hidden files and directories

[Guest]

Recently I have been unable to see any directories and files below "Temporary
Internet Files". These are those directories like"content.e510" . This
occured when I was cleaning out cookies, history, temp files, etc. Windows
Explorer can see those files directly under the Temporart Inernet Files
directory but not any of the sub-directories. Neither can Symentic Works.
Yet it will scan all directories and below. I have selected "display hidden
files" in Explorer options. My word processor can see those files if I
attemp to select one to open.
Previously I had been able to view all files with no problem and assume some
setting has been changed that I am unaware of.
This is Windows-XP Home Edition.
Cannon66

 

[Dave Bolt]

You will find that for the active profile you have to add the content.ie5
bit to the address manually in the path c:\documents and
settings\username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\
It has worked this way on all the XP systems I remember seeing.
This works because Windows Explorer supports Microsoft's strategy for hiding
these directories. The tools you mentioned work with directory data at a
lower level.
HTH
Dave

 

[pop]

That does not work for me. It does not find content.ie5 under my
profile under the hidden "Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files" file.

There is a LOT of stuff hidden very well under that path. You can't see
it ever from a command prompt... but if something has happened to expose
the name of the randomly named folders, then you can, with some
difficulty, delete them.

Adware/Spyware often hides in those folders. Some virus/ spyware
scanning tools find them, but can't delete them because the process is
active. That report exposes the names. Then I can handle them with
great difficulty, but that's another story. Windows Defender seems to
handle them.

Pop

 

[pop]

Okay, for those of you who might care...
to give an example, I went looking for one of those random named hidden
folders under my user and in
Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.ie5

I picked a file in the folder (ari-nana-6[1].wmv) and used the
Windows XP search tool to find it, looking for hidden files.

Nope, Could not find it.

It should also be noted that I often use the Internet Options to Clear
Files. These hidden files never get cleared. None of the cleanup tools
clear them.

Here is a listing of the whole folder:

Volume Serial Number is D611-26DF

Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.

01/20/2007 10:55 AM 21,608 ari-nana-6[1].wmv
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 44 au_bg_rightmiddle[1].gif
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 821 au_bg_righttop[1].gif
01/15/2007 07:06 PM 2,669 BadMoonRising[1].mid
01/12/2005 07:25 PM 3,159 Common[1].js
06/26/2006 07:55 AM 3,159 Common[2].js
06/26/2006 09:15 AM 5,231 Common[3].js
03/08/2007 11:17 AM 57,342 common[5].js
06/26/2006 09:15 AM 2,151 Constants[1].js
03/08/2007 11:13 AM 2,079 coUAprint[1].css
03/08/2007 11:15 AM 310 fwd[1].gif
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 1,332 hcp[1].css
03/08/2007 11:16 AM 7,221 Help[1].htm
01/12/2005 07:25 PM 8,192 locale[1].js
02/03/2005 08:09 AM 8,192 locale[2].js
03/08/2007 11:14 AM 4,403 mapfs[1].js
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 947 ms_logo[1].gif
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 56 news_bg_leftbottom[1].gif
03/08/2007 11:17 AM 28 pl[1].htm
06/26/2006 09:16 AM 5,373 shared[10].css
02/03/2005 08:09 AM 5,401 shared[1].css
06/26/2006 07:55 AM 8,192 shared[1].xml
06/02/2005 06:32 AM 5,401 shared[2].css
08/14/2005 02:15 PM 5,373 shared[3].css
06/26/2006 07:55 AM 5,373 shared[4].css
06/26/2006 07:55 AM 5,373 shared[5].css
06/26/2006 07:55 AM 5,373 shared[6].css
06/26/2006 09:15 AM 5,373 shared[7].css
06/26/2006 09:15 AM 5,373 shared[8].css
06/26/2006 09:15 AM 5,373 shared[9].css
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 2,832 spupdateids[1].js
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 2,241 tgar[1].js
03/08/2007 11:12 AM 2,241 tgar[2].js
33 File(s) 198,236 bytes
0 Dir(s) 1,794,486,272 bytes free

C:\Documents and Settings\clackey\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\JVQVM5MR>

Pop again.

 

[McFly]

cannon66,

It is safe to remove any files and folders under "C:\Documents and
Settings\xxxxx\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files."

-fly-

 

[Dave Bolt]

OK, it works for me on literally hundreds of machines.
First you have to make sure that all the options for hidden files being
shown are enabled. In other words you need to go to Tools|Folder Options and
select the View tab. Display content of system folders should be ticked.
Show hidden files and folders should be selected. (As far as I am concerned,
Hide extension for known file types should never be ticked). Hide protected
operating system files should be un-ticked.
You will still need to type in the Content.ie5 part of the path to view the
folders in Windows Explorer, but after that all the sub-folders should be
visible.
And the Search feature of Windows uses Windows Explorer which I have already
mentioned is set up to not show these folders so it also will not easily
search them either.
Incidentally, if you log on as another user who also has administrative
privileges, and your profile is not obscured from them, you can use Windows
Explorer quite easily to brows the Internet cache folders.
Regards
Dave

 

[pop]

See my inserted comments imbeded in the last reply.

Try this exercise

Go to a command prompt.
Navigate to the Content.ie5

Start trial and error change directory with wild card.

CD A*
CD B*
CD C*
CD D*
CD E* etc.. and so on until you get a hit.

Tweak UI Open Command Prompt Here
can help with navigation.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/CmdHerePowertoySetup.exe
or http://tinyurl.com/783n

One of MANY references: http://sillydog.org/mshidden.php

Pop

OK, it works for me on literally hundreds of machines.
First you have to make sure that all the options for hidden files being
shown are enabled. In other words you need to go to Tools|Folder Options and
select the View tab.

I always run that way. Always and forever.

Display content of system folders should be ticked.

Show hidden files and folders should be selected. (As far as I am concerned,
Hide extension for known file types should never be ticked).

We completely agree.

Hide protected

operating system files should be un-ticked.
You will still need to type in the Content.ie5
part of the path to view the
folders in Windows Explorer, but after that all the sub-folders should be
visible.

Nope. Don't overlook my comment that these hidden files are are never
touched by cleanup tools.

And the Search feature of Windows uses Windows Explorer which I have already
mentioned is set up to not show these folders so it also will not easily
search them either.

I already know that.

Incidentally, if you log on as another user who also has administrative
privileges, and your profile is not obscured from them, you can use Windows

I know about "Make this folder private"