Which temp folder?

[Susan]

I have a new Sony VAIO RZ54G running Win XP Media Center Edition Version
2002 SP 1.

The Temp folder(s)on XP have me confusion after running Win 98 with 1
Temp directory for a number of years. This XP has at least 6 Temp
folders: 4 are always empty, 1 is chock full and another has several
folders but not that many files.

Questions:

1. Is it alright to delete ***everything*** in these Temp folders
especially the Temp folder under D & S > Owner > Local Settings >
Temp.

2. How come when selecting:
C drive > Properties > Disk Cleanup button
it always show the Temporary files as 0 KB. On checking the manyyyy
Temp folders in this XP I have found 1 of them is chock full and
another one has several folder but not many files. Which Temp folder
is this Disk Cleanup button checking and why doesn't it find the
chock full temp folder? I know it has always been encourage to
empty ones Temp folder but because the chock full isn't being
registered/check with the Disk Cleanup button I have been a bit
apprehensive to manually delete everything there.

Here are the Temp folders I've found

1. Documents and Settings > Administrator > Local Settings > Temp
(always empty}
2. Documents and Settings > Default User > Local Settings > Temp
(always empty)
3. Documents and Settings > Local Service > Local Settings > Temp
(always empty)
4. Documents and Settings > NetworkServices > Local Settings > Temp
(always empty)

5. Document and Settings > Owner > Local Settings > Temp
(chock full of folders and files 136.9 MB with around 186 objects at
the moment)
6. Windows > Temp
(right now 4.20MB consisting of 18 folders like Cookies, History,
Temporary Files , -istmpo.dir, {44DC86AO-248D-11D6........}, etc....
with not many files in any of the folders.

Again can I delete everything in the 5 and 6 Temp folders listed above?

TIA.

--- Susan

 

[TouchNova]

I created a folder in My Docs that has a link to each of them...and I browse
them often and clean house in those that acquire junk. Those that don't
populate, well, I just check 'em every once in a while to be sure.

Now, that doesn't exactly give you any information other than how I deal
with them all. Good luck...

Regards,
TouchNova

 

[Eric McG]

By default, there are separate storage folders for the users and the system.
Since I'm the only user of my system I've found it convenient to make them all
the same as the system folder, i.e., C:\WINDOWS\TEMP.

Here's how:

From Control Panel | System | Advanced tab, click on Environment Variables.
You'll see the folders defined for Temp & Tmp variables for both the User and
the System. Change the User settings to match the System's.

Before I actually change these settings, I purge all temp files in the User's
folder. I do this with this free utility:

TempFree 1.2
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~marver/home2000/18/tempfree.htm

I place a shortcut to this utility in the Quick Launch tool bar.

Once this is done, then I change the variable settings. Restart the system and
the utility will recognize C:\WINDOWS\TEMP as the one and only storage folder.

Windows will sometimes have an active Tmp file or two that can't be deleted
while Windows is running, other than that, all other files and subfolders are
fair game for never-never land.

The only time that it's critical to leave the Temp folder alone is during the
restart cycle of the system after installing software (initial or upgrades). In
many cases there are installation routines in the Temp folder that are activated
after restarting. Once Windows is up-and-running the Temp folder should have
been purged of its files by the installation program but in many cases the files
remain..hence the need to purge the folder occasionally.

 

[Susan]

By default, there are separate storage folders for the users and the system.
Since I'm the only user of my system I've found it convenient to make them all
the same as the system folder, i.e., C:\WINDOWS\TEMP.

Here's how:

From Control Panel | System | Advanced tab, click on Environment Variables.
You'll see the folders defined for Temp & Tmp variables for both the User and
the System. Change the User settings to match the System's.

Before I actually change these settings, I purge all temp files in the User's
folder. I do this with this free utility:

TempFree 1.2
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~marver/home2000/18/tempfree.htm

I place a shortcut to this utility in the Quick Launch tool bar.

Once this is done, then I change the variable settings. Restart the system and
the utility will recognize C:\WINDOWS\TEMP as the one and only storage folder.

Windows will sometimes have an active Tmp file or two that can't be deleted
while Windows is running, other than that, all other files and subfolders are
fair game for never-never land.

The only time that it's critical to leave the Temp folder alone is during the
restart cycle of the system after installing software (initial or upgrades). In
many cases there are installation routines in the Temp folder that are activated
after restarting. Once Windows is up-and-running the Temp folder should have
been purged of its files by the installation program but in many cases the files
remain..hence the need to purge the folder occasionally.

Thank you for detailed info on how you handle Temp folders. However, I
could not access the site:

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~marver/home2000/18/tempfree.htm

to get TempFree 1.2. On trying to access tha site, I'm taken to:

http://homesite.service.ozemail.com.au/standard_error_message

with the message:

----------------------------------------------------
Error 403 - Forbidden or Permission Denied

You don't have permission to access the requested document on this server.

If you are the maintainer of the file, please check the permissions on
the file you are referencing:

* Does the file have global read access?
* Does your public_html directory have read and execute permission?
* Does your home directory have read and execute permissions?
* Generally, documents (.html) and pictures (.gif, .jpg, etc) need
only be world readable.
* Directories need only be world executable.
* CGI scripts (.cgi, .pl, etc) must be world readable and executable.

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

I tried cutting the address down to:

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~marver/

and the message: "The site is currently offline!" comes up. I finally
found the utility via a Google search on the site of:

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/File_Cleanup_Utilities/TempFree.html

Thanks again!

--- Susan

 

[Susan]

I created a folder in My Docs that has a link to each of them...and I browse
them often and clean house in those that acquire junk. Those that don't
populate, well, I just check 'em every once in a while to be sure.

Now, that doesn't exactly give you any information other than how I deal
with them all. Good luck...

Regards,
TouchNova

Thank you for sharing your way of dealing with multitude of Temp
folders! I'm going to try the TempFree utility suggested by Eric. If
that doesn't satisfy me will do your suggestion of links to the Temps,
etc...

Thanks again.

--- Susan

 

[Eric McG]

You're welcome...sorry about the bad link. Google was the way to handle it.