Disk cleanup, Search Results, Deleting .tmp files... UGH!

[Steve Nielsen]

These have been problems in previous Windows versions. It seems such an
obvious boneheaded thing that I am astonished why M$ while deciding what
is best for us users has not fixed or changed these very simple things.
No, instead of fixing some long-standing, real problems with the OS they
decided to make it into a cartoon instead. But I digress...

1. Disk cleanup does not. Period. Never has. Half-hearted attempts at
best. It niether deletes all temporary Internet files nor all unneeded
..tmp files as it is supposed to do. And why should I care if it
compresses unused files or not and why should it take it a half an hour
of MY TIME to do so? Other files systems that use compression do so on
the fly during idle times.

2. Because Disk cleanup does not work correctly one must manually delete
..tmp files that accumulate over time in order to avoid/correct
application malfunctions caused by the existence of certain .tmp files.
Which begs another question - why would a properly designed OS leave
these little "droppings" behind in the first place?

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No problem. At
least that works... IF you change some default settings, such as file
viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files that cause problems are
hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My Documents? Why would anyone want
to start searching for ANYTHING in My Documents? If what I wanted was in
My Documents I'd probably know it was there already, since *I* put it
there, and I wouldn't need the Search tool to find it.

4. Once the .tmp files are found and selected some will not delete as
they are in use by the system. Ok, I understand. No problem there. BUT
the rest of the selected files won't go ahead and delete either after
one of the files in use is hit. Now how stupid is that?

5. To make matters worse, the Search results window does NOT refresh
automatically nor reliably even when done manually - it ALWAYS continues
to display files that HAVE BEEN ALREADY DELETED. What's the point in
that? So, you have to repeat the search over again and delete more files
until it hits one in use, repeat the search over again and delete more
files until it hits another one in use, etc., ad nauseum.

Steve

 

[Phil]

These have been problems in previous Windows versions. It seems such
an obvious boneheaded thing that I am astonished why M$ while
deciding what is best for us users has not fixed or changed these
very simple things. No, instead of fixing some long-standing, real
problems with the OS they decided to make it into a cartoon instead.
But I digress...

1. Disk cleanup does not. Period. Never has. Half-hearted attempts at
best. It niether deletes all temporary Internet files nor all unneeded
.tmp files as it is supposed to do. And why should I care if it
compresses unused files or not and why should it take it a half an
hour of MY TIME to do so? Other files systems that use compression do
so on the fly during idle times.

Yes, I have noticed it does not clean it all like you'd expect it to do.

2. Because Disk cleanup does not work correctly one must manually
delete .tmp files that accumulate over time in order to avoid/correct
application malfunctions caused by the existence of certain .tmp
files. Which begs another question - why would a properly designed OS
leave these little "droppings" behind in the first place?

The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space. I've never
seen left over temp files cause application malfunctions. A properly written
app would have no prob with temp files and folders.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No problem.
At least that works... IF you change some default settings, such as
file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files that cause problems
are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My Documents? Why would
anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING in My Documents? If what
I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably know it was there already,
since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't need the Search tool to find
it.

You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to show
hidden files.

4. Once the .tmp files are found and selected some will not delete as
they are in use by the system. Ok, I understand. No problem there. BUT
the rest of the selected files won't go ahead and delete either after
one of the files in use is hit. Now how stupid is that?

When you highlight all the files in the temp folder and try to delete them,
it may find one in use, then it stops deleting. All you have to do at this
point is hold the ctrl key down to un-highlight the file in use(xp told you
what it was) by holding the cursor over the file with ctrl held down. Once
the file in un-highlighted hit delete and all the previous files that are
still highlighted get deleted.

5. To make matters worse, the Search results window does NOT refresh
automatically nor reliably even when done manually - it ALWAYS
continues to display files that HAVE BEEN ALREADY DELETED. What's the
point in that? So, you have to repeat the search over again and
delete more files until it hits one in use, repeat the search over
again and delete more files until it hits another one in use, etc.,
ad nauseum.

Do not delete the files from the search window. Just browse to the correct
temp folder in explorer (as listed above) and delete the files from there.

 

[Steve Nielsen]

Yes, I have noticed it does not clean it all like you'd expect it to do.




The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space. I've never
seen left over temp files cause application malfunctions. A properly written
app would have no prob with temp files and folders.

Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
problems I have ever seen.

You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to show
hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

When you highlight all the files in the temp folder and try to delete them,
it may find one in use, then it stops deleting. All you have to do at this
point is hold the ctrl key down to un-highlight the file in use(xp told you
what it was) by holding the cursor over the file with ctrl held down. Once
the file in un-highlighted hit delete and all the previous files that are
still highlighted get deleted.

