2nd Request/Help Delete index.dat File

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Guest

My original thread seems to have died, although I posted
several follow-up messages. I still need help with this
problem, so I'll try again. Here goes:

I use Symantec CleanSweep to clear temporary files,
internet history, etc. It has been failing to clear
internet history and Symantec tech support has given me
some suggestions, none of which worked, and they also
advised me to contact Microsoft for information on how to
delete the index.dat file. There are 17 index.dat files on
my system, and I have asked on this forum several times
which is the right file to delete. I was told the path to
the file begins with \Documents and
Settings\<username>\etc. I replied that my system contains
no subfolder under \Documents and Settings which specifies
my username. The five subfolders directly under \Documents
and Settings are: \All Users, \Default User, \LocalService,
\NetworkService, and \Owner. Can someone help me to
resolve this issue? Please? Thank you.
 
My original thread seems to have died, although I posted
several follow-up messages. I still need help with this
problem, so I'll try again. Here goes:

I use Symantec CleanSweep to clear temporary files,
internet history, etc. It has been failing to clear
internet history and Symantec tech support has given me
some suggestions, none of which worked, and they also
advised me to contact Microsoft for information on how to
delete the index.dat file. There are 17 index.dat files on
my system, and I have asked on this forum several times
which is the right file to delete. I was told the path to
the file begins with \Documents and
Settings\<username>\etc. I replied that my system contains
no subfolder under \Documents and Settings which specifies
my username. The five subfolders directly under \Documents
and Settings are: \All Users, \Default User, \LocalService,
\NetworkService, and \Owner. Can someone help me to
resolve this issue? Please? Thank you.
Click to expand...

The only issue that I can see you having is that Cleansweep is failing to do
something it's supposed to do. The proper way to clear the Temporary
Internet Files and History folders are via Internet Options, perhaps if you
tried clearing them from there then your Cleansweep will work correctly.

As far as index.dat is concerned, I have 23 of those on just one drive
alone. I don't have a \Owner subfolder and I suspect it would be the folder
containing the index.dat file that Symantec suggest you delete.
 
My original thread seems to have died, although I posted
several follow-up messages. I still need help with this
problem, so I'll try again. Here goes:

I use Symantec CleanSweep to clear temporary files,
internet history, etc. It has been failing to clear
internet history and Symantec tech support has given me
some suggestions, none of which worked, and they also
advised me to contact Microsoft for information on how to
delete the index.dat file. There are 17 index.dat files on
my system, and I have asked on this forum several times
which is the right file to delete. I was told the path to
the file begins with \Documents and
Settings\<username>\etc. I replied that my system contains
no subfolder under \Documents and Settings which specifies
my username. The five subfolders directly under \Documents
and Settings are: \All Users, \Default User, \LocalService,
\NetworkService, and \Owner. Can someone help me to
resolve this issue? Please? Thank you.
Click to expand...

Owner, probably.

A quick way to check is to place a new shortcut on your desktop, then go to
the Desktop folder that's in the Owner folder, if that new shortcut is in
the Desktop folder, then Owner would be where all your user setting are
under.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"
 
Owner, probably.

A quick way to check is to place a new shortcut on your desktop, then go to
the Desktop folder that's in the Owner folder, if that new shortcut is in
the Desktop folder, then Owner would be where all your user setting are
under.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I did as you suggested, and sure enough, the
shortcut showed up in the Desktop folder under Owner. But my search
for index.dat (17 files) shows only three files under \Owner, in the
following folders:

\Documents and Settings\Owner\Cookies
\Documents and Settings\Owner\UserData
\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent

I suppose my next step will be to delete these files, one at a time,
and see which, if any, solves the problem. Thanks again for your
help.

Mort
 
The only issue that I can see you having is that Cleansweep is failing to do
something it's supposed to do. The proper way to clear the Temporary
Internet Files and History folders are via Internet Options, perhaps if you
tried clearing them from there then your Cleansweep will work correctly.

