CCleaner v5.66.7716 very slow to launch [blocking CCleaner will slow it down]

[Spartan]

Hi there, long time CCleaner here. I started blocking CCleaner via the Windows Firewall to stop any telemetry and whatnot or offers to upgrade to the Pro version. Only with this last update blocking CCleaner's internet access seems to slow down its startup big time. It takes about 7-10 seconds for it to start. I have a very fast laptop (Area-51m with an NVMe SSD) so it's not my laptop that's the issue.

Can something be done about this? Many members on the Wilders Security Forums also share my same experience.

PS: I'm using the portable edition

Edited May 4, 2020 by Spartan

[Andavari]

Confirmed. I reported it a few minutes before you did in another topic.

Edit:
It's like it can't just gracefully abort/cancel/ignore the integrated web-based "stuff" in Health Check, etc., so that it doesn't hinder startup. It's the reason I downgraded yet again for another reason.

[Spartan]

11 hours ago, Andavari said:

Confirmed. I reported it a few minutes before you did in another topic.

Edit:
It's like it can't just gracefully abort/cancel/ignore the integrated web-based "stuff" in Health Check, etc., so that it doesn't hinder startup. It's the reason I downgraded yet again for another reason.

Right, luckily I had CCleaner v5.65.7632 Portable in a backup so I'll just use that for now.

[Spartan]

@Andvari

Adding these 2 entries to your HOSTS file will fix the slow startup issue:

0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com.edgesuite.net

[Andavari]

Thank you. However the slow startup isn't the only issue though, I was only curious about the new version for about 20 seconds.

[Andavari]

If only that was the only thing to block, I've got a list a mile long of URLs I block which to me more-or-less proves Avast up to something. A single product like CCleaner doesn't need all those phone home links to function or report data back - in my opinion.

[wagner reatto]

I'm having the same problem: very slow startup in the latest version, portable. it takes approximately 15-20 seconds.

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit, 16 G, Intel.

ps .: if possible someone can tell me where i can download the previous version, portable.

Edited May 6, 2020 by wagner reatto

[CK HSIEH]

Somethimes I can't turn on the ccleaner. I doubt that the PC cillin blocks it. Somethimes i turned on the PC cillin, then Ccleaner could launch. Most of the time is it. I doubt that the bug is coming from the recent version program.

[Spartan]

8 hours ago, wagner reatto said:

I'm having the same problem: very slow startup in the latest version, portable. it takes approximately 15-20 seconds.

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit, 16 G, Intel.

ps .: if possible someone can tell me where i can download the previous version, portable.

Luckily I still have a copy of [link removed]

Don't forget to unblock the ZIP file before extracting it! "Are you sure you want to run this file?" [Yes or No]

Edited May 6, 2020 by Nergal
link removed

[Nergal]

It breaks the license to distribute that file personally.  I have removed the link to the zip.

[wagner reatto]

thank you, Spartan.

Nergal, where can I get the previous version?

[Andavari]

16 hours ago, wagner reatto said:

where can I get the previous version?

 

The previous zip Portable version 5.65 is still on CCleaner.com, just not listed, here:

https://download.ccleaner.com/portable/ccsetup565.zip

 

[wagner reatto]

4 hours ago, Andavari said:

 

The previous zip Portable version 5.65 is still on CCleaner.com, just not listed, here:

https://download.ccleaner.com/portable/ccsetup565.zip

 

thank you!!!

[Crni]

Every single version since 5.65.7632 takes forever to start and exit including just released 5.68.7820.

It appears it ignores Privacy Settings and is stubborn attempting to connect to various remote servers both during launch and exit,
Every time it launches it keeps bugging users with annoying adds which is why I had to block it with the firewall.

I've been using CCleaner for a very long time for cleaning various junk but it started to behave like one with all the bloatware that was added since takeover

[don_dolarson]

Same here. It takes about 10 seconds to show CCleaner interface, since an update which came out in last 2-3 months. It's the time when I've first seen this 10 seconds delay, right after the update. I've blocked CCleaner in my Firewall too.

 

EDIT: Adding the 2 hosts entries given by @Spartan solved this issue.

