Re: Disk cleanup, Search Results, Deleting .tmp files... UGH!

From: Phil (I.fix.probs_at_for.you)
Date: 05/10/04 

Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 15:22:50 -0400

Steve Nielsen wrote:
> Phil wrote:
>
>> Steve Nielsen wrote:
>>
>>> These have been problems in previous Windows versions. It seems such
>>> an obvious boneheaded thing that I am astonished why M$ while
>>> deciding what is best for us users has not fixed or changed these
>>> very simple things. No, instead of fixing some long-standing, real
>>> problems with the OS they decided to make it into a cartoon instead.
>>> But I digress...
>>>
>>> 1. Disk cleanup does not. Period. Never has. Half-hearted attempts
>>> at best. It niether deletes all temporary Internet files nor all
>>> unneeded .tmp files as it is supposed to do. And why should I care
>>> if it compresses unused files or not and why should it take it a
>>> half an hour of MY TIME to do so? Other files systems that use
>>> compression do so on the fly during idle times.
>>
>>
>> Yes, I have noticed it does not clean it all like you'd expect it to
>> do.
>>
>>
>>> 2. Because Disk cleanup does not work correctly one must manually
>>> delete .tmp files that accumulate over time in order to
>>> avoid/correct application malfunctions caused by the existence of
>>> certain .tmp files. Which begs another question - why would a
>>> properly designed OS leave these little "droppings" behind in the
>>> first place?
>>
>>
>> The only reason to delete the temp files would be to gain space.
>> I've never seen left over temp files cause application malfunctions.
>> A properly written app would have no prob with temp files and
>> folders.
>
> Word and Excel have frequent problems caused by orphaned tmp files
> ranging from being unable to print to being unable to open the
> application at all. Deleting tmp files fixes 90% of all M$ Office
> problems I have ever seen.

I'll take your word for it. I use Office 2003 pro all day long. Word, excel,
one note, outlook, frontpage, access, visio, and never had a problem with
temp files or corruption.

>
>>
>>
>>> 3. To find these .tmp files one must use the Search tool. No
>>> problem. At least that works... IF you change some default
>>> settings, such as file viewing (show hidden files, many .tmp files
>>> that cause problems are hidden) and WHERE to start looking. My
>>> Documents? Why would anyone want to start searching for ANYTHING in
>>> My Documents? If what I wanted was in My Documents I'd probably
>>> know it was there already, since *I* put it there, and I wouldn't
>>> need the Search tool to find it.
>>
>>
>> You don't have to search for them. They are located here:
>> C:\Documents and Settings\your user name here\Local Settings\Temp
>> This folder is a hidden folder so you have to have explorer set to
>> show hidden files.
>
> Unfortunately incorrect; tmp files get dropped in other locations as
> well. Such as:
>
> C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Microsoft\Office
>
> And even sometimes in sub-folders hanging off the Windows folder.

Ok, still no need to search. Just look here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\OFFICE
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files
C:\Documents and Settings\user name here\UserData
I think that's it. That will get 90%-100% of them.

>
>>
>>
>>> 4. Once the .tmp files are found and selected some will not delete
>>> as they are in use by the system. Ok, I understand. No problem
>>> there. BUT the rest of the selected files won't go ahead and delete
>>> either after one of the files in use is hit. Now how stupid is that?
>>
>>
>> When you highlight all the files in the temp folder and try to
>> delete them, it may find one in use, then it stops deleting. All you
>> have to do at this point is hold the ctrl key down to un-highlight
>> the file in use(xp told you what it was) by holding the cursor over
>> the file with ctrl held down. Once the file in un-highlighted hit
>> delete and all the previous files that are still highlighted get
>> deleted.
>
> That does not work because files that WERE deleted are still listed
> and selected in the window (as stated below) and then the OS spits
> out an error because it cannot find them and once again nothing more
> is deleted.

Like I said, don't delete from the search window and it won't do that.
Delete the files from within explorer in the actual folder itself and it
pretty easy.

>
>>
>>
>>> 5. To make matters worse, the Search results window does NOT refresh
>>> automatically nor reliably even when done manually - it ALWAYS
>>> continues to display files that HAVE BEEN ALREADY DELETED. What's
>>> the point in that? So, you have to repeat the search over again and
>>> delete more files until it hits one in use, repeat the search over
>>> again and delete more files until it hits another one in use, etc.,
>>> ad nauseum.
>>
>>
>> Do not delete the files from the search window. Just browse to the
>> correct temp folder in explorer (as listed above) and delete the
>> files from there.
>>
>
> As stated above; unfortunately, tmp files get dropped in other
> locations as well.

Just look in all the locations manually to avoid the search refresh problem
and delete from there the actual folders. There isn't much more you can do
about it unless you use a third party cleaner app(but most stink just as bad
as disk cleanup). Since your computer is a tool, it requires manual cleaning
from time to time. Just find the files in explorer and delete them.

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