As far as index.dat is concerned, I have 23 of those on just one drive
alone. I don't have a \Owner subfolder and I suspect it would be the folder
containing the index.dat file that Symantec suggest you delete.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice. Several days ago, I went the Internet
Explorer/Options route, and although it appeared to function properly,
when I launched CleanSweep/Fast & Safe Cleanup, (even after rebooting)
the Internet History file as shown in Settings, still contains about
400 K. Please have a look at my response to kurttrail's suggestions.
Thanks again for your help

Mort
 
Mort Middleman said:
Thanks for your advice. Several days ago, I went the Internet
Explorer/Options route, and although it appeared to function properly,
when I launched CleanSweep/Fast & Safe Cleanup, (even after rebooting)
the Internet History file as shown in Settings, still contains about
400 K. Please have a look at my response to kurttrail's suggestions.
Thanks again for your help
Click to expand...

You probably already tried this:
Internet Options | General tab | settings | current location...shows the TIF
path, History should be in the same path.

The TIF will always contain a desktop.ini file and a subfolder content.ie5
with another desktop.ini file along with the index.dat file, the History
folder will always contain a desktop.ini file and a History.ie5 folder that
contains another desktop.ini file along with a index.dat file, so it's not
unusual for the TIF or History folder to show 400kb even when just cleared..
Some antivirus programs such as eTrust EZ antivirus will let you see
everything in those folders.
 
You probably already tried this:
Internet Options | General tab | settings | current location...shows the TIF
path, History should be in the same path.

The TIF will always contain a desktop.ini file and a subfolder content.ie5
with another desktop.ini file along with the index.dat file, the History
folder will always contain a desktop.ini file and a History.ie5 folder that
contains another desktop.ini file along with a index.dat file, so it's not
unusual for the TIF or History folder to show 400kb even when just cleared..
Some antivirus programs such as eTrust EZ antivirus will let you see
everything in those folders.
Click to expand...

Thanks Incognitus. I followed your suggestion. (I hadn't tried this
before.) I couldn't see the index.dat file in Windows Explorer but I
was able to locate it with a DIR from the command prompt. It has
524,288 bytes. I was able to copy it to one of my folders, just in
case I was able to delete it and needed to restore it. But I was
unable to delete it, the system reported the file in use. So I think
I have located the correct file, thanks to you, but I don't know how
to delete it. One respondent to my earlier request suggested that I
might have to go into safe mode. My hard drive is partitioned (I used
Partition Magic) but I can't find any reference to safe mode in their
help files. Earlier this week (Monday) I sent them a request for info
on how to boot the XP partition in safe mode. Still waiting for a
reply from Power Quest. Thanks again for all your help, and of course
I'm open to any further suggestions/ideas you might come up with.

Mort
 
Mort Middleman said:
Thanks Incognitus. I followed your suggestion. (I hadn't tried this
before.) I couldn't see the index.dat file in Windows Explorer but I
was able to locate it with a DIR from the command prompt. It has
524,288 bytes. I was able to copy it to one of my folders, just in
case I was able to delete it and needed to restore it. But I was
unable to delete it, the system reported the file in use. So I think
I have located the correct file, thanks to you, but I don't know how
to delete it. One respondent to my earlier request suggested that I
might have to go into safe mode. My hard drive is partitioned (I used
Partition Magic) but I can't find any reference to safe mode in their
help files. Earlier this week (Monday) I sent them a request for info
on how to boot the XP partition in safe mode. Still waiting for a
reply from Power Quest. Thanks again for all your help, and of course
I'm open to any further suggestions/ideas you might come up with.
Click to expand...

Please be aware that the index.dat file will be rebuilt and that there is a
good possibility that it doesn't need deleting in the first place.

Go to: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm click I page and scroll
down to index.dat.

Also:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=h...XP&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search
 
Please be aware that the index.dat file will be rebuilt and that there is a
good possibility that it doesn't need deleting in the first place.

Go to: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm click I page and scroll
down to index.dat.

Also:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=h...XP&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search
Click to expand...

Thanks again. I'm a little nervous about trying programs mentioned on
these sites. I'll wait to see if PowerQuest gives me a tip on how to
boot XP in safe mode on a dual-boot system.
 
Mort Middleman said:
F-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

Thanks again. I'm a little nervous about trying programs mentioned on
these sites. I'll wait to see if PowerQuest gives me a tip on how to
boot XP in safe mode on a dual-boot system.
Click to expand...

I run XP in a dual boot system and the boot menu has a safe mode choice for
either OS.
 
