Hidden folders in temporary internet files folder

To view:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
General tab | Settings button | View Files button

Or...

Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Click OK.

To view:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5 AND \Content.MSO

Start | Run | Type: cleanmgr | OK | Highlight Temporary Internet Files |
View Files button

Or...

Start | Run | Type: %tmp% | Click OK |

You will probably have to click the Folders button on the Tool Bar.
Click: [+] Temporary Internet Files
Click: [+] Content.IE5
Click: Random named folders
View
You can also view Content.MSO

Or...

Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5

Click OK.
You can also view Content.MSO

Or...
Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.MSO

Click OK.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:OJ8$jRyZGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
Tom <tjkng.RemoveThis@stic.net> hunted and pecked:
> Some portions of XP Pro (Eg. Explorer, Search for files) ignore the
> folders in the temporary internet files folder. There is no indication
> that there are any folders there. Using the command prompt to set the
> current directory to the temporary internet files folder you can see the
> hidden folders. All relevant folder options controlling hiding files and
> folders, hiding protected operating system files, etc., have been set to
> show everything possible.
>
> Questions: Is there a way to control this behavior? If something is
> there, I want to see it. Are there other folders that get this special
> treatment?

I forgot to add that the
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Desktop.ini
and
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\Desktop.ini
disable Searching.

Temporary Internet Files folder is a Virtual Folder and a Namespace object.
Has something to do with being a shell folder with its own GUID. I don't
understand half of this. Anyway, moving along.

Temporary Internet Files folders are Special Folders, like My Documents, My
Music, My Computer, Recycle Bin, et cetera. Part of what makes them special
is the GUID or Globally Unique Identifier. These are found in the registry,
where the GUID is the identifier for the special folder. They are found
here: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID. The GUID for Temporary Internet Files is
{7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}.

Part of this is because of the desktop.ini file.

Most Temporary Internet Files folders are Hidden and classified as system
files. They are hidden from Windows Explorer and Search. The device used
to hide them is the desktop.ini file. The desktop.ini signals that they are
system files, hidden and if deleted, they are recreated on the next boot.
To find them, you have to discover them by accident or know where to look.

The Desktop.ini file is a text file that specifies how a file system folder
will be viewed and handled.

Some info on Desktop.ini files pieced together from many sources...

File system folders are commonly displayed with a standard icon and set of
properties, which specify, for instance, whether or not the folder is
shared. The Desktop.ini file is a text file that specifies how a file
system folder will be viewed and handled. The most common use of the
Desktop.ini file is to assign a custom icon to a folder.

The desktop.ini can have info that lists the folder as a system file, hidden
and if deleted, it is recreated on the next boot. The desktop.ini can also
have info like a UICLSID line that hides the folder in Windows Explorer. And
a CLSID line that disables the Search utility from searching through the
folder.

Also the folder name info can be listed in the desktop.ini. For example,
the folder Shared Documents becomes just Documents if you remove the
desktop.ini.

To clean out *all* Temporary Internet Files.....
1) Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
Best to do this with all instances of Internet Explorer closed. Especially
if there are a large number of files.
2) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files
3) Check the box Delete all offline content {This cleans >>
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files AND
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
4) Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes the
temporary internet files
5) You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies that
websites have placed on your hard drive.

If you want, try this: Open IE | Tools | Internet Options | Advanced tab |
scroll down to the bottom | check: Empty Temporary Internet Files folder
when browser is closed | click Apply | OK.
Entirely up to you, but if you want to be rid of this, it is done
automatically. Deletes the content of %homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary
Internet Files but not the Content.IE5 or Content.MSO folders.

Also: Start IE | Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Days to keep
pages in history: 0 | Apply | OK.
-----

Even with all this cleaned out
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
can still show that it is pretty good sized.

I just cleaned mine and it is 224 KB. That's because the index.dat file is
224 KB.

%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat

I use a batch file to delete that index.dat file when I reboot.

Side note:
Most index.dat files get recreated if they are deleted.