[HGVord]

Same here: CCleaner takes about 10-20 seconds to start (which is even more annoying because I have set it up to start and clean automatically everytime I close the browser). So I have to wait and wait every time (even if I start CCleaner directly from the start menu or the desktop icon).

I'm using CCleaner for 10-12 years now. When they started a couple years ago with telemetry/data-collecting I changed to the slim-version and blocked everything in the firewall. Everything was well until about 1-2 months ago. I thought it's a bug and they would fix it soon but it looks like it's the way they want it to be because it wasn't fixed in the last updates.

Spartan's solution doesn't work for me because I have Avast AV installed, too. Even if Avast is deactivated it deletes any entries in the HOSTS file concerning Avast-URL's. Adding any other entries in the HOSTS file is no problem, just the Avast-URL's get deleted right away ("self-defense", hahaha).

CCleaner was one of the best tools out there until Avast bought it. And Avast was the best AV for me (after Avira messed up with telemetry and 6 processes in the firewall). But now Avast has 8 processes in the firewall too and nobody knows what they're doing.

Any other suggestion to solve the problem with CCleaner? Or do we just have to get rid of all Avast data-miners?

[Andavari]

From what I've seen any antivirus that has a Cloud-based protection feature (any real-time protection AV should by now) it's going to have telemetry/phone home built right in for that to even work, so no way around it. As for Avast removing HOSTS file blocks for their own URLs while it's installed would be something obvious to do, since malware could try to input antivirus blocks to prevent someone from downloading an antivirus software.

[nukecad]

9 hours ago, HGVord said:

 I changed to the slim-version

There is no "slim-version".
There is a Slim Installer, but that's the installer not the CCleaner programme - It installs exactly the same CCleaner.

Quote

and blocked everything in the firewall.

As for blocking connections:
TBH I don't understand why people who deliberately disable/block/cripple parts of an app then expect that it should still work as intended?
If you deliberately stop something from working as designed then it's your own fault when it won't work properly.

Would you block your cars cooling system (put a nosecone on to make your car more aerodynamic say) and then complain to the manufacturer that their engine was getting too hot?
No - because it is what you have changed that is causing it.

Would you block Google, Facebook, etc. in your firewall?
Of course you wouldn't because they would then stop working properly.

PS. Never try to block your Antivirus, or any other security app, with your firewall.
They need to be able to phone home to get the latest definition files to keep you protected from the latest threats.

[Dave CCleaner]

There would appear to be some misconceptions in this thread.  For example:

11 hours ago, HGVord said:

When they started a couple years ago with telemetry/data-collecting

There has been some form of telemetry collected since December 2010, starting with licence activation counts. Despite persistent urban myths to the contrary, this has actually been actually wound back significantly after Avast showed up on the scene.

12 hours ago, HGVord said:

I changed to the slim-version

As @nukecad pointed out, that didn't make any difference, by the way.

12 hours ago, HGVord said:

and blocked everything in the firewall

The in-product telemetry data can be "blocked" more gracefully, and without breaking anything, by simply opting out through Options > Privacy in CCleaner 5.46 or higher. Since the telemetry only collects an aggregated tally count of how many users use what features, the best real world analogy would be voting.  No-one knows who you vote for in an election or referendum - and if you choose not to vote then you have chosen to have your opinion ignored in favour of those who do.

CCleaner does not collect any personal information on our users, except for some minimal information required to maintain licence subscriptions for our paying customers.  And we have never sold any customer data. (All other factors aside, this would only be of interest to our competitors, and we are generally disinclined to give them this sort of assistance.)

We have no use for your personal data, and under the various privacy laws that we are subject to, if we did collect and store it (y'know, just in case it might be useful later for something) then we are legally obliged to spend a lot of time and money to maintain it and look after it forever.  With a user base larger than the population of most countries, that would be exceedingly tedious and burdensome - so we don't collect it at all. It would also look rather odd for a performance and privacy tool to do so.

For more information on all of this, you can refer to the CCleaner data fact sheet: https://www.ccleaner.com/about/data-factsheet

Under law you can, of course, request a copy of all of the data that CCleaner holds on you if you'd like to check it.  To save you some time though:

• If you are a paid user then pretty much all of your information can be found here: https://www.ccleaner.com/support/license-lookup
• If you are a free user then this is actually a pretty comprehensive view: https://this-page-intentionally-left-blank.org/

2 hours ago, nukecad said:

Would you block your cars cooling system (put a nosecone on to make your car more aerodynamic say) and then complain to the manufacturer that their engine was getting too hot?