Incognitus said:
I run XP in a dual boot system and the boot menu has a safe mode
choice for either OS.
Click to expand...

And if you are using BootMagic, just hit the F8 key immediately after the
boot screen disappears.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"
 
And if you are using BootMagic, just hit the F8 key immediately after the
boot screen disappears.
Click to expand...

OK - that got me into safe mode. I couldn't see the index.dat file
thru Windows Explorer, but it did show when I ran DIR from the command
prompt. I tried to delete it from there using the DEL command but the
response was still the same - file being used by another process.

(When XP started, it asked whether I wanted to sign in as
"Administrator" or "Owner".) I chose Owner. Should I try
Administrator? There's no other administrator here, so I must be him.

By the way, it's awfully nice of you guys to spend part of your Sunday
afternoon helping me with this. Thanks again.
 
OK - that got me into safe mode. I couldn't see the index.dat file
thru Windows Explorer, but it did show when I ran DIR from the command
prompt. I tried to delete it from there using the DEL command but the
response was still the same - file being used by another process.

(When XP started, it asked whether I wanted to sign in as
"Administrator" or "Owner".) I chose Owner. Should I try
Administrator? There's no other administrator here, so I must be him.

By the way, it's awfully nice of you guys to spend part of your Sunday
afternoon helping me with this. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I took a shot - I booted into XP safe mode as Administrator. I was
able to delete the index.dat file from the command prompt. Now, after
rebooting normally, when I search for index.dat files, it shows about
30 files instead of the 17 it showed before. And a couple of them
show under \documents and settings\administrator, which never showed
before. Also, Windows Explorer shows a \administrator sub-folder
under \documents and settings, which it didn't do before. And when I
run CleanSweep/Fast & Safe Cleanup, it still will not clean the
internet history file (it always did up until about ten days ago, when
all this started.) Have I screwed something up here?
 
There are a lot of ways to clear index.dat files, the easiest being to use a
free utility like Internet Sweeper. From http://www.bmesite.com/
"Options to erase index.dat files, Cache, History, Cookies, Addresses,
Forms, Passwords, Recent Documents, Find Documents and Search Assistants,
Find Computers, and Temporary Files!" It deletes .dat files at next boot
when they're not in use. I've used it for several years with no problems.

Kimmy
 
There are a lot of ways to clear index.dat files, the easiest being to use a
free utility like Internet Sweeper. From http://www.bmesite.com/
"Options to erase index.dat files, Cache, History, Cookies, Addresses,
Forms, Passwords, Recent Documents, Find Documents and Search Assistants,
Find Computers, and Temporary Files!" It deletes .dat files at next boot
when they're not in use. I've used it for several years with no problems.

Kimmy
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll try it.
 
Mort Middleman said:
I took a shot - I booted into XP safe mode as Administrator. I was
able to delete the index.dat file from the command prompt. Now, after
rebooting normally, when I search for index.dat files, it shows about
30 files instead of the 17 it showed before. And a couple of them
show under \documents and settings\administrator, which never showed
before. Also, Windows Explorer shows a \administrator sub-folder
under \documents and settings, which it didn't do before. And when I
run CleanSweep/Fast & Safe Cleanup, it still will not clean the
internet history file (it always did up until about ten days ago, when
all this started.) Have I screwed something up here?
Click to expand...

As I mentioned earlier about there being a good possibility that index.dat
didn't even need deleting, may be true.

The correct way, IMO, would've been to clear the TIF and History via IE
options just before deleting the index.dat file, this probably should've
been done while logged on as owner, then log on as Admin and delete the
index.dat file in the owner folder, if you didn't, then there are most
likely files stranded in the folder that now has a new default size
index.dat that knows nothing about those stranded files.

Those Admin folders that were created are perfectly normal.
 
I have just received e-mail from Symantec tech support stating that
this issue is a known problem with CleanSweep, and the Symantecists
are working on a fix. Thanks to all who offered help and suggestions.
 
Mort Middleman said:
I have just received e-mail from Symantec tech support stating that
this issue is a known problem with CleanSweep, and the Symantecists
are working on a fix. Thanks to all who offered help and suggestions.
Click to expand...

Glad you have it worked out. =)
 
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