%windir%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache\index.dat.

This index.dat does not get recreated. The loss of this particular file
will cripple System Information (msinfo32.exe). This index.dat actually
does something besides growing to a huge size.
-----

Content.IE5 contains all kinds of things. Files generated by Help and
Support Center and Outlook Express, for example.

[[Note: when viewing Newsgroup messages Outlook Express dumps a series of
zero-byte files into the TIF. When Outlook Express is closed it fails to
cleanup these files. To delete these zero-byte files you must select the
option "Delete all offline files".]]

From...
Internet Explorer Tips and Tricks
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/ietips.htm

[[Outlook Express 5.5 and 6 place a zero byte file in TIF for every message
that you read. These files are only visible from Start | Find | Files or
Folders, not from Windows Explorer. ]]

[[The easy way to get rid of them if you use OE 5.5 or 6 is to open Internet
Explorer and go to Tools | Internet Options. In the Temporary Internet Files
Section choose "Delete files". In the next dialogue check the box for
"Delete all offline content" and click "OK".]]

From...
CA* files in TIF
http://www.fjsmjs.com/OE/CA.htm

-----

Outlook Express creates a zero byte file for every message read. Plus
wbk**.tmp files when messages are read. Plus wbk**.tmp files when you Save
a message that you're working on, every time you hit Save.

The zero byte files have names like [1] or [14]. The files are created in
Content.IE5 subfolders.

Examples...
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\1EXPNXVB\[14]
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\[54]
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\LJTLPTXJ\[25]
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\NU1KF7TX\[12]

The wbk**.tmp files have names like wbk118.tmp or wbkE5.tmp The files are
created in Content.IE5 subfolders.

Examples...
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\wbk118.tmp
%homepath%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\GC1GM403\wbkC1.tmp

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:%23VZGutAaGHA.4580@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
Wesley Vogel <123WVogel955.RemoveThis@comcast.net> hunted and pecked:
> To view:
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
>
> Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
> Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
> Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
> General tab | Settings button | View Files button
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
>
> Click OK.
>
> To view:
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
> Files\Content.IE5 AND \Content.MSO
>
> Start | Run | Type: cleanmgr | OK | Highlight Temporary Internet
> Files | View Files button
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Type: %tmp% | Click OK |
>
> You will probably have to click the Folders button on the Tool Bar.
> Click: [+] Temporary Internet Files
> Click: [+] Content.IE5
> Click: Random named folders
> View
> You can also view Content.MSO
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
>
> Click OK.
> You can also view Content.MSO
>
> Or...
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.MSO
>
> Click OK.
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> In news:OJ8$jRyZGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
> Tom <tjkng.RemoveThis@stic.net> hunted and pecked:
>> Some portions of XP Pro (Eg. Explorer, Search for files) ignore the
>> folders in the temporary internet files folder. There is no indication
>> that there are any folders there. Using the command prompt to set the
>> current directory to the temporary internet files folder you can see the
>> hidden folders. All relevant folder options controlling hiding files and
>> folders, hiding protected operating system files, etc., have been set to
>> show everything possible.
>>
>> Questions: Is there a way to control this behavior? If something is
>> there, I want to see it. Are there other folders that get this special
>> treatment?

Really heavy post on this matter. Here is a very small little trick and do
the search and its really work. In Computer, I always believe in the results.
The way doesn't matter to me.

If you want to search something in your temporary files including
sub-folders and you think if it is a pains taking chap. No! Just do the
following:

1. Right-Click on the Temporary Internet Folder and choose Copy
2. Then Paste them some where else.

Very simple. Now, do a search using Advance Search options or you can browse
through folders. They will no longer be hidden or system folders.

Let us know if the information is useful to you.

