I only have a simple on start { /server some some servers } on connect { join some channels if network==right } which has worked for years. I do not run any other scripts.

Also, the buffer emptying does not seem to be associated with any disconnects, parts or joins either.

And this has just seemed to start happening during the last weeks... and I did update to this version of mirc sometime over Christmas or New Year, and the previous version was 7.17.