Welcome back to CCleaner Professional ???

[Wisewiz]

@Crni

Re: your list of three servers above: I wonder whether it will work if I block all of those in hosts.

[hazelnut]

Interesting.

The first 2  show as invalid URL's

http://a23-220-246-23.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com
http://a23-220-246-59.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com

and 

https://28.176.160.34.bc.googleusercontent.com

 shows

Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from 28.176.160.34.bc.googleusercontent.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). Learn more
NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID
Subject: shepherd.ff.avast.com

[Crni]

I got those with Process Monitor which only shows what DNS requests resolved to, but it would be a bit tricky to intercept the original request to the DNS, so that's why I posted these 3.

The first 2 are the current endpoints for Akamai's CDN and those nodes are dynamically being added and removed as the traffic increases/decreases. Thus they might be short lived.

The 3rd one points to Google's Cloud and is (but not limited) related to the update check. The CDN only pools static data.

[Wisewiz]

I've blocked all three in my hosts file, and will watch to see whether CC cries "foul" in one way or another. My browser is Chrome, not FF. FF evidently ignores the hosts file, so maybe, by extension, TB does, too. I'm not sure how that works.

My hosts now:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com.edgesuite.net
0.0.0.0 ipm-provider.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 shepherd.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ip-info.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 analytics.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 a23-220-246-23.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com
0.0.0.0 a23-220-246-59.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com
0.0.0.0 28.176.160.34.bc.googleusercontent.com

All because of CCleaner's behavior. Maybe superfluous, I dunno.

[Crni]

22 minutes ago, Wisewiz said:

0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com

0.0.0.0 ncc.avast.com.edgesuite.net
0.0.0.0 ipm-provider.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 shepherd.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 ip-info.ff.avast.com
0.0.0.0 analytics.ff.avast.com

That's what I was missing

I simply blocked shepherd.ff.avast.com in my hosts file and it only updates the "(Cfg)LastUpdate" with the current timestamp now, but doesn't add or modify anything else.

This is all I have in registry now:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Piriform\CCleaner]
"AP"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Piriform\CCleaner]
"DataFolder"="C:\\Program Files\\CCleaner\\"
"ProgramFolder"="C:\\Program Files\\CCleaner\\"
"(Cfg)LastUpdate"="07/14/2023 06:57:51 PM"

If I delete "(Cfg)LastUpdate" it automatically gets added next time upon launch and if timestamp is 24h+ old then it gets updated with a failed attempt to get other values from the server.

shepherd.ff.avast.com is an alias for shepherd-gcp.ff.avast.com.

In addition, each time it launches it will make requests to www.ccleaner.com and ncc.avast.com which is an alias for ncc.avast.com.edgesuite.net and a1488.dscd.akamai.net.

Too chatty for my taste and lacks some transparency as all available options are already disabled, so why would it need to connect to any of these servers if neither update checks nor data sharing or offers are enabled?

[Wisewiz]

10 minutes ago, Crni said:

Too chatty for my taste and lacks some transparency as all available options are already disabled, so why would it need to connect to any of these servers if neither update checks nor data sharing or offers are enabled?

Now that is the 64-dollar question! If you ever discover the answer, please share it here.

[redwolfe_98]

7 hours ago, Wisewiz said:

FF evidently ignores the hosts file

if you use "secure DNS," that bypasses the HOSTS file. that is why i don't use "secure DNS."

if google-chrome is set to use "secure DNS," it also will bypass the HOSTS file.

if you don't want your HOSTS file to be bypassed, don't use "secure DNS."

[Wisewiz]

@redwolfe_98

Thanks for the reminder. I don't. My DNS server is public and fast, but not anything like "secure."