"Tom" wrote:

> Some portions of XP Pro (Eg. Explorer, Search for files) ignore the folders
> in the temporary internet files folder. There is no indication that there
> are any folders there. Using the command prompt to set the current directory
> to the temporary internet files folder you can see the hidden folders. All
> relevant folder options controlling hiding files and folders, hiding
> protected operating system files, etc., have been set to show everything
> possible.
>
> Questions: Is there a way to control this behavior? If something is there, I
> want to see it. Are there other folders that get this special treatment?
>
>
>

I have read the various posts and thanks to everybody for the feedback. I
knew various official ways see the "contents" of the TIF and "empty" it but
let me elaborate on why I want to see the sub-folders. One of those
sub-folders is used by Outlook for temporary files.

I accidentally discovered that over the years, there were orphan files left
there. Using any of the offical ways to look into the TIF does not show the
contents of that folder or even show that the folder exists. It seems to be
a real folder because when I was viewing one of the orphan outlook files
that I accidentaly discovered, I was able to look at the list of open files
and see the path to it. I then went to the command prompt and navigated to
that folder and cleaned it out. The command prompt didn't show desktop.ini
in the TIF folder though. Using the command prompt, my TIF has the following
folder structure and no files in any of folders:

AntiPhishing
DHDMYLTC
LM31J18N
Low
OLK5D5

OLK5D5 is that folder used by Outlook.

....tom


"Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955 DeleteThis @comcast.net> wrote in message
news:%23VZGutAaGHA.4580@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> To view:
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
>
> Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | OK
> Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop.
> Or: Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options.
> General tab | Settings button | View Files button
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
>
> Click OK.
>
> To view:
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
> Files\Content.IE5 AND \Content.MSO
>
> Start | Run | Type: cleanmgr | OK | Highlight Temporary Internet Files
> |
> View Files button
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Type: %tmp% | Click OK |
>
> You will probably have to click the Folders button on the Tool Bar.
> Click: [+] Temporary Internet Files
> Click: [+] Content.IE5
> Click: Random named folders
> View
> You can also view Content.MSO
>
> Or...
>
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
>
> Click OK.
> You can also view Content.MSO
>
> Or...
> Start | Run | Paste this in the box:
>
> %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.MSO
>
> Click OK.
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> In news:OJ8$jRyZGHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
> Tom <tjkng DeleteThis @stic.net> hunted and pecked:
>> Some portions of XP Pro (Eg. Explorer, Search for files) ignore the
>> folders in the temporary internet files folder. There is no indication
>> that there are any folders there. Using the command prompt to set the
>> current directory to the temporary internet files folder you can see the
>> hidden folders. All relevant folder options controlling hiding files and
>> folders, hiding protected operating system files, etc., have been set to
>> show everything possible.
>>
>> Questions: Is there a way to control this behavior? If something is
>> there, I want to see it. Are there other folders that get this special
>> treatment?
>

Tom, if you want to *see* the various hidden folders and files in TIF,
and perhaps delete them selectively rather than just cleaning out
everything together, the easiest way to do this in XP is as follows:

In Windows Explorer (My Computer) right-click Drive C:, select
Properties, select Disk Cleanup, highlight Temporary Internet Files,
and select View Files. This opens a *new window* displaying the
original Content.IE5 folder and all of its 8-character randomly-named
subfolders, and also any OLK folders. (OLK folders are assigned
various names, and there may be more than one under TIF. Depending on
how you use your computer, there may be other hidden folders as well.)
The files found here can be viewed, copied, moved, run, etc, and they
may also be individually deleted. If you return to your first window
and open folders down from Drive C: through Documents and Settings \
[my logon name] \ Local Settings \ Temporary Internet Files, what you
find there are cookies and other pointers, many of which have names
similar but not identical to the names of the real files located in the
Content.IE5 subfolders and OLK. The two open windows do not duplicate
any of each other's display -- the first shows only cookies and
pointers, the second shows only the actual files.

I suspect you're probably right about MS plugging holes; I have IE
6.0. Until about a year ago I was using an old machine running
Windows 2000, in which Windows Explorer openly displayed what seemed
to be all of the contents of TIF. I had got into the habit of
occasionally rummaging through the files inside the subfolders in
Content.IE5, and copying a few interesting jpgs and some other useful
files to My Documents.

