Sudden decrease in free space

[srd]

For more than a year, my programs and documents on my main disk consumed
20 Gb, leaving 20 free. Suddenly, the free space decline by 7 and the used
space increased correspondingly. I found the apparent source of the
increase in the Temp Folder in Documents and Settings/Local Settings,
which folder consumed 7 Gb, even though its contents didn't approach that
volume. There were 20 40 very small files, in the neighborhood of 30 kb
each, sometimes much smaller, never larger than 70 kb.

When I deleted all the files in Temp using SafeMode (retaining a backup),
the size of the free space increased by 7 Gb, but when I restarted the
computer, it jumped back up to its old value. Again the folder was filled
by the same kinds of small files that just didn't add up to nearly 7 Gb.

I have checked for viruses and spyware, performed a dskchk /f/r, and even
defragmented my disk with various commercial defragmenters to see if it
made any difference.

Why the sudden increase, and (the heart of the problem), why does the Temp
folder register many more files than is apparent? (I made invisible files
visible.)

 

[Jerry]

A program on your system that is starting when the computer starts is, for
some reason unknown to mortal men, creating all those entries in the Temp
folder. The solution is to selectively start the programs that starts when
Windows starts to determine the culprit. (Emptying the Temp folder
in-between restarts is required.)

Start > run > msconfig > startup and check/uncheck the programs as required.

 

[srd]

Thanks, Jerry--you were correct. The developer now has a new build that's
supposed to take care of the problem.

Given your sense of amazement, should I conclude that this is a bad
program, even if the problem is fixed--that the error is incompetent or
negligent? Or do such thinks just happen in the trade?

 

[Jerry]

I really wasn't amazed. I had a similar problem when I upgraded to Spy
Sweeper 4 - their tech support said it came with the program; after I
complained about the software dumping files in my \tmp folder.

As far as the developer? Who or what are you refering to?

 

[srd]

The program in question is Smartboard, a clip manager by X2net.

 

[srd]

It may be of interest that the product here discussed has just been
selected as a Wugnet/Microsoft pick--that alliance being the subject of
another current thread in this forum.