Cleaning out CSC folder on my laptop

[Randy Bibeau]

I was issued a laptop when I started with my last company and given a password that logged me onto Windows and my company network at the same time.
Although I rarely had to be connected to the company network, this is the only password I have for logging onto Windows when I boot up my laptop.
I am no longer with the company, so everything I do on my laptop is considered "Working with offline files" and the CSC folder is 19Gb large on a 52Gb drive and I only have a total of 1.6Gb of free space left on the drive.
I need to know if there is a way I can delete all (or some) of the cache files in the D1 thru D8 folders in the local CSC folder to free up disk space without causing problems with Windows booting up my laptop, or damaging any of the thousands of files I have.
All the research I've done on this topic yielded results that assume I would someday be logging back onto the network and need to synchronize my laptop with the network shared drive.
Since this will never be the case for me, and I do not have a way to log onto my laptop in 'local user' mode (or "Safe Mode", for that matter... another real problem), I need to figure out a way to clear out these huge cache files from time to time without causing problems with my ability to continue using my laptop in "Working Offline" mode.
I already have the "View Invisible Files" option enabled, and it appears I have full permissions to manipulate these cache files, but I don't dare do anything until someone can explain to me what impact removal of these cache files will have on the operability of my laptop.
Should I just compress some of the larger files that have not been accessed recently? Delete them outright?
I'm stumped... and AFRAID to go hacking around until I'm sure I won't cause problems down the road.
HELP!!!!

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[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <[email protected]>,

I already have the "View Invisible Files" option enabled, and it
appears I have full permissions to manipulate these cache files, but I
don't dare do anything until someone can explain to me what impact
removal of these cache files will have on the operability of my laptop.
Should I just compress some of the larger files that have not been
accessed recently? Delete them outright?
I'm stumped... and AFRAID to go hacking around until I'm sure I won't
cause problems down the road.
HELP!!!!

[]
The usual response you will get from most of the experts is: completely
reinstall your system from scratch (saving your files to removable media
first).

However, this also involves reinstalling all your applications, and
getting them - and the OS - set up exactly how you like them. This isn't
a quick process! (Though probably best in the long run.) It also assumes
you have appropriate installation media for all of them (not least the
OS itself), and have or can get drivers for the various bits of your
laptop (and system - printers, ADSL, ...)

What I'd probably do, or at least might consider:
1. Get something that gives you an alternative access to all the files
in the system. I mean from at least the boot menu in. The only one I've
experience of so far is BartPE: since this seems to work well for me,
I've not investigated others.

(What it does - for me: during boot, there's a [white on black, text
mode] screen that asks me to choose BartPE or Windows; the system loads
Windows after a while if I do nothing. If I choose to load BartPE, a GUI
loads up, and included in it is an application very like Explorer,
through which I can see and manipulate all files on the disc. It
operates at the wrong resolution for the display, so text looks a bit
uneven; I imagine there may well be a setting to fix this, but as I only
intend to use it to fix problems, I haven't investigated.)

2. Boot up in that, and _rename_ one or more of the files - and folders
- you're wondering about. (In such a way that you can figure out what
the original name was.)

3. Close down and reboot Windows, and make sure it still works,
including applications.

(Ideally, wait a few days/weeks to be absolutely sure.)

4. Delete - either in Windows or the alternative - the unwanted files.

5. Repeat from 2. until happy (-:

BartPE is free, and I found it easy to install (it took care of
inserting itself into the boot menu for me). I'm sure there are lots of
other things that could do the same job - not least lots of the Linux
installations ("distros" as they call them).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. -e.e. cummings, poet
(1894-1962)

 

[L.B.Buddhika]

Hi Randy,

To reclaim the space:

1 open Windows Explorer

2 Tools -> Folder Options

3 "Offline Files" Tab

4 Uncheck "Enable Offline Files" and reboot the computer.

5 Delete everything in c:\Windows\csc (but not the directory itself). It
should let you delete all but 1 or 2 files.

L.B.Buddhika


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