Computer Question - Temporary Internet Files

[Myself]

Between my wife and myself we spend about 6 hours a day or more surfing the internet.  My computers temp internet files have gotten so large it now takes 9 and 1/2 hours to do a virus scan (Norton).  

I have not been able to delete the files in the temporary internet folder.  When I look in the folder is shows nothing except cookies but when I run properties it says I have 17 gig of files in there.

Is there some way to get rid of these?  Seems like a lot of waisted storage and time to me.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[garrettwc]

Are you using Internet Explorer?

Click tools - internet options and then in the temporary internet files section click the delete files and delete cookies buttons. It will take a while for this to run, you're computer isn't frozen. Then click the settings button and another window will pop up. There is a slider at the bottom. Slide it all the way to the left, the lowest setting and that should do for a start.

[Myself]

I have done that already and it will get rid of recent data but the bulk of the stuff that is there has been there for quite a while.

Any other ideas?

[TarpleyG]

What is the path to the stuff you are looking at?  If you have cleared the temp files via IE, then you must be looking at something else.  Most of the time in W2K and above, the temp IE files are located in C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files .  Does that look like where your's are?  If so, just highlight all of them and delete.

Greg

[Myself]

The path is C:\documents and settings\user\local settings\temporary internet files\

When I physically go to that location on the hard drive the directory shows empty, (nothing appears in the window).  Yet when I hit properties it shows the 17 gig worth of files, (it takes almost an hour just to scan them all), in many folders.

I have verified that I have show all hidden files checked as well as show all system files.  They are there as far as Norten is concerned but I can't get to them to delete them.

[Standing Wolf]

Once you get rid of those invisible files, you might want to consider upgrading to another browser. Actually, any other browser would be an upgrade.

[Preacherman]

Almost certainly those files are labeled as system or read-only files, specifically to prevent you deleting them.  If you can't get rid of them through Internet Explorer, you may have to use Windows Explorer to reset their properties and then delete them, or use a cleanup program such as Norton Utilities to delete them (using its clean-up function).  If worst comes to worst, manual deletion can be done, but you may have some funny results afterwards on your system, depending on which program's snuck files in there.

[Phyphor]

Normally, IE really doesn't care if you delete the "left overs" that it's own cache cleaner can't get.

Agreed that you'll have to probably start the machine in safe mode, navigate to your Temporary Internet Files folder(s).

Hell, you might just skip using Windows Explorer and do it from the command line.
click Start, Run, delete any text there, type CMD and hit enter
(if CMD doesn't work, try command )
type (into the window that appears) cd \docume~1\%username%\locals~1\tempor~1
hit enter
type attrib -s -r -h *.*
wipe all the files from the cache (you should be able to do so without any harm to your system, )
restart the machine into normal mode

[lee n. field]

One more thing to do (two actually): Go to control panel, internet options, advanced tab.  Check the option to delete temporary internet files when you exit the browser.

The second thing is to go get Firefox or the full Mozilla suite.   Tabbed browning.  You want it.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

My suggestion?
Crap Cleaner.  You might want to *not* delete your cookies if you visit news sites and you'll have to log back in here and on THR if you purge them.

www.ccleaner.com

It cleans up all your garbage quite well.  I purge a couple of hundred megs every couple of days.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[jefnvk]

Haven't looked back since trying Opera.  Just could never like FireFox/Mozilla, and Netscape is no improvement.