Windows 10: Disk Cleanup running unexpectedly.

I am currently having an issue where Disk Cleanup is running unexpectedly. Below I'll run down how I've discovered this issue but the primary question I have is, what triggers this process to run? Despite the PC having 870GB of free space the task is running and clearing out user temp folders which is causing havoc with an application.



Rundown of issue and diagnosis of the issue:

1. I have an app that must be restarted after leaving open overnight. I pinpoint the error message to a folder missing in the users temp directory
2. I run procmon overnight with the program and see that cleanmgr.exe deletes the files in AppData\Local\Temp while the machine is inactive.
3. Looking slightly earlier I see that it ran a task from registry with path \Microsoft\Windows\DiskCleanup\SilentCleanup
4. Looking at Windows Task Scheduler I can see the DisckCleanup task called SilentCleanup at the same time the files were deleted.

When I look at the task the description mentions being launched when running low on disk space. However, the PC has 870GB of free disk space. My end users will require this software run in the background so they cannot easily see when it needs restarted and I really don't like the idea of disabling the task altogether.

:)

 

disk cleanup

Hi joysoder, to properly and safely delete any files not required by your system, run Disk Cleanup twice as explained below. Each time select everything in the list and delete them. Disk Cleanup will not suggest deleting anything that is not safe to delete
. . .

Open File Explorer

Click on your hard drive

On the Manage Tab, click Cleanup

Let Disk Cleanup do its initial scan

Select Everything in the list and choose Delete

Start Disk Cleanup again

Let Disk Cleanup do its initial scan

This time in the resulting dialog, click 'Cleanup System Files'

Let Disk Cleanup run another scan

Select Everything in the list and choose Delete

 

disk cleanup running randomly

I am running windows 8.1, the disk cleanup window for c keeps popping up, if i move the mouse towards it, it disappear. Is there something nasty on my machine causing this?

I have scanned with malwarebytes and cc cleaner but they find nothing.

Any ideas?

tigger

 

In Disk Cleanup, should I delete Thumbnails?

Hi Marcia

The correct way to run disk cleanup is explained below, you need to run it twice and yes, delete everything suggested by Disk Cleanup:

Open File Explorer

Click on your hard drive

On the Manage Tab, click Cleanup

Let Disk Cleanup do its initial scan

Select Everything in the list and choose Delete

Start Disk Cleanup again

Let Disk Cleanup do its initial scan

This time in the resulting dialog, click 'Cleanup System Files'

Let Disk Cleanup run another scan

Select Everything in the list and choose Delete