Got notified that CCleaner 546 is now available so I have downloaded it but not yet installed it.

Do our techies consider this one to be safe

There is "safe" and then there is Avast's attempts to force their software down our throats. I haven't downloaded it yet.

EDIT: So, I just downloaded and ran the newest version. Avast was no long forced on me, but they still haven't fixed the fact that after you close CCleaner, it is still running in the background. I had to go into hidden icons and close it there.

Thanks for checking it out, Draclvr.

But where will I find these "hidden icons" then ??
[Using Win7.]

I would normally do this :-

1.Open CCleaner, then click Options > Monitoring
2.Disable System Monitoring by unchecking Enable System Monitoring
3.Disable Active Monitoring by unchecking Enable Active Monitoring.
4.Click Yes when the confirmation box appears

But with this latest version I can't find a Monitoring option anywhere !!

[I found something called "Enable Smart Cleaning" but that only applies to the CCleaner Pro version which isn't what I use - so the box for that isn't ticked anyway.]

You have a little up arrow down in the lower right.. hover over it and it says show hidden icons. That's where you see what is running in the background. I noticed there is no System Monitoring disabled option. It still won't close when I exit the program. There is a huge uproar over it at their forums, so I'm surprised they haven't gotten rid of it yet.

EDIT: OK. So I went into Advanced in the Options and found a "close after running" that was unchecked, so I checked it. I also went into Securitiy and UNchecked the "send anonymous data" option. If it wasn't for Avast owning CCleaner now, I'd be a bit more trusting.

Thanks for the extra info, Draclvr.

So I'm pretty happy now that CCleaner is NOT running all the time.

(I also have a little "paid for" programme called WinPatrol Plus which I can use to check out stuff like this and CCleaner isn't showing up as running on Start Up OR constantly running anywhere.)

Cheers.

Mad

I also paid for WinPatrol which I will never be without! I've had it for at least 8 years.

Well, even though I checked Close Program after Cleaning, it didn't close. There it is in my hidden icons. Grrrrr..... Guess I will have to add my voice to the crowd on their forums.

Well there's definitely nothing constantly running on my machine now, Draclvr, but I don't use the paid version of CCleaner so maybe that's why ??

As for WinPatrol ....
I've been using it in its various forms since it was first released many, many years ago.
A star of a programme !!

I don't use the paid version either. But if I even just open up CCleaner and close it without doing anything, there it is in my hidden icons running in the background.

I agree on WinPatrol!

Was/is WinPatrol only good for one machine? I had it on my other computer but didn't know if I could install it on this one or not. Truthfully, I never understood what to do with it/how to use it so I didn't worry about it, but just curious.

Draclvr ....

Is this on Win 10 ?? And does it show on WinPatrol ??

oldbroad ....

Until it was unsafe to be on-line with my XP machine, I used WinPatrol on both my WinXP AND Win7 machines.
[I don't think there is any reason why you can't use it on multiple machines (?)]

I must say I do find the "Plus" version useful for getting a more in depth look at what might be trying to make its way onto my computer

In the paid version CCleaner continues to run under the function Smart Cleaning even after the program window is closed. If you have the option Enable Smart Cleaning checked under Options/Smart Cleaning, the icon will continue to appear in your Windows 10, taskbar, Hidden Icons window. If the checkbox is not selected, the icon does not appear when the program is closed. Additionally, you can disable CCleaner from opening silently at startup, which it does automatically. Go into Tools/Startup, it will show if CCleaner is enabled to start with Windows (Yes, under the Enabled column.) If you want to disable the start up, just click on that row and hit the Disable button to the right.


Correction on the above: If you un-check "Show CCleaner in the Windows Notification Area" under Options/Setting, then the icon will no longer appear in the hiddon icons area.

But Mad and I don't have the paid version. We have the free version. I actually did pay them for it many, many years ago and got notifications in my email about new versions for a long time. But those stopped some time ago. I think it was back when there really wasn't a "paid" version, they just asked for donations and I sent them $20.

Using my WinPatrol I have made sure the "enable smart cleaning" is disabled at startup. Unfortunately, it still shows up in my hidden icons after I open the program and don't even use it. The uproar at their forums is that it continues to gather information and send it to Avast in the background. I've disable Smart Cleaning in the options and we will see if it is still running when I close the program. If it works, this is really infuriating - assuming a program closes completely should be a no brainer. If you bury the ability to completely close it in the options, it's no wonder people are screaming to high heaven at their forums.

Yes, this is on Windows 10. And oldbroad, you can use the free version of WinPatrol on as many computers as you want. It you have the paid version, you will need to purchase a license for each computer. At least that is the way I understand it.

Thanks Draclvr. That's what I seem to remember. I had the paid version. I suppose if I look, I can find the email from back then, but I'm assuming I did check it then and just don't remember properly now.

Hm. Can't find the email from the purchase. Can only find an email from BillP that he sold WinPatrol in December 2014. (Something like that - I didn't read it thoroughly). I suppose I may have a print out of it somewhere...

I only ever paid for WinPatrol Plus once and was able to use it on both my WinXP and Win7 machines at the same time.

You can read about it HERE

As for the CCleaner stuff I can only wonder if it behaves differently on Win 10 ??
I disabled everything to do with "smart cleaning" plus anything else that seemed relevant and it is now definitely NOT running all the time.

Thanks Mad. I'll check it out tomorrow!

I do know that when I activated my WinPatrol on a new drive, I remember Bill P. sending me my code again. But that was before he sold it.

I don't think CCleaner is behaving differently on Window 10. I think I just didn't have that Smart Cleaning disabled in the options. I disabled everything else and made sure the "close program" was checked, but it didn't make any difference. But after Trail mentioned the stupid Smart Cleaning thing and it disabled it, NOW it doesn't show up in my hidden icons.

Thanks for that link, Mad. So it looks like the Single User Plus license is for up to 5 computers. I didn't remember it being like that, but I do have it on my Windows 7 hard drive too, so it must work that way!

Just read the article Mad. I THINK I have access to the .exe to install it but I really would like to find the information from when I purchased it, just to be sure. I probably didn't recognize what the email was and deleted it, but don't know why I still have that other email from BillP regarding the sale then. Whatever. One more thing to look further into someday!

I "think" you have to be able to produce your Licence Number in order to install it on another machine, oldbroad.
[Or are you talking about re-installing it on the same machine it was on before ??]

That's why it will be "someday". I can't find the email but I may have printed it out and have it somewhere. I've been without it for 3 years now and haven't really missed it so...

You may not need it, oldbroad. When you go to register it, it may recognize your computer and fill it in for you. Or you can email and they will send it to you again.

Different computer Drac.

I would just email them and ask for your key... that's what I did and Bill sent it right away. Of course, I don't know how it works with the new owner, but I have a feeling if they have it, they will send it!

So, I did a few tests with the newest 64 bit version 5.46.6652 and found that as long as you have all of the following check boxes empty and CCleaner start-up is disabled (done through either Windows Services or in CCleaner itself through the Tools/Startup function), the application actually does completely shut down after exit. I verified this by using an independent process monitor and the on board Task Manager:


-Options/Settings: Run CCLeaner when computer starts (even with this empty, if the service start-up isn't disabled, it did show active when the app was closed, which is just crazy)

-Options/Smart Cleaning: Smart Cleaning

-Options/Privacy: All check boxes should be empty on this tab

So, short of writing a rule in your firewall to shut down the service after the app closes, this should do it until they come up with another workaround.

Yes. I found out by similar means how to "control the beast" and haven't had any problems since ☠️☠️☠️

Same here... love that, Mad. "Control the beast!"