CCleaner is deleting all logs from a users system.

This includes not only the Adaware logs, which I need to see, but also Windows logs, AV logs, and other security programs logs, error logs - all sorts of neceesary data I may need for troubleshooting. This makes it extemely difficult to track a problem when I can get no logs from the user who has run CCleaner.

Does CCleaner have a restore function for those logs?

Hi, Janie.

There is no restore function for what is removed by CCleaner unless the user has UNchecked the option to empty the recycle bin (although that is something we would generally prefer emptied when cleaning an infected machine.)

CCleaner will only delete the logs if that is what is selected by the user in the Applications section.

Personally, I have found users do a better job cleaning temp files with less confusion with CCleaner. So, I think the thing to do is change the CCleaner instructions. I don't know what others use, but its easy enough to ask that the certain logs not be removed.

Following are my standard instructions with the section in bold added. Is there anything else that would help?

Download CCleaner from the link at the upper right of this page: http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner.html. If you don't want the Yahoo toolbar, be sure to UNcheck that option when installing the software or update.

Instructions for using CCleaner:

1. Launch CCleaner and under Options > Advanced > UNcheck "Only delete files in Windows Temp folder older than 48 hours".
2. A pop up box will appear advising this process will permanently delete files from your system.
3. To protect logon cookies that you wish to retain, under Options > Cookies. Select and using the arrow move those cookies to the "Cookies to keep" column.
4. Then select the items you wish to clean up.
   1. In the Windows Tab:
      • Clean all entries in the "Internet Explorer" section.
      • Clean all the entries in the "Windows Explorer" section.
      • Clean all entries in the "System" section.
      • Clean all entries in the "Advanced" section.
      • Clean any others that you choose.
   2. In the Applications Tab:
      • Clean all in the Firefox/Mozilla section if you use it.
      • Clean all in the Opera section if you use it.
      • Clean Sun Java in the Internet Section.
      • Please UNcheck "Utilities" (i.e., Ad-Aware, ewido and other security program logs.)
5. Click the "Run Cleaner" button and it will scan and clean your system.
6. Click exit.
7. Shutdown/restart the computer.

Ok, so I go to install this thing and see what the defaults are....and what the heck is this?

I didn't ask for Yahoo Companion!

I'm liking this program less and less for the novice user to be sent to this program everytime you want to clean TIF and TEMP files (which can be accomplished in much fewer steps by using the Windows Disk Cleanup utility)

These are the default settings. I don't think this is at ALL safe for the novice user and this is why logs are getting deleted!

I edited my post to add the part about the Yahoo toolbar (I had left the tab open) and then saw your post. It is easy to uncheck that option when installing. Personally, I review the installations for all software I install on my PC because I don't want most in startup and shortcuts all over the place either.


I looked up the Windows Disk Cleanup Utility and can see where it would be helpful.



I understand you're looking at major infections and HijackThis, not Ad-Aware logs. However, when helping users with Ad-Aware, it is beneficial to clean more than temp files and Internet cache. I've seen where cleanup of alternate browsers Sun Java cache, etc makes the cleanup easier for Ad-Aware.

So, which logs, Janie? The AAW & Ewido logs are on the Applications menu. What items cause a problem when you're helping someone?

I agree... CCleaner should not be used. I will put up a general announcement about this

Thanks guys

Sorry about the new avatar btw... someone was pretending to be me.

Recently, I've seen two in here so far and one in another forum using an automatic cleaner (Cleanup)

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?s...820&hl=ccleaner

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=873&hl=

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewtopic.php?t=20498

Those programs seems more in line with an intermediate or advanced user who can determine what is safe to delete and what may not. In the hands of a novice, I think they are more likely to perhaps remove more than is necessary,and sometimes cause undesirable problems. Those default settings are really over-agressive for the novice user.

I'm an advanced user and didn't even see the Yahoo Toolbar option...much less to uncheck it. That's something I wasn't even looking for. So all this "unchecking" of default settings needed seems quite a hazard when there are safer options to clearing the cache.

I am NOBODY and have had my PC for less than a year. I learned about C Cleaner on the AOL message Boards, and it has been a very helpful tool. Those Ad Aware logs are useless most of the time and can be safely deleted unless you are working to clean an infection. Some of the other temp file cleaners and registry cleaners delete the index.dat files that break the Windows Help and Support Center, C Cleaner does not break anything as far as I know. The log deletion and other unwanted settings are easily unchecked. It also cleans out Java cache, clipboard, and other places that are sometimes exploited. I recently had an error at log off and Dr. Watson ran. AFter rebooting I did not know where to find the Dr. Watson log. I used C Cleaner to Analyze only, found the path to the Dr. Watson log, and found out what my Error had been. Also, I am able to use CCleaner to easily "triage" my cookies for IE and Firefox, keeping the ones I want and deleting those I do not want.
My point is, you all should give people instructions on how to confgure C Cleaner so that it will not delete what you need, not tell them not to use it. It is a very helpful tool and way less dangerous to the OS than most such cleaners. IMO, the Windows cleanmgr is almost useless.
But that's just my opinion, and I'm an intermediate nobody who was recently a "newbie."

Hi Old Rebel,

You might have missed the second part of the topic title (it was too long to fit all on one line):
Please stop recommending CCleaner for users with support issues

It's just the ones with support issues so yes, we need those logs.

Perhaps I did miss the full title:
Please stop recommending CCleaner for users with support issues

But I did perceive a general misunderstanding of C Cleaner, a tool widely rercommended at many forums. I know it has "issues" where a beginner can delete something important. I just think that perhaps there should be a forum guideline on how to use C Cleaner rather than to ban recommending it. I'm just a user, not a support helper, so I may be out of place. But users are going to hear about C Cleaner and use it, whether it's recommend here or not. It's mentioned and/or recommended on almost every forum that I visit.