Exactly this.  If you are blocking the web service components that CCleaner needs to operate (in the mistaken belief that you need to do so to block the telemetry that you have already switched off) then, yeah, you are going to have problems.  The primary use-cases for a firewall or hosts file block of CCleaner are:

1. A user with a pirated serial key who doesn't want a NACK signal back from the licence server.
2. A user in North Korea trying to circumvent the trade sanctions geo-blocking.

... neither scenario we are particularly motivated to assist.

 

TL;DR: don't be this guy

[HGVord]

Thanks a lot for all the lengthy responses.

To clarify:

- With "slim-version" I meant that I couldn't use the normal installer anymore because of bloatware (or whatever) which was never included before. So a product was made delibaretely worse and less safe.

- As for blocking connections: I don't want any app to communicate with the outer world unless absolutely necessary. "nukecad" mentioned the latest definition files for the AV. Yes, of course, they are absolutely necessary. But ONLY them. If they're updated 4-6 times daily (or even hourly) I don't need any cloud-based service and I don't want any of my files (or infos about them) to be sent to an unknown server. And just to download definition files I don't think that an AV needs 7-8 processes to go online.

- CCleaner is not Open Source. So I just have to take your word for it that it doesn't do what it shouldn't do? Sorry, that's not enough for me. I need CCleaner just for cleaning and for cleaning only. So there's no need for it to have "web service components", especially given the fact that it's supposed to be a privacy (!) tool. I don't need daily or weekly updates and I don't need "emergency" updates for a privacy tool. And by the way, I'm using the FREE version (and no, I'm not from North Korea). Why should the FREE version even check online for a serial number? And if you can block IP's from North Korea tells me that you at least collect the IP address every time CCleaner is started. That's a VERY good example of what a privacy tool should NOT do. You can see the IP address when somebody downloads the installer from your website so you can use that information for your statistics. But that's all you need to know and nothing more.

To come back to the delay problem (even if it looks like you don't want to fix it anyway): Why is there no delay when the Avast URL's are blocked in the HOSTS file? That means CCleaner is CLEARLY connected to Avast and tries to get (or send) information online. That's ANOTHER good example of what a stand-alone privacy tool should NOT do.
 

[nukecad]

There is no need to 'collect' an IP (or anything else) to check it, as a moderator on more than one forum I check IP's everyday, I don't 'collect' them I simply check and then move on.

The point is that CCleaner does what it does, if you change/block what it does then that's your choice - but accept that what you have done may/will change how it behaves.
(That's not a bug in the software, it's you deliberately trying to change how it works).

In the end nobody is forcing you to use CCleaner.
If you don't like what it does as designed then as with anything else that you may not like the answer is simple.

[Crni]

Totally agree with @HGVord

And let's be clear - CCleaner is NOT an antivirus, it does NOT have any definition updates and does NOT need any cloud based service in order for its core functionality to work for what it's designed for.
The only reason it is connecting to multiple servers is to:

1. Check if there is newer version available.
2. Check serial number for Professional version - I'll take this for granted as I'm using FREE version so there's no need to check Pro Key when it's not present.
3. Upload user data - again, let's assume that disabling this option under Privacy settings actually work.
4. Pull marketing data about promos and offers to upgrade to Professional version.

None of these are essential and disabling internet access does NOT affect core functionality and it is poor design that causes significant delays - developers tried really hard to connect to the mother ship by contacting various servers to achieve the same non-essential thing which is to bother users with nagging screens and notifications. Not once, not twice, but EVERY single time CCleaner is launched it has to show annoying notification popup. If user chose NOT to upgrade there is a reason for that and why bother again and again?
But they didn't bother to properly handle exceptions and therefore extremely long connection timeouts - this is the culprit of those long delays.

And for those conspiracy theorists, do you remember this embarrassment:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/18/16325202/ccleaner-hack-malware-security

If it was Open Source I would be able to verify those claims but being closed source I don't trust that the app ONLY pulls anonymous data just because someone who can't even control their source code said so.

