Corrupted IE Index.dat file

[Jim Callahan]

First of all, I never knew this web site existed until a
friend told me about it over the phone earlier today.
Wow! I hope to learn all sorts of good info here. This
is GREAT!

Now, to my matter.....
I am running Windows XP (Home), SP-1. I recently
installed Norton Anti-Virus and also Norton System Works,
which includes Norton Internet Security. All installed
just fine and I don't think I have any viruses, etc. on
my computer. In Norton Systems Works, there is a section
for cleaning the URL history (Norton Systems Works, then
Web Tools, then Web Cleanup). When I click this, all the
URL history is cleaned up except 21 entries. I looked
into my Internet Explorer "Clean History" option and it
was set to 20 days, so I re-set it to 0 (zero). Even
after restarting my computer I still have 21 entries in
my URL history which will not go away. I queried
Symantec Technical Support. They responded by telling me
the situation I am encountering is usually caused by a
corrupted Internet Explorer index file. Here is a quote
from their reply:

"Because there is no method for restarting Windows XP to
a DOS command line, this situation is more complex for
those operating systems. Without the ability to start in
DOS, the operating system maintains the file [Index.dat]
in an "open" state, preventing its deletion. For this
reason, contact Microsoft customer support for assistance
in removing the Index.dat file in Windows XP."

Okay, I know this forum is not Microsoft customer
support. That said, can anyone assist in how to delete
or otherwise repair this corrupted file?

Or, if I should well enough alone?

Thank you in advance to all...

Jim

 

[Guest]

If you have another OS on drive C or D and the file system is same,
for instance ME/98/2000 on C (Fat32) and XP on D (Fat32) you can
delete files in other OS. You can delete index files with impunity,
I.E. will recreate them at minimum size.
This is one good reason not to use NTFS with XP, if you have a Fat32 OS
elsewhere. Fat32 does not see NTFS drives.



----- Jim Callahan wrote: -----

First of all, I never knew this web site existed until a
friend told me about it over the phone earlier today.
Wow! I hope to learn all sorts of good info here. This
is GREAT!

Now, to my matter.....
I am running Windows XP (Home), SP-1. I recently
installed Norton Anti-Virus and also Norton System Works,
which includes Norton Internet Security. All installed
just fine and I don't think I have any viruses, etc. on
my computer. In Norton Systems Works, there is a section
for cleaning the URL history (Norton Systems Works, then
Web Tools, then Web Cleanup). When I click this, all the
URL history is cleaned up except 21 entries. I looked
into my Internet Explorer "Clean History" option and it
was set to 20 days, so I re-set it to 0 (zero). Even
after restarting my computer I still have 21 entries in
my URL history which will not go away. I queried
Symantec Technical Support. They responded by telling me
the situation I am encountering is usually caused by a
corrupted Internet Explorer index file. Here is a quote
from their reply:

"Because there is no method for restarting Windows XP to
a DOS command line, this situation is more complex for
those operating systems. Without the ability to start in
DOS, the operating system maintains the file [Index.dat]
in an "open" state, preventing its deletion. For this
reason, contact Microsoft customer support for assistance
in removing the Index.dat file in Windows XP."

Okay, I know this forum is not Microsoft customer
support. That said, can anyone assist in how to delete
or otherwise repair this corrupted file?

Or, if I should well enough alone?

Thank you in advance to all...

Jim

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Jim;
Run chkdsk first. To see if the corrupted file can be repaired.
--------
Scandisk is now Error-checking (chkdisk).
Open My Computer, double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
Right click your hard drive | Properties.
On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.
Under Check disk options, check both boxes.
You have to reboot for Error-checking to run.

For a peek at the log.
Start | Run | Type: eventvwr | OK
Look in Application | Listed as Information
under Winlogon, Event 1001
EVENT_AUTOCHK_DATA

 

[Jim]

Hello Wes,

Thank you for your reply.

In your reply, you asked that I let you ("us") know how
it went. Here's how:

I followed your suggestions about running CHKDSK and also
looking at the Event Viewer.

Now that I have all this information, I don't know what
to do with it or how to interpret the data.

I have saved the information which was on the event
viewer. Do you have any further advise or suggestions
you care to share?

The information is below:

-------------------------

Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.

Cleaning up 25 unused index entries from index $SII of
file 0x9.

Cleaning up 25 unused index entries from index $SDH of
file 0x9.

Cleaning up 25 unused security descriptors.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...

Usn Journal verification completed.

CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...

File data verification completed.

CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...

Free space verification is complete.

78108029 KB total disk space.
11172384 KB in 56080 files.
18784 KB in 3165 indexes.
32 KB in bad sectors.
143285 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
66773544 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.

19527007 total allocation units on disk.

16693386 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:

49 02 01 00 79 e7 00 00 0b 29 01 00 00 00 00 00
I...y....)......

73 12 00 00 00 00 00 00 1f 01 00 00 00 00 00 00
s...............

1e 0c fa 03 00 00 00 00 58 71 6d 23 00 00 00
00 ........Xqm#....

