Windows Explorer, Temporary Internet Files, Display Problem

[htfiddler]

Hey ... could one of you MVP's help out on this? I think I found a bug
in WinXP. It's happening on both my machines.

Sometimes I have to find a file in my cache and grab it from there.

I have my Folder Options set as follows:
(*) Show hidden files and folders
Hide extensions for known file types [unchecked]
Hide protected operating system files [unchecked]

My cache is in the usual spot:
c:\Documents and Settings\MyUser\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

When I click on that folder, I get a customized display with special
column heads for the cache. So far, so good. However I don't see the
actual directory structure on my hard drive, and I only see about 5% of
all the files in my cache. I know this is the case since I am a DOS
hacker, and when I go to a DOS window, I see the Content.IE5 folder and
within that, there are 20 to 40 System folders with those silly cryptic
8 character names like N3DF3XGK & 2VGRMPUJ. Anyone who doubts this can
go to DOS and navigate to Temporary Internet Files folder. Then type
in this DOS command:

dir/s >files.txt

Then open files.txt with Notepad, and bingo ... you see the entire
cache, which is a good 20 times larger than what Explorer displays.
And there is no rhyme or reason to which files the Explorer shows,
since they come out of different folders!

Another weird thing is that there is what looks like a 2d little cache
at:

C:\Documents and Settings\MyUser\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary
Internet Files

It displays normally within Windows Explorer, with a Content.IE5 and 4
of the cryptic folders, on both of my WinXP computers. I'm curious
what this 2d cache is all about, as I see many familiar files in these
folders.

Is this a bug or what?

Any and all insights greatly appreciated!

Yours truly,
Henry Fiddler

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

I'm not an MVP, but I played one on TV

Your 'index.dat', in the cache, lacks entries for the relic files. I would assume they are 'shared' files, part of the Default user
account, and at some point, topu 'cleared the cache' of your user.

 

[htfiddler]

Interesting.... since my previous post, I discovered that index.dat
file. So I think what you are saying is that Win. Explorer is
essentially listing the contents of index.dat, and not the entire cache
.... correct?

Does this mean that Windows only "tracks" the files listed in
index.dat, and once they expire and are pulled from index.dat, they are
no longer available to Internet Explorer, even though the underlying
file is still in the physical cache and accessible to us at the DOS
level?

Is there a way for us to "see" the drive's actual structure from within
Win. Explorer, short of copying and pasting the entire Temporary
Internet Files to another folder, away from the cache's "official
location"? That works, but what a pain in the ass!!

As for Default user, it's index.dat is empty.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is "topu" ???

Thx for all the help!
Henry Fiddler