[redwolfe_98]

1 hour ago, Wisewiz said:

I don't. My DNS server is public and fast, but not anything like "secure."

if firefox is bypassing your HOSTS file it is because you have it set to use "secure DNS," also known as "DNS over HTTPS" (DoH).

here is some information about how to disable firefox's "secure DNS," also known as "DNS over HTTPS" (DoH):

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/dns-over-https#w_configure-doh-protection-settings

here is a website where you can test to see which DNS servers your browser is using:

https://www.dnsleaktest.com/results.html

i use "quad9" for my DNS servers:

https://www.quad9.net/

i use "example.com" to test to see if my HOSTS file is being used properly. of course, "example.com" is included in my HOSTS file.

i use the "steven black" HOSTS file (including porn extensions), along with my own custom HOSTS file, merged together:

https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts

 

 

[redwolfe_98]

to add to what i was saying, because i use a large HOSTS file, i disable the "DNS cache service," something that is carried over from when i used windows XP. to do that, in windows "registry," i go to:

"HKLM/system/currentcontrolset/services/dnscache" and set the "start" dword-value to "4," to disable the service.

with windows xp, you needed to disable the "DNS cache service" when using a large HOSTS file. i don't know if that is required, with windows 10, but i assume that it is.

[redwolfe_98]

47 minutes ago, redwolfe_98 said:

here is a website where you can test to see which DNS servers your browser is using:

https://www.dnsleaktest.com/results.html

sorry. posted the wrong URL:

https://www.dnsleaktest.com/

[Wisewiz]

@redwolfe_98

I use the Google public DNS only. My reading of the Internet info on Firefox is that FF bypasses the hosts file whether you're on a secure DNS or not, while my Chrome browser uses the hosts file. Thanks for your suggestions and your interest in this thread, though.

[AnaRon]

Windows Registry Editor>
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Piriform\CCleaner]
"(Cfg)WelcomeScreen"

I tried every solution I could find but nothing worked. Regardless of the value changes it always reverted back. Next thought, rename the file which I did a week ago and so far Welcome Back has not showed up again.

[Wisewiz]

@AnaRonThanks for reporting that novel attempt. Good luck. May the pest never resurface.

@redwolfe_98: I found the instructions for turning Firefox's default DoH setting OFF. So now I'll check on it every once in a while, to make sure the OFF stays OFF. My experience with my CCleaner installs has made me wary of programs resetting themselves in ways I don't like. Good luck to me.

[Wisewiz]

6 hours ago, AnaRon said:

"(Cfg)WelcomeScreen"

 Next thought, rename the file which I did a week ago and so far Welcome Back has not showed up again.

It just hit me that I'm not sure what "file" you renamed. Did you change (Cfg)WelcomeScreen to something else, like maybe "(Cfg)WelcomeAnnoyance"? 

[Crni]

21 hours ago, AnaRon said:

Windows Registry Editor>
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Piriform\CCleaner]
"(Cfg)WelcomeScreen"

I tried every solution I could find but nothing worked. Regardless of the value changes it always reverted back. Next thought, rename the file which I did a week ago and so far Welcome Back has not showed up again.

What worked for me is either deleting "(Cfg)WelcomeScreen" from the registry or setting it to anything but "1", and blocking CCleaner from accessing "shepherd.ff.avast.com". This can be done either through hosts file, firewall, router... whatever works (or is easier) for you.

[AnaRon]

Wisewiz  I changed it to zzz(Cfg)WelcomeScreen

Crni, changing the value worked until reboot and it always reverts back to "0". So far renaming has worked great but will keep your blocking suggest in my file in case there is another reappearance.

[Wisewiz]

8 hours ago, Crni said:

What worked for me is either deleting "(Cfg)WelcomeScreen" from the registry or setting it to anything but "1", and blocking CCleaner from accessing "shepherd.ff.avast.com". This can be done either through hosts file, firewall, router... whatever works (or is easier) for you.

@Crni: As AnaRon points out above, resetting the value DWord to 0 or 3 so far has nor succeeded; CCleaner restores its own number (1) after a while.

The blocking may work, though. The jury is still out on that one until we see whether CC catches on and subverts that somehow.

[Trojan132]

Ok solved!

Not the perfect solution,  But it works and you can reboot as many times as you like.

I wrote a HomeScreen.bat file 

runs in task scheduler every hour for 1day

runs regedit to change 1 to 0

( as mentioned in previous thread above)

First go to start, run, Regedit , CCleaner, homescreen and change the 1to a 0 as mentioned previously…..