84 31 7a 02 00 00 00 00 be b9 92 fd 01 00 00
00 .1z.............

ca 1c 90 84 04 00 00 00 c8 83 80 b4 06 00 00
00 ................

99 9e 36 00 00 00 00 00 10 db 00 00 00 00 00
00 ..6.............

00 80 e8 a9 02 00 00 00 5d 0c 00 00 00 00 00
00 ........].......

Windows has finished checking your disk.

Please wait while your computer restarts.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hello Jim;
Have you tried to delete the offending index.dat file?
If you are still having problems with it, let us know the path.
For example:
C:\DOCUME~1\WESLEY~1.VOG\LOCALS~1\History\History.IE5\index.dat
C:\DOCUME~1\WESLEY~1.VOG\LOCALS~1\History\History.IE5\MSHIST~1\index.dat
C:\DOCUME~1\WESLEY~1.VOG\LOCALS~1\TEMPOR~1\Content.IE5\index.dat
C:\DOCUME~1\WESLEY~1.VOG\UserData\index.dat
C:\DOCUME~1\WESLEY~1.VOG\Cookies\index.dat
====================
Go here:
http://www.it-mate.co.uk/support/idsuite.asp

Download Index.dat Suite
Latest version, help files, updates
http://www.it-mate.co.uk/support/idsuite_download.asp

Download, install and run Index.dat Suite.
It will find all of your Index.dat files, even the hidden ones.
You can Copy the paths to the Clipboard and Paste into Notepad.
Then post back.
This is going to take a couple of posts. )
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
(Where are you Steven?)

In

Hello Wes,

Thank you for your reply.

In your reply, you asked that I let you ("us") know how
it went. Here's how:

I followed your suggestions about running CHKDSK and also
looking at the Event Viewer.

Now that I have all this information, I don't know what
to do with it or how to interpret the data.

I have saved the information which was on the event
viewer. Do you have any further advise or suggestions
you care to share?

The information is below:

-------------------------

Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.

Cleaning up 25 unused index entries from index $SII of
file 0x9.

Cleaning up 25 unused index entries from index $SDH of
file 0x9.

Cleaning up 25 unused security descriptors.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...

Usn Journal verification completed.

CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...

File data verification completed.

CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...

Free space verification is complete.

78108029 KB total disk space.
11172384 KB in 56080 files.
18784 KB in 3165 indexes.
32 KB in bad sectors.
143285 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
66773544 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.

19527007 total allocation units on disk.

16693386 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:

49 02 01 00 79 e7 00 00 0b 29 01 00 00 00 00 00
I...y....)......

73 12 00 00 00 00 00 00 1f 01 00 00 00 00 00 00
s...............

1e 0c fa 03 00 00 00 00 58 71 6d 23 00 00 00
00 ........Xqm#....

84 31 7a 02 00 00 00 00 be b9 92 fd 01 00 00
00 .1z.............

ca 1c 90 84 04 00 00 00 c8 83 80 b4 06 00 00
00 ................

99 9e 36 00 00 00 00 00 10 db 00 00 00 00 00
00 ..6.............

00 80 e8 a9 02 00 00 00 5d 0c 00 00 00 00 00
00 ........].......

Windows has finished checking your disk.

Please wait while your computer restarts.

------------------------

Thank you for any assistance you can offer.

Jim

 

[pgriffet]

First of all, I never knew this web site existed until a
friend told me about it over the phone earlier today.
Wow! I hope to learn all sorts of good info here. This
is GREAT!

Now, to my matter.....
I am running Windows XP (Home), SP-1. I recently
installed Norton Anti-Virus and also Norton System Works,
which includes Norton Internet Security. All installed
just fine and I don't think I have any viruses, etc. on
my computer. In Norton Systems Works, there is a section
for cleaning the URL history (Norton Systems Works, then
Web Tools, then Web Cleanup). When I click this, all the
URL history is cleaned up except 21 entries. I looked
into my Internet Explorer "Clean History" option and it
was set to 20 days, so I re-set it to 0 (zero). Even
after restarting my computer I still have 21 entries in
my URL history which will not go away. I queried
Symantec Technical Support. They responded by telling me
the situation I am encountering is usually caused by a
corrupted Internet Explorer index file. Here is a quote
from their reply:

"Because there is no method for restarting Windows XP to
a DOS command line, this situation is more complex for
those operating systems. Without the ability to start in
DOS, the operating system maintains the file [Index.dat]
in an "open" state, preventing its deletion. For this
reason, contact Microsoft customer support for assistance
in removing the Index.dat file in Windows XP."

Okay, I know this forum is not Microsoft customer
support. That said, can anyone assist in how to delete
or otherwise repair this corrupted file?

Or, if I should well enough alone?

Thank you in advance to all...

Jim

Take a look here : http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/delcache.htm

If you can't delete the History folder, rename it to whatever
you want. Then reboot, XP creates a new History folder and
you will be able to delete the old History folder.

Pierre.