Temporary Internet Files Folder

Hi all

Not sure what's going on here!
Followed the MS procedure for deleting Temporary Internet Files via control
panel and Internet Options.
Looking in Local Settings under my profile, the folder shows no content (I
have the view option set to show all files incl hidden) - but selecting
properties on the folder it returns 120Mb.

Can anyone explain this?

TIA

Phil

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

"TheScullster" wrote:

Hi all

Not sure what's going on here!
Followed the MS procedure for deleting Temporary Internet Files via control
panel and Internet Options.
Looking in Local Settings under my profile, the folder shows no content (I
have the view option set to show all files incl hidden) - but selecting
properties on the folder it returns 120Mb.

Can anyone explain this?

TIA

Phil

"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer, but
"dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

Index.dat files are system files, they might show up if you disable the
'hide protected operating system files' in folder options.

Alternatively download the free application called CCleaner
(www.ccleaner.com) and run the 'cleaner' option. This will clear out
temporary internet files and a host of others including index.dat files -
you will need to restart your PC to clear everything. I use it after every
session on my PC. Just one word of warning, though, if you do online banking
and keep passwords, account numbers etc on your PC they too will get erased
unless you tell CCleaner not to remove them (via the options menu).

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..


"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...

"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer, but
"dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using "dir", you
just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it (the OS is hiding it
from you). That second weblink reference I provided has the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings"\temporary internet
files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:


"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer, but
"dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

TheScullster wrote:
"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer, but
"dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

Type:

ATTRIB

... and see if anything shows up.

--
Joe =o)

"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view in
explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer, but
"dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

It won't. index.dat files are simply marked as Hidden and System.
For a command prompt look at everything, try using attrib *
and press return. If you're set to view hidden, system and operating
system files, they should show up in explorer too. But attrib will
dispaly everything, regardless.
attrib /? for a list of switches it uses.

From a command prompt, using DIR, nothing is hidden. It's all there,
files and directories, too. If you aren't seeing certain folders &
files, someone must have been messing with your environment variables.
If you've changed them to show, say, DIR output in a different sequence
(fname first, etc), then something else might have gotten changed by
accident. Seems like there is a DOS switch too that'll do that but I'll
let you verify whether that's so or not. DIR /? will show the switches.

Twayne



Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using "dir",
you just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it (the OS
is hiding it from you). That second weblink reference I provided has
the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings"\temporary
internet files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:


"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

That is not so.

John

Twayne wrote:

From a command prompt, using DIR, nothing is hidden. It's all there,
files and directories, too. If you aren't seeing certain folders &
files, someone must have been messing with your environment variables.
If you've changed them to show, say, DIR output in a different sequence
(fname first, etc), then something else might have gotten changed by
accident. Seems like there is a DOS switch too that'll do that but I'll
let you verify whether that's so or not. DIR /? will show the switches.

Twayne




Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using "dir",
you just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it (the OS
is hiding it from you). That second weblink reference I provided has
the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings"\temporary
internet files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:


"CTOS" wrote


It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm


Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

You are correct, my bad:

dir /a

shows the hidden folder and files.

Thanks!

"Twayne" wrote:

From a command prompt, using DIR, nothing is hidden. It's all there,
files and directories, too. If you aren't seeing certain folders &
files, someone must have been messing with your environment variables.
If you've changed them to show, say, DIR output in a different sequence
(fname first, etc), then something else might have gotten changed by
accident. Seems like there is a DOS switch too that'll do that but I'll
let you verify whether that's so or not. DIR /? will show the switches.

Twayne



Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using "dir",
you just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it (the OS
is hiding it from you). That second weblink reference I provided has
the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings"\temporary
internet files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:


"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

What is not so?

Twayne

That is not so.

John

Twayne wrote:

From a command prompt, using DIR, nothing is hidden. It's all there,
files and directories, too. If you aren't seeing certain folders &
files, someone must have been messing with your environment
variables. If you've changed them to show, say, DIR output in a
different sequence (fname first, etc), then something else might
have gotten changed by accident. Seems like there is a DOS switch
too that'll do that but I'll let you verify whether that's so or
not. DIR /? will show the switches. Twayne




Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using
"dir", you just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it
(the OS is hiding it from you). That second weblink reference I
provided has the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings"\temporary internet files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:


"CTOS" wrote


It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm


Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

That nothing is hidden with the simple DIR command, you have to use the
appropriate switches to see hidden files.

John

Twayne wrote:

What is not so?

Twayne


That is not so.

John

Twayne wrote:


From a command prompt, using DIR, nothing is hidden. It's all there,
files and directories, too. If you aren't seeing certain folders &
files, someone must have been messing with your environment
variables. If you've changed them to show, say, DIR output in a
different sequence (fname first, etc), then something else might
have gotten changed by accident. Seems like there is a DOS switch
too that'll do that but I'll let you verify whether that's so or
not. DIR /? will show the switches. Twayne





Some of the system hidden folder names don't appear just using
"dir", you just have to know the name of the folder to "cd" into it
(the OS is hiding it from you). That second weblink reference I
provided has the locations.

C:\dir "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local
Settings"\temporary internet files"\content.ie5\index.dat"

11/25/2008 10:24 AM 9,076,736 index.dat
1 File(s) 9,076,736 bytes
0 Dir(s) 17,906,905,088 bytes free


"TheScullster" wrote:



"CTOS" wrote



It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm


Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil

John

"they might show up"? They do show up. You will need to search My
Computer and check the appropriate Advanced search options.


--



Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John Barnett MVP wrote:
Index.dat files are system files, they might show up if you disable
the 'hide protected operating system files' in folder options.

Alternatively download the free application called CCleaner
(www.ccleaner.com) and run the 'cleaner' option. This will clear out
temporary internet files and a host of others including index.dat
files - you will need to restart your PC to clear everything. I use
it after every session on my PC. Just one word of warning, though, if
you do online banking and keep passwords, account numbers etc on your
PC they too will get erased unless you tell CCleaner not to remove
them (via the options menu).
--


"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...

"CTOS" wrote

It's probably the hidden "index.dat" file(s) which you cannot view
in explorer. One way to see them is open a DOS window to see it.

"Index.dat: Part I - What is index.dat?"
http://blogs.msdn.com/jeffdav/archiv...18/266027.aspx

http://www.acesoft.net/delete_index.dat_files.htm

Thanks CTOS

Looked using cmd window and could not see index file.
Found a couple of folders which were not visible through explorer,
but "dir"ing the content of these did not reveal any index files.

Phil