Deleting files in C:\Windows\Temp
in [Windows Performance]
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From: siamoose on 27 Jan 2010 15:52 In my C:\Windows\Temp folder I have 17 folders like this "tmp00001cef" Each one has different files in them,(for a total of 51 files) ranging from 0MB to 1.46GB. Total size of them is 48.6 GB. My question is can I delete these safely? I have no idea what they are for. Appreciate any suggestion, thanks! debbie
From: Leonard Grey on 27 Jan 2010 16:14 In general, the contents of the Temp folder are safe to delete, but with caveats: Re-start your computer before clearing the Temp folder, since one or more of the files inside may be waiting to perform some function at the next re-start. To really be on the safe side, don't delete Temp files until they are 24 hours old, since one or more may be waiting for a certain time to perform a specific function. Some of the files may be un-deletable, since they are currently in use. With a little digging, you can find out which program is creating large files in the Temp folder. With that knowledge you can also configure the program not to use so much space (e.g., don't maintain 30 days of application history.) --- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est siamoose wrote: > In my C:\Windows\Temp folder I have 17 folders like this "tmp00001cef" > Each one has different files in them,(for a total of 51 files) ranging from > 0MB to 1.46GB. Total size of them is 48.6 GB. > > My question is can I delete these safely? I have no idea what they are for. > > Appreciate any suggestion, thanks! > debbie
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 27 Jan 2010 16:14 On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:52:06 -0800, siamoose <siamoose(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > In my C:\Windows\Temp folder I have 17 folders like this "tmp00001cef" > Each one has different files in them,(for a total of 51 files) ranging from > 0MB to 1.46GB. Total size of them is 48.6 GB. > > My question is can I delete these safely? I have no idea what they are for. Yes, they can, and should be, deleted periodically. The temp folder provides workspace for programs. Programs can create temporary files there for their own temporary use. Each program should delete all its temporary files when it closes, but for various reasons it doesn't always happen (for example, if the program crashes, it never gets to do this). That's why it's a good idea to periodically clean out anything left there. Also note that there are some program installations which work in two steps. The first step concludes by writing temporary files and rebooting. The second step starts automatically after rebooting and needs to find those files there (and then deletes them when it's done). Other than doing it automatically when rebooting (that would interfere with installations like the kind I described), it's always safe to delete the contents of the temp folder. Because it's safe to delete any temp files that aren't open and in use by an application, and since Windows won't let you delete open files, it's safe to (try to) delete them at any time. If any fail to delete because they're open, they'll either be deleted automatically when the app using them closes, or you'll get them the next time you delete manually. Some people may suggest that you reboot before deleting anything, but that's not necessary, for the reason described above (on the other hand, it doesn't hurt to do it). -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 Please Reply to the Newsgroup
From: SC Tom on 27 Jan 2010 19:14 "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake(a)this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message news:13b1m55a45ejll72vo7nblatrrge72sodj(a)4ax.com... > On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:52:06 -0800, siamoose > <siamoose(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > >> In my C:\Windows\Temp folder I have 17 folders like this "tmp00001cef" >> Each one has different files in them,(for a total of 51 files) ranging >> from >> 0MB to 1.46GB. Total size of them is 48.6 GB. >> >> My question is can I delete these safely? I have no idea what they are >> for. > > > Yes, they can, and should be, deleted periodically. > > The temp folder provides workspace for programs. Programs can create > temporary files there for their own temporary use. Each program should > delete all its temporary files when it closes, but for various reasons > it doesn't always happen (for example, if the program crashes, it > never gets to do this). That's why it's a good idea to periodically > clean out anything left there. > > Also note that there are some program installations which work in two > steps. The first step concludes by writing temporary files and > rebooting. The second step starts automatically after rebooting and > needs to find those files there (and then deletes them when it's > done). > > Other than doing it automatically when rebooting (that would interfere > with installations like the kind I described), it's always safe to > delete the contents of the temp folder. Because it's safe to delete > any temp files that aren't open and in use by an application, and > since Windows won't let you delete open files, it's safe to (try to) > delete them at any time. If any fail to delete because they're open, > they'll either be deleted automatically when the app using them > closes, or you'll get them the next time you delete manually. > > Some people may suggest that you reboot before deleting anything, but > that's not necessary, for the reason described above (on the other > hand, it doesn't hurt to do it). > > -- > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 > Please Reply to the Newsgroup I'm sure what you're saying is probably true, but I've had a batch file that I run on start-up every day that deletes all the files in my temp folder, and I have never had a bad program installation since using it. It doesn't always get everything (some Zone Alarm data files) the first day, but then those files are replaced and erased the following day, and so on. I find it amazing the amount of stuff that gets written there and is still there even after it's no longer needed. Through forgetfulness (and maybe a touch of laziness), I managed to not empty it out for weeks on end before I finally wrote the batch file. That works for me, but I'm not stating that everyone should go this route. But if you do, use at your own risk :-) -- SC Tom
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 27 Jan 2010 20:07
On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:14:01 -0500, "SC Tom" <sc(a)tom.net> wrote: > > "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake(a)this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message > news:13b1m55a45ejll72vo7nblatrrge72sodj(a)4ax.com... > > On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:52:06 -0800, siamoose > > <siamoose(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > > >> In my C:\Windows\Temp folder I have 17 folders like this "tmp00001cef" > >> Each one has different files in them,(for a total of 51 files) ranging > >> from > >> 0MB to 1.46GB. Total size of them is 48.6 GB. > >> > >> My question is can I delete these safely? I have no idea what they are > >> for. > > > > > > Yes, they can, and should be, deleted periodically. > > > > The temp folder provides workspace for programs. Programs can create > > temporary files there for their own temporary use. Each program should > > delete all its temporary files when it closes, but for various reasons > > it doesn't always happen (for example, if the program crashes, it > > never gets to do this). That's why it's a good idea to periodically > > clean out anything left there. > > > > Also note that there are some program installations which work in two > > steps. The first step concludes by writing temporary files and > > rebooting. The second step starts automatically after rebooting and > > needs to find those files there (and then deletes them when it's > > done). > > > > Other than doing it automatically when rebooting (that would interfere > > with installations like the kind I described), it's always safe to > > delete the contents of the temp folder. Because it's safe to delete > > any temp files that aren't open and in use by an application, and > > since Windows won't let you delete open files, it's safe to (try to) > > delete them at any time. If any fail to delete because they're open, > > they'll either be deleted automatically when the app using them > > closes, or you'll get them the next time you delete manually. > > > > Some people may suggest that you reboot before deleting anything, but > > that's not necessary, for the reason described above (on the other > > hand, it doesn't hurt to do it). > > > > -- > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup > > I'm sure what you're saying is probably true, but I've had a batch file that > I run on start-up every day that deletes all the files in my temp folder, > and I have never had a bad program installation since using it. Yes, it runs after any installations are complete. > It doesn't > always get everything (some Zone Alarm data files) the first day, but then > those files are replaced and erased the following day, and so on. Yep, as I said. > I find it amazing the amount of stuff that gets written there and is still > there even after it's no longer needed. Through forgetfulness (and maybe a > touch of laziness), I managed to not empty it out for weeks on end before I > finally wrote the batch file. > That works for me, but I'm not stating that everyone should go this route. > But if you do, use at your own risk :-) There is little if any risk in doing what you do. I think it's fine. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 Please Reply to the Newsgroup |