xp sp2- windows explorer hiding IE cache folders/files

[dubya]

Very puzzling. Appreciate any help/ideas anyone may have.

I've been patching xp from ms. site for the last couple of weeks. Installed
19 or 20 patches. Now, I cannot see the folders and files that Internet
Explorer (6 sp1, latest patches) uses for its cache.

These are in
D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserID\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Folder options: show hidden files, show all files with registered extensions
and show system files. That is, show everything.

Properties for \TemporaryInternetFiles showed 90 megabytes, in eight or nine
subfolders and tens of thousands of files. Windows Explorer showed only the
top level folder which held 350 files at two megabytes. No subfolders or
the files in them. The only way I could get to the subfolders and get rid
of the files was to run Bullet Proof Folder Sizes (recommend it, distinctly
better than MSFT progs), expand the top level directory, then open the
subfolders in Explorer.

Has anyone experienced this? I am looking at it right now in Windows
Explorer: D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserId\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files. No subfolders at all. And yet they are all there, all of
those stupidly named folders. Some setting in one of the patches is
blocking the view of them, and I really want to get that view back. I am
feeling what I feel far too often (having quite a few MS certs) about
Microsoft.

Thanks much,
Mike

 

[Rudy]

I dont know if these are what you re looking for but there are a lot of
Hidden Internet files in here:

Now add to your above line:

\content.IE5

That is >> D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserID\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5


and hit GO. You'll find a lot of folders entitled something like:
AEZ1HGX with piles of DL internet files inside.

 

[Guest]

Too bad for Rudy,xp uses IE6 not IE5.Try internet options,advanced,chk the
box "do not save encrypted files" chk the box "empty internet
folders",close out.
Go to run,type:%Temp% Go to edit,select all,delete all.Also,thier is a xp
download that clears IE cache,locate in xp downloads

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Very puzzling. Appreciate any help/ideas anyone may have.

I've been patching xp from ms. site for the last couple of weeks.
Installed 19 or 20 patches. Now, I cannot see the folders and files that
Internet Explorer (6 sp1, latest patches) uses for its cache.

These are in
D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserID\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Folder options: show hidden files, show all files with registered
extensions and show system files. That is, show everything.

Properties for \TemporaryInternetFiles showed 90 megabytes, in eight or
nine subfolders and tens of thousands of files. Windows Explorer showed
only the top level folder which held 350 files at two megabytes. No
subfolders or the files in them. The only way I could get to the
subfolders and get rid of the files was to run Bullet Proof Folder Sizes
(recommend it, distinctly better than MSFT progs), expand the top level
directory, then open the subfolders in Explorer.

Has anyone experienced this? I am looking at it right now in Windows
Explorer: D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserId\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files. No subfolders at all. And yet they are all there, all of
those stupidly named folders. Some setting in one of the patches is
blocking the view of them, and I really want to get that view back. I am
feeling what I feel far too often (having quite a few MS certs) about
Microsoft.

Thanks much,
Mike

ccleaner will get to these folders and empty them, even if you can't see
them.
www.ccleaner.com

You should be able to reset the folder view via a command prompt and the
attrib command, at least temporarily. It helps a lot if you have the
"CmdHere.exe" XP Powertoy installed.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Open the command prompt to the parent folder, and verify that you're in the
right place..

dir /ah

which will show folders marked as hidden. Temporary Internet Files is also
marked as System.

And then use the attrib command in this format:

attrib -s -h Temporary Internet Files
cd Temporary internet files
attrib -s -h content.ie5

You can now see the folder in Explorer. You may need to press F5.

HTH
-pk

 

[dubya]

I dont know if these are what you re looking for but there are a lot of
Hidden Internet files in here:


Now add to your above line:

\content.IE5

That is >> D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserID\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5


and hit GO. You'll find a lot of folders entitled something like: AEZ1HGX
with piles of DL internet files inside.

Thanks, Rudy.

I should have thought of that. All you have to do is put "content.ie5" into
explorer's address box and it opens the folder.

But what has recently caused Explorer to default to not showing that folder?
And how to fix it?

Mike

 

[dubya]

I dont know if these are what you re looking for but there are a lot of
Hidden Internet files in here:


Now add to your above line:

\content.IE5

That is >> D:\Documents and Settings\xxUserID\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5


and hit GO. You'll find a lot of folders entitled something like: AEZ1HGX
with piles of DL internet files inside.

I knew they were there; problem was getting at them, which I was doing by
opening them with Explorer from inside another application.

I found the reason in an article by Sandi Hardmeier on MS website:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/ietopten.mspx
"... Windows 2000 and Windows XP users can log in using an Administrator
account to delete the folders in question directly from within Windows
Explorer. Note that an Administrator cannot delete his own Internet Explorer
cache folders. He must log on using a different Administrator account."

I would never have guessed....

Mike

 

[Rudy]

"Andrew E." <

Too bad for Rudy,xp uses IE6 not IE5.

\Temporary internet files\Content.IE5 brings them up just fine on my
WinXP computer

You might just TRY it

 

[Rudy]

attrib -s -h Temporary Internet Files
cd Temporary internet files
attrib -s -h content.ie5

There it is AGAIN Andrew, .IE5

 

[Rudy]

Thanks, Rudy.

I should have thought of that. All you have to do is put "content.ie5"
into explorer's address box and it opens the folder.
But what has recently caused Explorer to default to not showing that
folder? And how to fix it?

Mine has never shown it unless I type it in myself. I'm guessing its
covered by one of the:

Hidden Files, System Files bulleted exclusions