I forgot to add that the
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Desktop.ini
and
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\Desktop.ini
disable Searching.
Temporary Internet Files folder is a Virtual Folder and a Namespace
object. Has something to do with being a shell folder with its own GUID.
I don't understand half of this. Anyway, moving along.
Temporary Internet Files folders are Special Folders, like My Documents,
My Music, My Computer, Recycle Bin, et cetera. Part of what makes them
special is the GUID or Globally Unique Identifier. These are found in
the registry, where the GUID is the identifier for the special folder.
They are found here: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID. The GUID for Temporary
Internet Files is {7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}.
Part of this is because of the desktop.ini file.
Most Temporary Internet Files folders are Hidden and classified as system
files. They are hidden from Windows Explorer and Search. The device
used to hide them is the desktop.ini file. The desktop.ini signals that
they are system files, hidden and if deleted, they are recreated on the
next boot. To find them, you have to discover them by accident or know
where to look.
The Desktop.ini file is a text file that specifies how a file system
folder will be viewed and handled.
Some info on Desktop.ini files pieced together from many sources...
File system folders are commonly displayed with a standard icon and set
of properties, which specify, for instance, whether or not the folder is
shared. The Desktop.ini file is a text file that specifies how a file
system folder will be viewed and handled. The most common use of the
Desktop.ini file is to assign a custom icon to a folder.
The desktop.ini can have info that lists the folder as a system file,
hidden and if deleted, it is recreated on the next boot. The
desktop.ini can also have info like a UICLSID line that hides the folder
in Windows Explorer. And a CLSID line that disables the Search utility
from searching through the folder.
Also the folder name info can be listed in the desktop.ini. For example,
the folder Shared Documents becomes just Documents if you remove the
desktop.ini.
To clean out *all* Temporary Internet Files.....
1) Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
Best to do this with all instances of Internet Explorer closed.
Especially if there are a large number of files.
2) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files
3) Check the box Delete all offline content {This cleans >>
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files AND
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
4) Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes
the temporary internet files
5) You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies
that websites have placed on your hard drive.
If you want, try this: Open IE | Tools | Internet Options | Advanced
tab | scroll down to the bottom | check: Empty Temporary Internet Files
folder when browser is closed | click Apply | OK.
Entirely up to you, but if you want to be rid of this, it is done
automatically. Deletes the content of %homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files but not the Content.IE5 or Content.MSO folders.
Also: Start IE | Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Days to keep
pages in history: 0 | Apply | OK.
-----
Even with all this cleaned out
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
can still show that it is pretty good sized.
I just cleaned mine and it is 224 KB. That's because the index.dat file
is 224 KB.
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat
I use a batch file to delete that index.dat file when I reboot.
Side note:
Most index.dat files get recreated if they are deleted.
%windir%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache\index.dat.
This index.dat does not get recreated. The loss of this particular file
will cripple System Information (msinfo32.exe). This index.dat actually
does something besides growing to a huge size.
-----
Content.IE5 contains all kinds of things. Files generated by Help and
Support Center and Outlook Express, for example.
[[Note: when viewing Newsgroup messages Outlook Express dumps a series of
zero-byte files into the TIF. When Outlook Express is closed it fails to
cleanup these files. To delete these zero-byte files you must select the
option "Delete all offline files".]]
From...
Internet Explorer Tips and Tricks
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/ietips.htm
[[Outlook Express 5.5 and 6 place a zero byte file in TIF for every
message that you read. These files are only visible from Start | Find |
Files or Folders, not from Windows Explorer. ]]
[[The easy way to get rid of them if you use OE 5.5 or 6 is to open
Internet Explorer and go to Tools | Internet Options. In the Temporary
Internet Files Section choose "Delete files". In the next dialogue check
the box for "Delete all offline content" and click "OK".]]
From...
CA* files in TIF
http://www.fjsmjs.com/OE/CA.htm
-----
Outlook Express creates a zero byte file for every message read. Plus
wbk**.tmp files when messages are read. Plus wbk**.tmp files when you
Save a message that you're working on, every time you hit Save.
The zero byte files have names like [1] or [14]. The files are created
in Content.IE5 subfolders.
Examples...
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\1EXPNXVB\[14] %homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\[54] %homepath%\Local
Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\LJTLPTXJ\[25]
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\NU1KF7TX\[12]
The wbk**.tmp files have names like wbk118.tmp or wbkE5.tmp The files are
created in Content.IE5 subfolders.
Examples...
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\wbk118.tmp
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\wbkC1.tmp
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
Wesley Vogel said:
To view:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
General tab | Settings button | View Files button
Or...
Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
Click OK.
To view:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5 AND \Content.MSO
Start | Run | Type: cleanmgr | OK | Highlight Temporary Internet
Files | View Files button
Or...
Start | Run | Type: %tmp% | Click OK |
You will probably have to click the Folders button on the Tool Bar.
Click: [+] Temporary Internet Files
Click: [+] Content.IE5
Click: Random named folders
View
You can also view Content.MSO
Or...
Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
Click OK.
You can also view Content.MSO
Or...
Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.MSO
Click OK.
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In Tom <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Some portions of XP Pro (Eg. Explorer, Search for files) ignore the
folders in the temporary internet files folder. There is no indication
that there are any folders there. Using the command prompt to set the
current directory to the temporary internet files folder you can see
the hidden folders. All relevant folder options controlling hiding
files and folders, hiding protected operating system files, etc., have
been set to show everything possible.
Questions: Is there a way to control this behavior? If something is
there, I want to see it. Are there other folders that get this special
treatment?