That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed and
selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits out an
error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more is deleted.

Do not delete the files from the search window. Just browse to the correct
temp folder in explorer (as listed above) and delete the files from there.

As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other locations
as well.

Steve

 

[Phil]

Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
problems I have ever seen.

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word, excel,
one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a problem with
temp files or corruption.

You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed
and selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits
out an error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more
is deleted.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do that.
Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder itself and it
pretty easy.

As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other
locations as well.

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh problem
and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much more you can do
about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but most stink just as bad
as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a tool, it requires manual cleaning
from time to time. Just find the files in explorer and delete them.

 

[kurttrail]

Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
problems I have ever seen.

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word,
excel, one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a
problem with temp files or corruption.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING in
My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
need the Search tool to find it.


You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed
and selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits
out an error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more
is deleted.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do that.
Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder itself and
it pretty easy.

As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other
locations as well.

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh
problem and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much
more you can do about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but
most stink just as bad as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a
tool, it requires manual cleaning from time to time. Just find the
files in explorer and delete them.

When did MS first include disk clean up into Windows? W95? You'd think
MS would have got it to work better after almost a decade. I haven't
bothered with MS's disk cleaner in a while, though I do do a little
house cleaning from time to time manually. I'm sure as Hell won't pay
for an app to do it!

A big part of the problem is third party apps, throwing up temp folders
in My Documents, or whatever partition happens to have the most space at
installation. Other big problem is the way NT forces multiple user
accounts right from the installation, so some progs but temp files in
the system temp folder, and some in the user temp folder, and MS disk
cleaner, is just so confused that it really does barely nothing, but
hang.

MS's search tool is a lost cause. MS will drop PA before they get a
local search tool that actually finds what you are looking for. MS's
system tools seem to becoming worse over time instead of getting more
mature. Me two cents, for what it's worth.

--
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!"

 

[kimmy]

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh
problem and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much
more you can do about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but
most stink just as bad as disk cleanup).

Perhaps, but I've found the free EmpTemp, from
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/emptemp/ to do a great job.

 

[Steve Nielsen]

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word, excel,
one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a problem with
temp files or corruption.

I use Office XP and although it does seem to be a bit more bullet-proof
about tmp files than previous versions it still leaves its little
droppings now and then. Office 2003 may be even better, I don't know,
haven't used it. Our 1000's of users are running mostly Office 2000 and
it definitley has an issue with tmp files.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING in
My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
need the Search tool to find it.


You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

That's nearly as much hassle as using Search to find them. And why
should the Search Results Window behave any differently than a normal
Exploere window? It just doesn't make sense.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do that.
Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder itself and it
pretty easy.




Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh problem
and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much more you can do
about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but most stink just as bad
as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a tool, it requires manual cleaning
from time to time. Just find the files in explorer and delete them.

Thanks for the suggestions and info. The difficulty I face is our 1000s
of uses not being able to understand how to really clean up their disks.
We try to train representatives in each building to be able to help them
with that, but even they have difficulty with this. It would be so much
easier if M$ would just fix the doggone Disk Cleanup tool.

Steve

 

[Steve Nielsen]

Perhaps, but I've found the free EmpTemp, from
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/emptemp/ to do a great job.

Thanks for that tip. I'll try it.

Steve

 

[Steve Nielsen]

Phil wrote:

Phil wrote:


Steve Nielsen wrote:


These have been problems in previous Windows versions. It seems
such
an obvious boneheaded thing that I am astonished why M$ while
deciding what is best for us users has not fixed or changed these
very simple things. No, instead of fixing some long-standing, real
problems with the OS they decided to make it into a cartoon
instead. But I digress...

1. Disk cleanup does not. Period. Never has. Half-hearted attempts
at best. It niether deletes all temporary Internet files nor all
unneeded .tmp files as it is supposed to do. And why should I care
if it compresses unused files or not and why should it take it a
half an hour of MY TIME to do so? Other files systems that use
compression do so on the fly during idle times.


Yes, I have noticed it does not clean it all like you'd expect it to
do.



2. Because Disk cleanup does not work correctly one must manually
delete .tmp files that accumulate over time in order to
avoid/correct application malfunctions caused by the existence of
certain .tmp files. Which begs another question - why would a
properly designed OS leave these little "droppings" behind in the
first place?


The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space.
I've never seen left over temp files cause application malfunctions.
A properly written app would have no prob with temp files and
folders.

Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
problems I have ever seen.

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word,
excel, one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a
problem with temp files or corruption.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING in
My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
need the Search tool to find it.