Then when I switched to an XP computer I was very surprised to find
that Content.IE5 and its subfolders with the actual downloaded files
(as opposed to the pointers/cookies in the main TIF folder) appeared
to be missing. But my present computer is set up for two users, and I
was even more surprised to discover that if I logged in as User1, my
own Content.IE5 was hidden, but User2's would display, and vice versa.

I found the trick of using Disk Cleanup to display your own
Content.IE5 in a separate window in an old thread at Google Groups. I
wonder if you set up a second "user" on your machine whether the two
would access each other's files as mine do, but I tend to doubt it. I
still don't understand why MS is trying so hard to hide these files,
but being able to see anyone's downloaded files except your own seems
an obvious bug which they must have been trying to fix.

Another trick that I picked up from a different Groups thread is to
click on your own TIF folder in Windows Explorer, which puts that path
in the Address Bar. Then immediately following the word 'Files' in
the Address Bar append '\content.ie5' and click 'Go'. This might have
a better chance of working for you. All three of these methods work
with my software configuration.

Note that TIF usually contains at least one other hidden folder
besides Content.IE5, named OLK (with or without additional letters or
numbers), and possibly more such folders. The Address Bar method
won't access these unless you already know their exact names.

I did what you said but it didn't behave the way you described. What I saw
was what I would see if I navigated to the TIF. No sub-folders were shown.
There was another posted suggestion re: copy/paste which for me doesn't
behave the way the poster said it should. I am running IE 7, Beta 2 and I am
beginning to think MS has eliminated some previous "holes" providing ways to
see exactly what is in the TIF folder.

I have just started getting a strange problem which seems related to this
thread:

I am trying to open email attachments from an internet email account (like
my Hotmail account): it prompts me to "open or save", and I choose "open". So
it goes through the download, and then the application trying to run the file
tells me it can't find it. Some of the applications in question will tell me
that they are looking in Temporary Internet Files/Content.IE5/... which of
course when I go look for I cannot find either. When I sign on in Safe mode
as the administrator, I can see the folder under my account with everything
there. So somehow something has come unhooked so that my applications cannot
see the files either. This used to work - does anyone have a suggestion for
me to try?

Ann

"kaream@nmia.com" wrote:

> I suspect you're probably right about MS plugging holes; I have IE
> 6.0. Until about a year ago I was using an old machine running
> Windows 2000, in which Windows Explorer openly displayed what seemed
> to be all of the contents of TIF. I had got into the habit of
> occasionally rummaging through the files inside the subfolders in
> Content.IE5, and copying a few interesting jpgs and some other useful
> files to My Documents.
>
> Then when I switched to an XP computer I was very surprised to find
> that Content.IE5 and its subfolders with the actual downloaded files
> (as opposed to the pointers/cookies in the main TIF folder) appeared
> to be missing. But my present computer is set up for two users, and I
> was even more surprised to discover that if I logged in as User1, my
> own Content.IE5 was hidden, but User2's would display, and vice versa.
>
> I found the trick of using Disk Cleanup to display your own
> Content.IE5 in a separate window in an old thread at Google Groups. I
> wonder if you set up a second "user" on your machine whether the two
> would access each other's files as mine do, but I tend to doubt it. I
> still don't understand why MS is trying so hard to hide these files,
> but being able to see anyone's downloaded files except your own seems
> an obvious bug which they must have been trying to fix.
>
> Another trick that I picked up from a different Groups thread is to
> click on your own TIF folder in Windows Explorer, which puts that path
> in the Address Bar. Then immediately following the word 'Files' in
> the Address Bar append '\content.ie5' and click 'Go'. This might have
> a better chance of working for you. All three of these methods work
> with my software configuration.
>
> Note that TIF usually contains at least one other hidden folder
> besides Content.IE5, named OLK (with or without additional letters or
> numbers), and possibly more such folders. The Address Bar method
> won't access these unless you already know their exact names.
>
>