I'm in US and only use legal software but am blocking many apps from having internet access and am limiting their access to files and other resources.
As far as Facebook, Google and other big brothers go, they were all caught numerous times for stealing various personal data so please spare me these arguments.

[Dave CCleaner]

1 hour ago, HGVord said:

With "slim-version" I meant that I couldn't use the normal installer anymore because of bloatware (or whatever) which was never included before.

The slim installer was created because as of CCleaner 3.01, ESET objected to the Chrome toolbar offer that was present in the full installer - although this was removed back in version 5.58.  For a couple of versions, the slim installer was needed to successfully install on Windows XP and Vista - but was 5.64.7577 was the last CCleaner version to support those operating systems. The only remaining use-case for the slim installer is for compatibility with some screenreader software for the visually impaired.  For anyone else it is essentially a placebo - but not a very good one, since any problems with the configuration of your computer (eg: blocking the CCleaner messaging server) that would stop the full installer from running would also have an adverse impact on the operation of CCleaner as well.

1 hour ago, HGVord said:

So I just have to take your word for it that it doesn't do what it shouldn't do?

If you are in a country like the USA where the privacy laws are rather lax, compared to where we are in Europe, then I can understand your skepticism.  But, you don't have to take our word for it.  Feel free to lodge a GDPR request for a copy of all data we have on you if you like - but I have probably spoiled the surprise on what you will see in my previous post  

1 hour ago, HGVord said:

if you can block IP's from North Korea tells me that you at least collect the IP address every time CCleaner is started

You have been told incorrectly - unless you regard any hit of any sort of an web server (such as viewing a page on a website) as IP collection. This is a real-time inspection with nothing retained.  It is also a legal requirement for export compliance - while I am sure that folks in the impacted countries would benefit from CCleaner, as a distributor of free software we really don't have the budget to pay out the fines for violations of the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations.

1 hour ago, HGVord said:

That means CCleaner is CLEARLY connected to Avast

There's no secret that Avast owns Piriform. When any company buys another one there are efficiency gains made - as such we share their drinks fridge, they use our ping-pong table, and we piggy-back off a corner of their CDN server to save on bandwidth costs.  Lots of companies buy and sell other companies like trading cards - Unilever owns Marmite, Ben&Jerry's ice cream, and three nominally rival brands of tea, for example.  The mining company BHP owned Fosters brewing for a while - and I can assure you there was no coal secretly added to the beer.

[HGVord]

@Crni: Thanks for the link, I didn't know that. But that was exactly the time when I had to start using the slim installer (see my first post) because Malwarebytes was blocking the normal installer.

@nukecad: It doesn't matter if you or the developer think it's not a bug. It's up to the users to determine what's a bug. There are a lot of people out there with that delay problem. And most of them don't know about this forum or can't find it. Since 1-2 months they suddenly have a long delay every time they launch CCleancer. Do you think they say: "Oh, that must be my fault" or "Oh, I must have done something wrong" or "Oh, my PC is too slow, I have to buy a new one"? Nope. They all think it's a BUG in CCleaner and hope that it will be fixed in a future update. And by the way, statements like "nobody is forcing you" or "if you don't like what it does" are not very professional and don't help anybody.

Fact is: The "feature" that causes the delay was implemented in v5.66. Before that, nobody had any problems. So it should be easy to get rid of it again if many users have a problem with it. If you just defend it vehemently and you're not willing to get rid of it, then you risk losing customers/users.

As for me, I will just use v5.65 until the problem is fixed (and NO, unblocking connections in the firewall is NOT a fix) or until I find an alternative.

Thanks

 

[nukecad]

LOL,

I'm not an employee of Piriform so I don't risk losing any customers at all.

I'm a user just like yourself. (OK a user who has shown reliable and capable of moderating the forum).
It's no skin of my nose whether you use CCleaner or not.

If I see a genuine bug with CCleaner then I'm probably more likely to shout about it than others, and I do.

But if I see that it's what a user is doing themselves that is causing their problem then I'll say so, and suggest what they should do to stop it.
If they are unwilling to take that advice then that's their choice, but it's not a bug to be fixed it's a choice that particular user has made.

In either case I'm not defending or attacking anything, just saying what it is.

PS. CCleaner works fine on my computer, but I haven't been messing about with uneeded firewall blocks.