Because I find your Better Preview module so good, and because your work generally creates such a positive, professional impression, I also installed Cache Cleaner, sadly with negative results. Here's my experience.

I'm running Joomla 1.5.15. The install went without any problems and when used Cache Cleaner produced a nice shaded green affect saying the cache was being cleaned. However, Preview showed that changes to my site had not been affected on the front end. Clearing browser cache also had sporradic results.

There followed a period of trying Cache Cleaner, browser cache, browser 2 cache, log out, log in etc. In short a period of frustration with incomplete result. For example, changes to module names would be reflected following the use of Cache Cleaner, but not changes to module positions. Following logout I'd still be shown as logged in, on one occasion there were 6 instances of me logged in, despite having logged out correctly each time.

Eventually, I removed both the plug in and the module. Now I find that EVERY change to the site requires that I use the joomla cache cleaner before it's reflected on the front end, which is very irritating to say the least because that intensity of cache cleaning most certainly was not necessary before I installed Cache Cleaner.

I really don't know if this is isolated experience or if I've just installed over an unfortunate combination of settings.

If you turn on Joomla cache, chenges will indeed need cleaning of cache to see it immediatly.

Installing/Uninstalling of Cache Cleaner does not alter that behavior.

Regarding Cache Cleaner itself. It should do the same as the core cleaning of (all) cache.
Maybe you have some files in your cache that Joomla doesn't have rights to deleting for some reason.
After cleaning cache (with Cache Cleaner), check if your cache folder is indeed empty (via your ftp program or whatever).

Many thanks for responding. Joomla Cache is turned off and has been the whole time. I was just giving this some thought and was about the check the MySQL settings. I'll look first to see if there are any files in the cache directory and come back to you.

You were right. There were 5 files in cache which Joomla's cache cleaner didn't remove. I check the directory attributes and found it to be set at 755. I've set the whole directory, sub-directory and files to 777. The cache directory seems to work properly now. I'll reinstall your Cache Cleaner again again and hopfully we'll be able to give it a clean bill of health again.

I'm baffled. There are files in cache/page/ 3 with .php endings and 3 with .php_expire so I assume they're to do with cache control. Directory Cache is 777ed. Page won't 777 but remains at 750 so I assume Joomla is controlling those permissions. I get the message "550 SITE CHMOD command failed."

Use of Joomla cache is still off. Cache Cleaner is reinstalled and the site seems to be responding normally other than the logout. I'm presently shown as logged-in 3 times.

The important thing is that Cache Cleaner seems to be working as expected and not impeding progress. Many thanks for your support.

Try the 'Purge Expired Cache' option in the admin menu.

Also, you shouldn't have these problems with file permissions if you use the ftp layer in Joomla.
You can turn on FTP in your configuration. That will mae stuff a bit saver in your setup. Because you don't need to chmod 777 your folders.

777 wasn't a good idea as the provider/server didn't like it. On their recommendation I set directories to 750 and files to 640, but there still seem to be niggling problems throughout the site.

So, have you tried the FTP mode?

Not yet but I will do this morning and I#ll let you know the outcome. JFI: I included the Expired Cache option in all the other cache deleting possibilities.

I've enabled the FTP mode on the site but it will take a while for me to see if there is any noticeable change in behaviour. In what may have been a mistaken belief that the site would be safer without the FTP access enabled I have not enabled this possibility on any Joomla site I've worked with. Are there any obvious changes I might observe ?

Well, The ftp layer uses... the ftp
So you also will not have the problem that you cannot delete/change certain files through your ftp client that have been saved through Joomla.
Also some extensions will not work very well without the ftp layer on (like some galleries and file managers).

Here's the present situation:

FTP enabled
Cache use switched off in Global Config.
Cache Directory/Sub-Directories = 750
Files = 640
(Both as required by provider)

Cache Cleaner runs but cleans nothing
Joomla Cache Cleaner removes cache file

Despite the last line above, changes to a test article are not reflected on the site.
User Manager does not update. There are still multiple instances of me on the site.

Refreshing browser cache also has no effect on the test article.

After a few minutes I tried Cache Cleaner again and this time it worked. It's as if cache is being controlled by another operator, perhaps the server. Either way it's very frustrating, unproductive and to be honest I wish I'd never started.

Your browser cache may be loading the old Cache Cleaner script... causing Cache Cleaner to fail due to javascript errors.

Please use FireFox with the webdev plugin to see if you get javascript errors when using Cache Cleaner (and it doesn't work).

I'm already using Firefox but cannot find a specific plugin described as webdev. I searched all addons and have installed Web Developer 1.1.18 which seems to be the nearest choice. Running Cache Cleaner produces no javascript errors.

But installing the Plugin does seem to have made a difference. Changes now seem to be reflected immediately without use of any cache cleaners. I hope you can see some logic in this result as I can't. Later I'll try it with Chrome and also with IE8. For the moment (if evrything seems to be running as normal) I have to get back to the other neglected sites. Nice to meet you Peter. I'll keep an eye on your applications and probably buy a license at some point.

yeah, I meant the webdeveloper toolbar.

I think it is down to your browser cache. Maybe you have Gears or something installed, which will cache stuff on another level.

Cache cleaner wasnt working for me either when I first tried it. I went into module manager and looked at the settings for Cache cleaner and it was enabled but I pressed save anyway. After that the icon and link moved from being on the end on the right (next to logout) to the first position on the left. It seems to work fine now.

Deosnt seem to be working again, very odd. I've got joomla 1.5.15 on a wamp server and I am using the "Joomlatwork SEO patch for Joomla release 1.5 Stable and above"

Clan your browsers cache.
And what do you mean with 'not working'?