Beware: CCleaner may install CCleaner Browser and remap file associations

[Karlston]

Beware: CCleaner may install CCleaner Browser and remap file associations

CCleaner, the popular Windows file cleaning software, may install the web browser CCleaner Browser as part of the installation process if users are not careful.

 

CCleaner bundles third-party offers -- technically not all offers are third-party as you find Avast Browser, Avast is the parent company of Piriform which develops CCleaner, and not also CCleaner Browser, another first-party project, among the offers -- with the installer of the application.

 

CCleaner users who upgrade the software or install it anew using the full installer may get these offers.

 

The offers are checked by default and if the user does not pay attention to the installation prompt, I call them next next next users, may inadvertently install these third-party programs on their devices.

 

The offer to install CCleaner Browser seems to have been integrated in version 5.59 of the application; Piriform released version 5.60 recently.

 

 

A user noticed that file associations were changed on the system after the installation of CCleaner, and discovered that CCleaner Browser was suddenly installed on the device and that the program had taken over file associations. The file extensions were associated with "CCleaner HTML Document" on affected systems instead of the previous application.

 

A quick test with the CCleaner 5.60 installer came up short. The installer included an offer to install Avast Free Antivirus once but no other offers. It is possible that Piriform pulled the offer for the meantime or that it is only offered at times to users.

 

The installation option is checked by default and the listed program will be installed if the user does not uncheck the third-party offer box or boxes provided during setup. The CCleaner Browser offer includes two options: the first installs the browser, the second makes it the default. The second option affects file associations on the system if left enabled.

 

CCleaner users who found CCleaner Browser installed on their devices may remove it just like any other application. On Windows 10, you'd use Windows-I to open the Settings application, and select Apps to display the list of installed programs. CCleaner Browser should be on that list and you can select it to uninstall it from the system. It may still be necessary to change file associations afterwards if they were changed during installation of CCleaner.

 

Tip: if you need to use CCleaner, and not one of the clean alternatives such as Bleachbit, then you may want to disable automatic updates and start using the portable version of CCleaner instead as it comes without offers. Check out our guide on using CCleaner without installing it here.

 

CCleaner admin Dave revealed on the official forum that Piriform was working on a new installer with a new design that the company wants to launch soon.

 

CCleaner Browser is a Chromium-based browser similarly to Avast Secure that includes certain protective features such as ad-blocking or anti-fingerprinting by default.

 

 

 

Source: Beware: CCleaner may install CCleaner Browser and remap file associations (gHacks - Martin Brinkmann)

[shorty6100]

IMHO, Crap Cleaner is becoming its name. I guess I'll try the portable. <sigh>

[eurobyn]

I would say (DO not use) there are alternatives.

if you want it (selfbaked cleanup tool) AIO

 

a bunch of cleaning tools together and made a cleanup AIO

 

if you like it ?

please let me now

 

it can be changed for extra options if you like it.

 

Test it and let me now how you would like it .

 

RUN it as administrator as it will make a full registry backup to be sure . (not needed but it makes one just in case)

you can edit it this is just a bunch of cleaning tool togheter that does it work.

it contains remove after me - bleachbit enz it will remove all traces left behind.

 

if you want more of this (let me now)

 

Download.

 

[straycat19]

I actually bought a license to test CCleaner years ago and thought it was crap then. Like most of the so-called registry cleaners it cleans items that are automatically recreated when the system is started so there seems to be more cleaning than what is actually being done.   I prefer to use my own homegrown powershell scripts for two reasons.  First, I know exactly what is being touched and they are safe, and secondly, I have full control over them so I can modify them as needed with just a few keystrokes.

 

5 hours ago, eurobyn said:

Test it and let me now how you would like it .

 

I am sure you have good intentions but it would take several hours to "test" (which means disassemble everything) to see exactly what your package is doing, time which I don't have currently.  It is much safer to use a script that anyone can see exactly what it is doing before they run it, and if they don't understand the script then they shouldn't run it either.  

[eurobyn]

13 minutes ago, straycat19 said:

I actually bought a license to test CCleaner years ago and thought it was crap then. Like most of the so-called registry cleaners it cleans items that are automatically recreated when the system is started so there seems to be more cleaning than what is actually being done.   I prefer to use my own homegrown powershell scripts for two reasons.  First, I know exactly what is being touched and they are safe, and secondly, I have full control over them so I can modify them as needed with just a few keystrokes.

 

 

I am sure you have good intentions but it would take several hours to "test" (which means disassemble everything) to see exactly what your package is doing, time which I don't have currently.  It is much safer to use a script that anyone can see exactly what it is doing before they run it, and if they don't understand the script then they shouldn't run it either.  

 

this aio cleaner runs on more than Thousand laptops or pc's (have never failed to work ) I use it after  clean installing customers laptop or pc to remove all traces left behind.

 

But ,       yes there is a lot of work in it to check all what is inside this  aio tool.

answer ,     it does a very good job (cleaning up all traces )

and yes it is not a tool like others where it haves a name we are known of.

 

Thanks for the reply

 

 

 

 

 

[Melgas]

#
Hello
I want to run this "AIO" Cleaning Tool.
I need a "medicine" for it.
Thank you.
#

[drunk]

I recommend you bleachbit as alternative, has winapp2.ini and very nice & clean gui, without useless bloatware. Or privazer for more advanced users.

[eurobyn]

5 hours ago, Melgas said:

#
Hello
I want to run this "AIO" Cleaning Tool.
I need a "medicine" for it.
Thank you.
#

medicine not needed.

its just a bunch of tools like bleachbit - remove afterme and other scripts to clean op all traces and tempfiles 

 

[Sajal]

I will suggest Registry Trash Keys Finder for cleaning registry. It not shareware version. you can not see some keys but can delete.

[erp-ster0]

On 7/17/2019 at 1:38 PM, sl0pth3p1g said:

or you could do what I do:

 

 

CCleaner 5.32 refuses to install on Win10 v1809 & newer (or v1803 with June 2018/July 2018 or higher cumulative update) and gets blocked by Win10 compatibility assistant with a message "this app can't run on your pc"

 

better off just using the latest version of either bleachbit or wise disk cleaner