Printers and Server folder being deleted from Windows Spool folder

[wayne_sw]

We have an ini file for systems we setup that we copy in for quick setup of CCleaner. The ini file has worked for years and I generally only create a new one maybe once a year. The current file I've been using is from 3/14/2022. I also copy a shortcut into the startup folder with the following shortcut to run Ccleaner at startup:

"C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner64.exe" /AUTO

Starting last week sometime we started having issues printing. We narrowed it down to the PRINTERS and SERVERS folders going missing after running Ccleaner. 

c:\windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS

c:\windows\system32\spool\SERVERS

I can re-create the folders, reboot and check again and they go away. If I remove the shortcut link from the startup folder the folders stay. Put it back and the folders disappear. Infuriatingly enough, of course, it only happens on certain computers. Mostly affects systems with HP printers and pretty well breaks the system enough HP printers will not print successfully afterward. 

I'm not 100% sure there aren't other folders/files being removed but looking at the ini file nothing appears to touch the spool folder and generally I'd never suspect it to be Ccleaner, however, the start menu shortcut test proves otherwise. I've attached the current ini file.

ccleaner.ini

[Guest MeganCCleaner]

Hi @wayne_sw Thanks for making us aware of this issue, and for providing your INI file, although I am sorry for any trouble this may have caused to you.

To confirm, do you use the "Custom Clean" area of CCleaner to perform cleaning operations, or do you only use Health Check?

If you use Custom Clean, can you please tell me if the "Start Menu Shortcuts" option is enabled from within the System category of cleaning options?

(When reviewing your INI file, it appears as though this option is not enabled, although I would like to ask - just in case)

Additionally, do you use any other features of CCleaner prior to when this problem occurs, such as the Registry cleaner?

[wayne_sw]

Hi @MeganCCleaner, 

 

We do not use the Health Check section. Only Custom Clean when we use it. The systems I've seen this issue on, nobody has opened Ccleaner and ran specifically. Only the auto-run at startup has invoked Ccleaner running. 

Start Menu Shortcuts are not checked. No registry cleaning either.

 

As a bit of additional information:

I had a computer that had weekly system image backups back to 3/9/2023, that was having the printing issue and at the same time had the monthly cumulative windows update installed on 3/15/2023. I restore the backup image from 3/9/2023 and while in the backup I renamed the ccleaner.ini file to ccleaner.ini.bad to keep it from running. I was able to install all windows updates and did not have the printing issue. I thought about restoring back again and leaving the ini file in place to fully confirm, however, I simply don't have the time and also am not sure how to go about chasing it down. The feature to log what files are deleted appears to have been requested clear back in 2012 but as of yet still not implemented or at least publicly documented as near as I can tell. Since there does not seem to be a way to log what is deleted it seems pointless to restore back and "guess" at what was removed. Open to being wrong though if there is a way to log. 

[Willy2]

(This is a "long long shot")

- Do you have "Tweaking's Windows Repair" installed ? If so, do you (regularly) run that program ? This program removes (in one special situation) these 2 sub-folders.

- What folders do you clean with the option "Custom Folders" (is marked as "True") ?