Temporary Internet Files Deletion (IE 5, IE 6)

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Hi!

I have a doubt regarding temporary internet files: they are supposedly stored in c:windowstemporary internet files. I suspect they are not stored there, and that in fact this is a virtual system folder such as My Documents. Anyway, when you go to this folder and delete all the files in it (save some folders I dare not delete, I believe they must be system folders as well), apparently every temporary internet file gets deleted, you are clean. BUT when you make search “*.*” in that folder, you get all sort of files which weren’t deleted… I’m using IE 5 at home (have a dial-up connection and don’t want to go thru the pain of updating). At work Im using IE 6 and have configured it to automatically delete any int. temp. file (save cookies) when I close the browser, but still I will find these files after performing a search.

If anyone has a clue, please post back
Thanks

PS: BTW… what is desktop.ini? It appears as a hidden file with the other files, and in my home pc appears several times.

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Ok, you did NOT say what OS you are using. Since at home you are using IE5 you are NOT using Windows XP. The sub folders do NOT get deleted when using the options to clear on exit.

This will also happen using IE 6.0

What OS’s are you using where?

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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You are looking at a very complicated process. It is designed specifically to be complicated and confusing — for security and privacy reasons.

1. The “TIF” does ‘temporarily’ store files in it for IE to use. However, it uses a hierarchal system of storage that is designed to make it difficult for any other program to locate and access these files. It does this by creating those sub-folders with the bizarre and unique names. You are correct in believing that the TIF does not really ‘exist’ as a ‘folder’ — instead it is a highly specialized ‘object’. If you try to access the TIF in DOS, you will find it contains essentially nothing.

2. You can delete or ‘clean out’ the TIF by several methods, but MANY of them do NOT do a complete job.

3. You can set you IE up to “Empty Temporary Internet File folder when browser is closed” — on the Advanced tab. This is only partially effective.

4. You can select “Delete Files” from the General tab. This is only partially effective.

5. You can use Windows Explorer and you can delete essentially all of the files in the TIF — as long as you delete ALL the sub-folders. If you fail to delete the objects in those bizarrely named sub-folders, then you have failed to clean out the TIF.

6. No matter how you choose to delete files in the TIF, you need to delete the “index.dat” file in DOS, or for WinNT-XP you need to delete this early in the boot process — or as a different logged-on user.

7. If you simply delete the files in the TIF, but do not delete and update the index.dat file, you can confuse Internet Explorer.

8. The desktop.ini file can be used in ANY folder to give that folder that contains it ‘special’ properties. ALL of the specialized folders in Windows MUST have a desktop.ini file to give them the unique properties that they have — i.e., special icons, etc. Additionally, some folders will have a ‘folder.htt’ file in them which supplies even more unique properties to the folder — but ONLY if the folder is viewed as a “web folder”.

Does that answer at least some of your questions? The topic gets even more convoluted, if you are still interested…

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Dave: I’m using win98 in both PCs.

rmrucker: Thank you very much for your detailed response. I’d like to clarify some points though:
– So, deleting the subfolders won’t mess up the system?
– What’s Index.dat good for? Why do you say I can confuse IE if I delete only TIFs without deleting Index.dat?
– Would I mess up the system if I delete desktop.ini from the TIFs folder?

I don’t feel the thing has gotten outta my hands yet… so if you got more, c’mon!

Thanks

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Do not delete the desktop.ini — at least there is no good reason to do this and it *could* screw up your TIF — but I doubt it. In all honesty, Windows would probably just recreate it if necessary, but I don’t see any logical reason to specifically delete the desktop.ini file. It is no risk to you — and you want your TIF to have its unique properties.

The index.dat file is there to “index” the TIF. If you open it, you are supposed to find the same things in the index.dat file as you do in the TIF itself. If you delete the contents of the TIF, but do not update the “index”, then the index becomes useless and misleading. If IE checks the index.dat to see what is in the TIF, it will be given incorrect information. This confuses and can slow down your browser. Instead, you want the index.dat to correctly reflect what is in your TIF.

Deleting those bizarrely-named (actually, they are securely-named) folders does not screw up your system. Windows will recreate them as needed. Personally, I delete the entire TIF on each and every re-boot and I reboot at least once a day. That way, Windows will recreate a pristine and squeaky-clean TIF — including the sub-folders and index.dat file.

If you try to delete the sub-folders while they are in use by Windows, you will find it impossible. Windows will also tell you that they are “system” folders and will balk at doing it. However, you can delete them in DOS — so I typically wipe out my TIF early in the reboot porcess — before Windows has loaded.

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rmrucker, U… er… ruck? Thanks for the input!

Still, I’ve got a couple of questions (I believe in my heart these are the very last!!! )

– I infer that by deleting the entire TIF directory, I won’t mess up my system. Right?
– If I delete the entire TIF directory, will my cookies remain there? I don’t want to delete ’em, as they make my navigation much faster.

Thanks in advance

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Remember, Windows itself does not like you to delete the TIF — it considers it a necessary folder. The same goes for the Content.IE5 folder.

“Deleting the TIF” means different things — it depends on what you are talking about. I can delete the sub-folders (those weird-named guys) at least in DOS, and maybe even in Windows — see my image below. Whenever Windows needs to use the TIF, it recreates four new uniquely named folders.

The “Cookies” you see in the TIF are actually “Cookie Pointers” — or Jason Levine likes to call them “Cookie Ghosts”. They only point to the real cookies that reside in the Cookies folder.

Now, this is where it gets a little weird. If you use Windows Explorer to delete a Cookie Pointer in the TIF, Windows Explorer knows you want to also delete the Cookie in the Cookies folder — and it does it. This behavior is not reciprocal. If you delete a Cookie in the Cookie folder, Explorer does NOT remove the Cookie Pointer in the TIF. Why not? Who knows…

Furthermore, if you delete the TIF’s Cookie Pointers in true DOS, the Cookies remain in the Cookie folder. So, if you delete the contents of the TIF in DOS, the Cookies are left intact!! Got to love that…

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Here is a shot of my TIF — minus all the bizarre-named subfolders. I deleted them in a command Window, but when I reopened IE, four new ones were created.
_________

Add: I can delete the four newly-created sub-folders even in Windows Explorer — as long as IE is closed. Once I open IE, four even newer sub-folders are created with their desktop.ini files.

However, Windows Explorer will not let me delete the TIF or the Content.IE5 folder whether or not IE is running.

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Thanks a lot

Your explanation was very clear. So when you say you delete the TIF folder on each reboot, you delete it from DOS? You do this by using a .bat file? I’m not much into DOS and don’t know .bat code either.
If you could tell me how to do it (presumably with autoexec.bat) and drop the line of code I’d apreciate it very much.

Again, thanks and have a good weekend!!!

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Yes, I use a specially created .bat file during the reboot process. This file cleans up various things as my computer reboots.

In the autoexec.bat file I simply add a line to run the batch file:

MyClean.bat

Then I used Notepad to create the batch file (named “MyClean.bat” — and then I stick it in my C: drive. The section that might interest you is this:

@echo off
echo Deleting Temporary Internet Files!
::
deltree /y C:WINDOWSTempor~1

Those lines will completely delete theTIF on each reboot — and Windows will completely recreate it WITH THE COOKIES INTACT as needed. One caveat — make sure you don’t have another folder in Windows that might begin with “Tempor…”

You can use the batch file to delete all types of things…

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I’ll give the .bat a try, with some guidance from a more experienced dude… don’t wanna ruin my OS when at it

So… guess this is it!! Doubts have flown very far away.

Thanks a lot for your time and in-depth responses

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