You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

4. Once the .tmp files are found and selected some will not delete
as they are in use by the system. Ok, I understand. No problem
there. BUT the rest of the selected files won't go ahead and delete
either after one of the files in use is hit. Now how stupid is
that?


When you highlight all the files in the temp folder and try to
delete them, it may find one in use, then it stops deleting. All you
have to do at this point is hold the ctrl key down to un-highlight
the file in use(xp told you what it was) by holding the cursor over
the file with ctrl held down. Once the file in un-highlighted hit
delete and all the previous files that are still highlighted get
deleted.

That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed
and selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits
out an error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more
is deleted.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do that.
Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder itself and
it pretty easy.

5. To make matters worse, the Search results window does NOT
refresh automatically nor reliably even when done manually - it
ALWAYS continues to display files that HAVE BEEN ALREADY DELETED.
What's
the point in that? So, you have to repeat the search over again and
delete more files until it hits one in use, repeat the search over
again and delete more files until it hits another one in use, etc.,
ad nauseum.


Do not delete the files from the search window. Just browse to the
correct temp folder in explorer (as listed above) and delete the
files from there.


As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other
locations as well.

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh
problem and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much
more you can do about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but
most stink just as bad as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a
tool, it requires manual cleaning from time to time. Just find the
files in explorer and delete them.

When did MS first include disk clean up into Windows? W95?

Yeah I think so.

You'd think
MS would have got it to work better after almost a decade.
Indeed.

I haven't
bothered with MS's disk cleaner in a while, though I do do a little
house cleaning from time to time manually. I'm sure as Hell won't pay
for an app to do it!

And why should you? You've already paid for a product that doesn't do it
and doesn't do a lot more!

A big part of the problem is third party apps, throwing up temp folders
in My Documents, or whatever partition happens to have the most space at
installation. Other big problem is the way NT forces multiple user
accounts right from the installation, so some progs but temp files in
the system temp folder, and some in the user temp folder, and MS disk
cleaner, is just so confused that it really does barely nothing, but
hang.

My experience is along those lines, too. Not only that but apps (even M$
apps) throw so much crap into the registry and God only knows where it
all is. Uninstalling apps rarely removes all of it, forcing the need to
use a registry cleaner when running into app installation problems, and
we all know that's a big fat no-no because "XP never needs the registry
cleaned."

Disk cleaner may not be hanging, it's just real busy deciding which
files can be compressed - even if you don't WANT it to compress files
and never told it to the dumb thing is still gonna scann all files to
see which ones it can compress just in case you decide to tell it to?
Sometimes MS = More Stupidity.

MS's search tool is a lost cause. MS will drop PA before they get a
local search tool that actually finds what you are looking for. MS's
system tools seem to becoming worse over time instead of getting more
mature. Me two cents, for what it's worth.

Definitely agree that system tools have not kept up.

Search finds what I ask it to, it just behaves erraticaly with the results.

Steve

 

[Phil]

Phil wrote:

Steve Nielsen wrote:

These have been problems in previous Windows versions. It seems
such
an obvious boneheaded thing that I am astonished why M$ while
deciding what is best for us users has not fixed or changed these
very simple things. No, instead of fixing some long-standing, real
problems with the OS they decided to make it into a cartoon
instead. But I digress...

1. Disk cleanup does not. Period. Never has. Half-hearted attempts
at best. It niether deletes all temporary Internet files nor all
unneeded .tmp files as it is supposed to do. And why should I care
if it compresses unused files or not and why should it take it a
half an hour of MY TIME to do so? Other files systems that use
compression do so on the fly during idle times.


Yes, I have noticed it does not clean it all like you'd expect it
to do.


2. Because Disk cleanup does not work correctly one must manually
delete .tmp files that accumulate over time in order to
avoid/correct application malfunctions caused by the existence of
certain .tmp files. Which begs another question - why would a
properly designed OS leave these little "droppings" behind in the
first place?


The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space.
I've never seen left over temp files cause application
malfunctions. A properly written app would have no prob with temp
files and folders.

Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
problems I have ever seen.

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word,
excel, one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a
problem with temp files or corruption.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING
in My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
need the Search tool to find it.


You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

4. Once the .tmp files are found and selected some will not delete
as they are in use by the system. Ok, I understand. No problem
there. BUT the rest of the selected files won't go ahead and
delete either after one of the files in use is hit. Now how
stupid is that?


