Temp folders and files

For system help, all hardware / software topics NOTE: use Coders Corner for all coders topics.

Moderators: Krom, Grendel

Post Reply
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

I've been cleaning up my Win 7 system and I've discovered that even after running disk cleanup, there are still a bunch of remaining empty folders in Windows/Temp and some old setup files in my user's local temp folder. Can these be deleted safely?
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
Krom
DBB Database Master
DBB Database Master
Posts: 16125
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 1998 3:01 am
Location: Camping the energy center. BTW, did you know you can have up to 100 characters in this location box?
Contact:

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Krom »

Try CCleaner ( http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER ). Also rebooting should help if some of the folders/files are locked/in use.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Still there after a reboot. The folders in the Windows/Temp all have a KB number, a lot of them repeated too. The rest are related to either C++ or Net Framework, but all the folders are empty. The User/AppData/local/temp folder contains stuff from what looks like old installs and haven't been touched for a while, judging from the dates.

Can't these just be deleted? Why use CCleaner?
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
Krom
DBB Database Master
DBB Database Master
Posts: 16125
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 1998 3:01 am
Location: Camping the energy center. BTW, did you know you can have up to 100 characters in this location box?
Contact:

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Krom »

CCleaner can also delete windows hotfix uninstallers, which can free up a significant amount of space and isn't covered in disk cleanup.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Thanks Krom. I'll give CCleaner a whirl. I have plenty of drive space, but I would like to shorten defrag times.
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
TigerRaptor
DBB Fleet Admiral
DBB Fleet Admiral
Posts: 2678
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2000 6:00 am

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by TigerRaptor »

tunnelcat wrote:Thanks Krom. I'll give CCleaner a whirl. I have plenty of drive space, but I would like to shorten defrag times.
There is an enhancement for CCleaner if you want to go a little deeper.

http://majorgeeks.com/CCEnhancer_d6547.html
User avatar
woodchip
DBB Benefactor
DBB Benefactor
Posts: 17865
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 1999 2:01 am

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by woodchip »

Curious, I downloaded from Kroms link, installed and ran. Noticed something about Google Chrome and had proggy delete it with everything else listed. When done I logged back onto internet and up pops Goggle Chrome as default browser. Interesting considering I had Firefox named as default browser and have never knowingly installed Google Chrome. Thoughts?

Forehead slapping edit. See that I didn't un-check goggle chrome when I installed the software.
User avatar
Krom
DBB Database Master
DBB Database Master
Posts: 16125
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 1998 3:01 am
Location: Camping the energy center. BTW, did you know you can have up to 100 characters in this location box?
Contact:

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Krom »

Best way to shorten defrag times is to do it more often. I scheduled defrag to run automatically every day, most of the time it only takes a minute or two to run since only recently changed/added files will be fragmented.
User avatar
TechPro
DBB Admiral
DBB Admiral
Posts: 1520
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 11:51 pm

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by TechPro »

tunnelcat wrote:I've been cleaning up my Win 7 system and I've discovered that even after running disk cleanup, there are still a bunch of remaining empty folders in Windows/Temp and some old setup files in my user's local temp folder. Can these be deleted safely?
Easy answer. Yes, the ENTIRE contents of the temp folder can be deleted, but not the Temp folder itself.

However, there is almost always at least one file that is busy/occupied because of programs currently running. Therefore, exit as many programs as you can before dumping the contents of the Temp folder so that you can remove as many as possible. There may still be a file or two that is busy/occupied... so select everything then unselect only the "busy" file and attempt your delete again.

Don't forget about the C:\Windows\Temp folder (temporary folder for the system, not the current user). Treat it the same way.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Thanks TechPro. None of the folders or files in either Windows/Temp or in the C:/user/AppData/local/temp folder appear to have been accessed for quite some time. All the folders within the Windows/Temp folder are totally empty too. They all look like leftovers from hotfixes or installs at one time. No, I don't intend on deleting the main Temp folders. :wink:

I still might get CCleaner. Looks like a good way to clean house before defrags. And thanks for the Google Chrome warning woody. Don't need that one installed.
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Great program Krom, thanks. I have one little question though. Have you ever used the Registry Cleaner part of CCleaner to repair registry issues? Mucking with the registry gives me the willies, but CCleaner did find some issues when I analyzed it.
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
Krom
DBB Database Master
DBB Database Master
Posts: 16125
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 1998 3:01 am
Location: Camping the energy center. BTW, did you know you can have up to 100 characters in this location box?
Contact:

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Krom »

Skip it, generally speaking what ccleaner does to the registry is pointless, pretty much like every other "registry cleaner" out there.

It deletes invalid / missing references, old file types left behind after program uninstalls, stuff like that. The worst you can say about the stuff that it cleans out of the registry is that it takes up space, other than that it is completely irrelevant and harmless.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Thanks Krom, I'll just leave things be. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
User avatar
BUBBALOU
DBB Benefactor
DBB Benefactor
Posts: 4198
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 1999 2:01 am
Location: Dallas Texas USA
Contact:

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by BUBBALOU »

For Temp Files of all sorts use CleanUP! once a month, deletes in use files after logout, aids with virus/malware scans too

First run select "no" for Demo and "no" for donate, if you wish after it runs

I seem to have a better workout dodging your stupidity than attempting to grasp the weight of your intelligence.
User avatar
Tunnelcat
DBB Grand Master
DBB Grand Master
Posts: 13691
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:32 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Re: Temp folders and files

Post by Tunnelcat »

Thanks BUBBALOU. I've got CCleaner running already, but I'll keep CleanUP! in mind.
Cat (n.) A bipolar creature which would as soon gouge your eyes out as it would cuddle.
Post Reply