Liberty also reports here that it only stated happening to him after he updated to 1909, and that it doesn't happen if he has a CCleaner or TaskManager window open.

That specific information should help point the developers where to look for an issue, I'll flag it up.
 

The original post here from Doupax was a different issue.
(The AV was removing that 'pinned' icon from the Task Bar, not from the system tray. The AV was removing CCleaner from the machine entirely).

[Guest Stephen CCleaner]

Thank you for the summary, Nukecad. We'll look into it.

[Sparxster]

Please note that I also am seeing this behavior were my CCleaner is launched at startup and runs minimized to startup tray.  But, at a point it seems to disappear from the tray.  I also check Task Manager and CCleaner is no longer running.  I launch again and after a while it stops again.  I checked the settings recommended by support earlier:

• 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

It is set like this.  Let me know if there are any logs or things I can look at to understand why it closes.

 

[Nergal]

3 hours ago, Sparxster said:

• 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

The first means run a custom clean at start-up, which then closes the program because of the third

[nukecad]

Sorry @Nergal but I disagree slightly.

'Close program after a Custom Clean' is not triggered by 'Run on startup', it's only triggered by a manual clean.

I checked that as part of the testing I did above.

With the settings Sparxster has:

1. Runs a clean in the background when the computer is booted.
    (Run on startup close itself anyway, as do scheduled scans. Neither affect Smart Cleaning).
2. Whatever Smart Cleaning options are set.
3. Closes CCleaner after you have manually run a Custom Clean, this only closes the active session and does not affect Smart Cleaning.
4. Simply puts the CCleaner icon in the System Tray when minimised rather than putting it on the main Taskbar.

 

@Sparxster
What you describe is normal if you have CCleaner set to run at startup - it appears in the system tray for a wile and then goes away once it has finished cleaning.

If you also have Smart Cleaning enabled then there should also be another second CCleaner icon in the system tray that does not go away. (But it may be in the 'Overflow area' and so not visible - see my post and screenshots on the first page of this thread.
What options do you have set in Smart Cleaning? (Post a screenshot?).

[hazelnut]

It all just goes to show how complicated for users (and mods) a once simple program has become.

[nukecad]

6 minutes ago, hazelnut said:

It all just goes to show how complicated for users (and mods) a once simple program has become.

I think that was part of the idea behind Health Check - to make a simple interface again.
But by leaving it in with the custom options it's just made some things even more complicated for users.

TBH I've never realy seen the point of minimising to the system tray rather than the taskbar. Maybe someone requested it once?

[Andavari]

For something that can always be resident and waiting such as with Smart Clean (and its previous incarnations) it's actually following the behavior of any other program that can remain resident and do an unattended automatted background task by being in the SysTray (AV, firewall, IP blocker, etc.,).

[nukecad]

Yes, but if Smart Cleaning is enabled then it always puts an icon in the System Tray anyway while its running in the background.
(Which is what the later posts here are about, that icon disappearing showing that Smart Cleaning has crashed on browser close).

'Minimise to system tray' in the options applies when you minimise the main GUI, Smart Cleaning enabled or not.
I believe that it may be a left-over from XP where, if I remember correctly, you couldn't 'pin' apps to the taskbar but only to 'quick launch'?

[Doupax]

Hi, i made a new Windows 10 installation this week and i've all the time the same problem, my icon in the task bar disappear when i close Firefox (vers. 83.0 64 bits).

My options for the moment are :

• Options > Settings > Lauch the CCleaner app window when the computer starts
• Options > Run Smart Cleaning, Run Smart Cleaning when i close Firefox
• Options > Advanced > Minimize to System Tray

I tried many options to find the problem but i don't know where i can find the solution. I think i use too many modules with Firefox too.

• Cyberghost Cookie Cleaner
• Kaspersky protection
• uBlock Origin
• Malwarebytes Browser Guard

[nukecad]

@Doupax It is CCleaner that is doing this currently, to be more exact it's the Smart Cleaning.

For some reason CCleaner Smart Cleaning is completely closing for some users after it runs a clean.
ie. when you close a browser, Smart Cleaner runs a clean of the browser files and then completely closes, so Windows then removes it's icon from the system tray because it is no longer running in the background.

Until the developers find and fix the issue simply opening and closing CCleaner without doing anything else will relaunch Smart Cleaning in the background, and Windows will put the icon back in the system tray.
Or you could just turn Smart Cleaning off and remember to run CCleaner manually after closing a browser.

 

PS. As said in posts above 'Minimise to system tray' in the options is a different thing altogether and applies when you minimise (not close) the main GUI, whether Smart Cleaning is enabled or not.
I believe that it's an old option left-over for those still using XP where, if I remember correctly, you couldn't 'pin' apps to the taskbar.
You don't need it with later Windows versions where you can simply 'pin' CCleaner to the taskbar.

[Doupax]

Thx for your answer, i can run CCleaner manually after closing a browser. I've this problem since 7 months. I wait for they fix the issue. Can i send some files to understand the problem?

[nukecad]

10 hours ago, Doupax said:

Can i send some files to understand the problem?

Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure what files would be of help?

Even if CCleaner is run in debug mode to create a logfile that log wouldn't show just why it had closed when it shouldn't have following a Smart Clean.
(The programme 'thinks' that it should be closing and so 'thinks' it is doing nothing wrong).

The CCleaner staff and developers are aware of the problem and we'll just have to wait until the developers can track down what is causing it.

We do know that, rather than developing new features, the devs are currently focused on finding/fixing small annoyances like this one, and those issues that may only be affecting a minority of users.
That is; little bugs that don't stop CCleaner from working, but do mean that for some users it's not working quite as it should do.
v5.75 was mainly a 'bugfix' update and we are told that the next update will also be mainly a 'bugfix', so hopefully this Smart Cleaning bug may be found and fixed by then.

 

[Doupax]

No problem, i'm waiting for the new update, i hope they'll find the problem. Thank you