When you highlight all the files in the temp folder and try to
delete them, it may find one in use, then it stops deleting. All
you have to do at this point is hold the ctrl key down to
un-highlight the file in use(xp told you what it was) by holding
the cursor over the file with ctrl held down. Once the file in
un-highlighted hit delete and all the previous files that are
still highlighted get deleted.

That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed
and selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits
out an error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more
is deleted.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do
that. Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder
itself and it pretty easy.

5. To make matters worse, the Search results window does NOT
refresh automatically nor reliably even when done manually - it
ALWAYS continues to display files that HAVE BEEN ALREADY DELETED.
What's
the point in that? So, you have to repeat the search over again
and delete more files until it hits one in use, repeat the search
over again and delete more files until it hits another one in
use, etc., ad nauseum.


Do not delete the files from the search window. Just browse to the
correct temp folder in explorer (as listed above) and delete the
files from there.


As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other
locations as well.

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh
problem and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much
more you can do about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but
most stink just as bad as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a
tool, it requires manual cleaning from time to time. Just find the
files in explorer and delete them.

When did MS first include disk clean up into Windows? W95? You'd
think MS would have got it to work better after almost a decade. I
haven't bothered with MS's disk cleaner in a while, though I do do a
little house cleaning from time to time manually. I'm sure as Hell
won't pay for an app to do it!

A big part of the problem is third party apps, throwing up temp
folders in My Documents, or whatever partition happens to have the
most space at installation. Other big problem is the way NT forces
multiple user accounts right from the installation, so some progs but
temp files in the system temp folder, and some in the user temp
folder, and MS disk cleaner, is just so confused that it really does
barely nothing, but hang.

MS's search tool is a lost cause. MS will drop PA before they get a
local search tool that actually finds what you are looking for. MS's
system tools seem to becoming worse over time instead of getting more
mature. Me two cents, for what it's worth.

Ya, I agree. I ms disk cleaner is poor at best. And search is not much
better. That's why it's just easier to go into explorer every once and a
while and manually delete the junk. I do wish a ms tool would do it for me,
but for now, manual is the best way.

 

[Phil]

Perhaps, but I've found the free EmpTemp, from
http://www.danish-shareware.dk/soft/emptemp/ to do a great job.

I'll check it out, thanks.

 

[Phil]

I use Office XP and although it does seem to be a bit more
bullet-proof about tmp files than previous versions it still leaves
its little droppings now and then. Office 2003 may be even better, I
don't know, haven't used it. Our 1000's of users are running mostly
Office 2000 and it definitley has an issue with tmp files.

Oh ya I agree about o2k.

3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING
in My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
need the Search tool to find it.


You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
show hidden files.

Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
well. Such as:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office

And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

That's nearly as much hassle as using Search to find them. And why
should the Search Results Window behave any differently than a normal
Exploere window? It just doesn't make sense.

Ya search isn't much better than the cleanup tool, that's why I just said go
and hunt them down in explorer. It's a pain in the butt, I know, but its
probably the best way to get them all.

Thanks for the suggestions and info. The difficulty I face is our
1000s of uses not being able to understand how to really clean up
their disks. We try to train representatives in each building to be
able to help them with that, but even they have difficulty with this.
It would be so much easier if M$ would just fix the doggone Disk
Cleanup tool.

Ya with that many users I see your point. I thought you were talking about a
home computer. I also wish that ms would not only fix, but improve the
cleanup tool.

 

[Plato]

The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space. I've never
seen left over temp files cause application malfunctions. A properly written
app would have no prob with temp files and folders.

Well, that's one good reason, but not the ONLY good reason. Deleting
internet temps often fixes pages that wont load up anymore, for example,
and deleting windows temp files often fixes software install problems,
for example.

 

[Plato]

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word, excel,
one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a problem with
temp files or corruption.

Good choice. Many people here have experience fixing hundreds or even
thousands of PCs.
You cant judge advice based on just your personal experience with just
your home PC.

 

[Phil]

Good choice. Many people here have experience fixing hundreds or even
thousands of PCs.
You cant judge advice based on just your personal experience with just
your home PC.

Uhhh........ what I said wasn't based on experience with my home pc. It was
from years of experience with hundreds of computers. Right now taking care
of two networks with about 25-30 users. And like I said temp files have not
caused any corruption in o2k03 files on the machines I take care of. Oxp
seem fine too. I've seen o2k have some probs, but o2k03 has not had one
problem, that I've seen, that was caused by temp files. Basicly, I have no
office 2003 problems on any machines I take care of. (except for user
created probs) Maybe I just take care of them better than most.

 

[Guest]

I tried this program (Empty Temp Folders) and discovered I had a LOT of tmp files. It located and cleared up not only tmp files but bak, etc. Very good program!