When you’ve done the Regedit , CCleaner, homescreen , and change the 1to a 0 as mentioned previously, you then right click and make a shortcut of that .reg file

then write a .bat file

@echo off 
regedit /s F:\backup\reg\cc\homscreen.reg

then create basic task schedule to run at logon the .bat file every hour 

Program/Script:

browse for your .bat file 

add arguments :

scritp.bat

start in:

F:\backup\

 

DONE !

 

[Wisewiz]

@Trojan132Weeeell, to start with, you've got to remember that HomeScreen and WelcomeScreen are very different animals. The former determines whether you start in Health Check or Custom Clean; the latter, whether you see the "Welcome Back, Jerk!" screen when you launch CCleaner. 

But maybe more importantly, if you're going to recommend batch-file writing to other users, many of whom will not be familiar with batch files at all, you have to be very careful to avoid typos. Scritp and homscreen won't work.

And finally, if you're going to mention a drive in a batch file, you need to know that the reader actually HAS such a drive. I'll bet that most of the readers of this thread have no F:\ drive at all.

But thanks for your participation in this thread. And welcome to the forum!

[AnaRon]

Well, IT'S BACK! Almost two weeks and my renamed file is still there and CCleaner put in a new (Cfg)WelcomeScreen. Back to the drawing board.

[Trojan132]

58 minutes ago, Wisewiz said:

@Trojan132Weeeell, to start with, you've got to remember that HomeScreen and WelcomeScreen are very different animals. The former determines whether you start in Health Check or Custom Clean; the latter, whether you see the "Welcome Back, Jerk!" screen when you launch CCleaner. 

But maybe more importantly, if you're going to recommend batch-file writing to other users, many of whom will not be familiar with batch files at all, you have to be very careful to avoid typos. Scritp and homscreen won't work.

And finally, if you're going to mention a drive in a batch file, you need to know that the reader actually HAS such a drive. I'll bet that most of the readers of this thread have no F:\ drive at all.

But thanks for your participation in this thread. And welcome to the forum!

Sorry for typos …. Just trying to help stop the annoying welcome screen with all the ccleaner junk on it.

which then gives you the error message…

 

 

Btw . You can call your.reg file any name you want.

welcome.reg

ccleanerjunkwelcome.reg

 

My apologies for the spelling mistake correction below ….

Program/Script:

browse-for-your.bat.   file 

add arguments :

script.bat

start in:

F:\backup\

Edited July 17, 2023 by Trojan132
Typo

[nukecad]

You know what makes me laugh?

The ony real issue with this new screen, apart from the look, is that in a very limited number of circumstances where you want to change the Custom Clean ticks/unticks before cleaning then you have to make one extra click.

Otherwise the 'Run Cleaner' and 'Analyze' buttons are right there, (or 'Scan' if you have Health Check set as your homepage) and you can click them before the guff on the right has even loaded.

People have been (and still are) messing about with the registry, firewalls, host files, and who knows what else just for the sake of how a screen looks.
How many extra clicks worth of time would you say all that was that you have been wasting?

[hazelnut]

@nukecad

Why did Piriform change things in the first place ? Why did Piriform feel the need to put in an extra tick... I mean it's pointless.

[Trojan132]

1 hour ago, Wisewiz said:

@Trojan132Weeeell, to start with, you've got to remember that HomeScreen and WelcomeScreen are very different animals. The former determines whether you start in Health Check or Custom Clean; the latter, whether you see the "Welcome Back, Jerk!" screen when you launch CCleaner. 

But maybe more importantly, if you're going to recommend batch-file writing to other users, many of whom will not be familiar with batch files at all, you have to be very careful to avoid typos. Scritp and homscreen won't work.

And finally, if you're going to mention a drive in a batch file, you need to know that the reader actually HAS such a drive. I'll bet that most of the readers of this thread have no F:\ drive at all.

But thanks for your participation in this thread. And welcome to the forum!

Sorry hope this is better….

batch file wrote in notepad saved as:

welcomejunkccleanerannoyingpage.bat

@echo off 
regedit /s C:\ccleaner\regedit\welcomejunk.reg