C.J Maybe an announcment added to instruction sequence
for help that if you wish to recieve help with logs please dis-continue
using 'CrapCleaner' while our/your services are being reviewed
other wise we/us/you cannot correctly diagnose your/thier problems??

It's not a matter of "discontinue", as they didn't even have the tool when they came in. What was happening was that people coming in for support issues were being instructed to download CCleaner to clear the cache and ended up with deleted logs. It's not a good idea to use that method when people are first coming in with support issues. If you want to recommend and instruct on using the tool, please do that AFTER the support issues have been resolved.

Well, CalamityJane's reply seems to clear things up for me. She needs all the logs to do the removal work so it would be best not to mention C Cleaner until after the malware has been removed. Thank you C.J. for the wonderful work you are doing to remove some very stubborn pests.
BTW - I have been able personally to avoid serious problems by following your advice given here and at other forums, and I really do appreciate all the work you do to help us all. Thanks again.

Yes, that's it, Old Rebel! Sorry if there was any confusion. I had something like 3 or 4 people at the same time who had logs deleted.

If any of you are in contact with the author of that tool, it might be an idea to mention that perhaps all boxes should not be checkmarked by default and give your suggestions (based upon your practice of instructing what boxes to *uncheck* when running). That would make it much safer for novices using it the first time while at the same time give more advanced users, or those with the time to then explore other options, if that is something they wanted to accomplish.

C.J notified Mr.G.[author of CrapCleaner]
will see if he has the time

Oooh, great! Thanks, hayc - let us know if you hear anything

I gave him the link to this thread

Thanks, Gordon! It also would be great if he could make the Yahoo toolbar option more obvious. I personally detect toobars of all kinds and have found that installations provided by the likes of Yahoo and AOL are a real pain to remove.

Agreed and your welcome

I might recommend ATF Cleaner as a good alternative for cleaning of temp files:

Please download ATF Cleaner by Atribune.
This program is for XP and Windows 2000 only

Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
Under Main choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.

If you use Firefox browser

Click Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.

If you use Opera browser

Click Opera at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.

Click Exit on the Main menu to close the program.
For Technical Support, double-click the e-mail address located at the bottom of each menu.

ATF Cleaner is an excellent tool for removing temp files quickly, and I don't think it deletes any log files. I tried it recently and was pleased with it. It doesn't have all the extra features of C Cleaner that I do use, but for quickly deleting temp files it seems a safe alternative. It targets the temp files that might be exploited by malware.

I think someone is paying attention at the C/Cleaner HQ>>>
http://majorgeeks.com/CCleaner_Slim_No_Yah...lish_d4191.html

CJ,i think you need to to access the default settings on the application TAB shown on your thumbs image to see which logs are nuked by default.

HTH

Oops, meant to show that too! Ouch! Not good if they are seeking support (or facing an infection)

~Hands on Hips~ Why is deleting these logs even necessary? These logs are not always crap and sometimes we need them.

I'm with you CJ

But fwiw most ordinary users rate a cleaning product by the amount of "Cleaning" it dose in quantity(How many KB,MB etc recovered) and not the important fact of what is being deleted.This is probaly the motive behind *log* cleaning by the folks behind c/cleaner.

Corrine,

I have question you might be able to help with... When I loaded Ccleaner, I did not uncheck the box for loading the Yahoo tool bar, so how do I turn off the Yahoo tool bar after the fact.?

I am not Corrine but I can answer that question.

You will need to uninstall it.

Go to your Add/Remove Programs in your Control Panel and you should see Yahoo Toolbar separate from Yahoo Messanger if you have that. Just uninstall it that way.

Thanks, SkittlesPC.

Hi, dnel. If you still wish to use CCleaner (just not while going through a cleanup process here at the Lavasoft forums), CCleaner has reponded to our concerns with a "slim" version, CCleaner v1.30.310 - Slim which you can select from from http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds.aspx .

Your Welcome Corrine!

Slim in what ways? What are the differences?

I personally am stuck on ATF-Cleaner and I think that is all I will ever use. Mainly because I have a husband who is "Delete Happy". If he can delete it, he will! hehehe I used to have to literally HIDE the CCleaner and Cleanup (I had both at different times, not the same time ) He is not happy unless he feels he is helping by cleaning things up, by deleting uneccessary things. hehehehe

Since I cannot "disable" the DELETE button...hehehe I stick to ATF-Cleaner as he can't do any harm there. hehehe

So tell me more about this Slim version of CCleaner....if you know that is.

Hi! I like ATF Cleaner too. It's easy and can really clean out the temp files fast. The "slim version" of CCleaner is the same as the regular version, except it only comes in an English language version and it does NOT have the Yahoo toolbar bundled with it - just plain CCleaner.

Copied from the link posted above:

CCleaner Download Builds

CCleaner v1.31.325 - Standard Build
1,424KB


CCleaner v1.31.325 - Basic
- No Toolbar
561KB

CCleaner v1.31.325 - Slim
- No Toolbar
- English Only
419KB

Is their any program that is BETTER than CCleaner.. I hate the lack of file exceptions for deletions making CCleaner totally useless for anyone that has more than novice experience with software.

Hi, molitar. It is only for logfile reviews at this site that the request is not to recommend CCleaner. You will find it regularly recommended at other sites, along with ATF-Cleaner. I personally had issues with Cleanup but have found CCleaner very effective.