Windows patch = new difficulty deleting temp internet files?

[Frodolives]

Search turned up nothing, so I'm curious what others are doing about this. I have 98se with IE6, and a recent patch for security vulnerabilities seems to alter/mask the path of temporary internet files.

I've noticed that since installing the patch IE will no longer delete anywhere near all files when I use the browser "internet options" method. So you say "just select them in the windows temp internet directory and delete from there"? No good! Not only are most files not visible, but they remain invisible even when viewing properties are changed to "show all files".

Using the find files/folders utility I can clearly see an abundance of files and the usual garbage in there, and I've even gone to the trouble of manually selecting vast numbers of unwanted files, obviously that's VERY inconvenient, but if I just manually select ALL files in this view I wonder if I may delete some files or directories that serve the "security patch" heh.

Right now, after only a week or two of use, properties indicate that my temporary internet files are many mb of crap that I want to remove, even after using the conventional removal options. Almost makes me wonder if this patch actually is more for the benefit of the online advertisers that grumbled so much about the security features of IE6 in the first place, but forgive my ignorance, I'd really like to hear from others who are aware of this issue.

Thanks

 

[Frodolives]

No Internet Explorer 6 and Windows users huh?

 

[Idoxash]

hello,
When I use windows 98 with IE5.0 I use this to get rid of that stuff. First ya must boot into dos, and thats pure dos mode when you startting up the PC by useing F8 or CRT on some computers.

cd windows
deltree/y temp
deltree/y cookies
deltree/y tempor~1
deltree/y history

this takes care of that crap... Now for IE6.0 it saves it under a differ path... So maybe if you altar the path IE6 new temp, cookies, tempor, and history DIR in dos it should work.

 

[Frodolives]

Thanks for the input. However the problem is not simply deleting all files from that directory, I could do that by selecting them in the find files/folders utility as mentioned. The problem is that without knowing the reason or method of the new paths I may cause a problem by simply removing everything in there.

 

[Frodolives]

Hard to believe nobody has an interest in this

 

[RalfHutter]

I read it but I use Opera so I can't offer any help. Sorry....

 

[dabuddha]

i do but man i couldn't figure it out. I went through the same thing you are now

 

[Frodolives]

I suppose I could try the "what the hell" approach and just delete all files found in there by find file search

 

[Frodolives]

Still hoping for feedback!

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Frodolives
Still hoping for feedback!

You really haven't posted any real information to comment on. Why don't you update your post with some more info, such as the directories your talking about (actual paths) and some examples.

Bill

 

[Frodolives]

Anyone with the same security patch should see what I'm talking about. It seems that IE creates half a dozen or so invisible directories in the Temp Internet File into which stuff goes never to be seen again unless you search for all files in the temp internet directory. As I said, they don't show up even when using "show all files" in the browser view. The new directories have seemingly random character names, which I suppose is somehow intended to prevent malicious access via a direct path, but I really don't know.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Frodolives
Anyone with the same security patch should see what I'm talking about. It seems that IE creates half a dozen or so invisible directories in the Temp Internet File into which stuff goes never to be seen again unless you search for all files in the temp internet directory. As I said, they don't show up even when using "show all files" in the browser view. The new directories have seemingly random character names, which I suppose is somehow intended to prevent malicious access via a direct path, but I really don't know.

From your description, this is exactly what internet explorer has done for a long time to manage it's cache. It's certainly not new behaviour with the path you installed.

Bill

 

[RalfHutter]

OK, so I fired up IE and surfed for a while to fill up my cache (ended up with 12GB in it). All latest critical updates installed (including the three or four from about ten days ago). Emptied the cache (ctrl + A, shift + delete entire folder contents). Now I'm left with 2 folders. Grand total = 496kb. NP.

"find files/folders" gives the same results, 2 folders, 496kb.

I'm using WinXP Pro BTW.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: RalfHutter
OK, so I fired up IE and surfed for a while to fill up my cache (ended up with 12GB in it). All latest critical updates installed (including the three or four from about ten days ago). Emptied the cache (ctrl + A, shift + delete entire folder contents). Now I'm left with 2 folders. Grand total = 496kb. NP.
"find files/folders" gives the same results, 2 folders, 496kb.
I'm using WinXP Pro BTW.

The allocated space is from the index file, which IE doesn't erase (otherwise it just recreates it as soon as you do any browsing).
Bill

 

[Frodolives]

Originally posted by: RalfHutter
OK, so I fired up IE and surfed for a while to fill up my cache (ended up with 12GB in it). All latest critical updates installed (including the three or four from about ten days ago). Emptied the cache (ctrl + A, shift + delete entire folder contents). Now I'm left with 2 folders. Grand total = 496kb. NP.

"find files/folders" gives the same results, 2 folders, 496kb.

I'm using WinXP Pro BTW.

Yes, that's what I am accustomed to, however it no longer works that way for me in 98se.

bsobel's views notwithstanding, I've always previously been able to completely clear the directory and have always installed critical updates.

 

[bsobel]

Yes, that's what I am accustomed to, however it no longer works that way for me in 98se.

You haven't really explained what isn't working the same. I suggested you post some examples, but for some reason you won't. Others have pointed out that everything appears normal, so lets start over, can you try to better explain what you think the problem is?

Bill

 

[Frodolives]

I'm not sure how else to put it. I can no longer view or select all files for deletion in the browser (by any means), which is curious enough.

I just used the find files/folders utility and selected ALL files found within my temporary internet folder and deleted them, but it won't allow me to delete these files

Yes, the index file is among them. Not that I can't spare a few MB space, but I just wanna know what's going on. I'm not using any apps that I haven't used for some time, and I have little doubt that it is due to that security update, since it occurred on my previous installation once patched, and now to my current installation which is only a couple of weeks old.

 

[bsobel]

I can no longer view or select all files for deletion in the browser (by any means), which is curious enough.

I presume by that you mean you can't see the file in explorer, which is normal. There is a file in the directory called desktop.ini, that provides the shell (explorer) with information on how to display the files. You'll see if you open the path via explorer instead of seeing the actual folders/files you'll see the 'cache view' which is a list of objects in the IE cache.

If you didn't see that before, all I can think is that at some point you manually deleted the cache (including the desktop.ini file), and the recent patch recreated the file. If you want to see what I mean you should be able to rename the desktop.ini to something else to test this.

Yes, the index file is among them. Not that I can't spare a few MB space, but I just wanna know what's going on. I'm not using any apps that I haven't used for some time, and I have little doubt that it is due to that security update, since it occurred on my previous installation once patched, and now to my current installation which is only a couple of weeks old.

That all looks normal, IE keeps the index and some cache directories around. Now the cache directories (e.g. C12r4ti7 for example from your picture) should be empty (is that indeed the case?). Basically, IE deletes all of the cached file (images, html, etc) but keeps it's bookkeeping (index files, the cache directory tree) when you remove the cache via IE. This is by design, otherwise IE would need to check for and then (if needed) create the index/directories on the next access that was cached.

Bill

 

[Frodolives]

Prior to this patch, yes I'm sure I was deleting the index file along with everything else in there. I was able to do that in explorer too. As I've said, I can no longer do that. I could for instance simply open up the directory, select all/delete, and the temp internet directory would be completely purged, zero contents, and yes it could recreate whatever it wanted to.

Now those cache directories remain there, cannot be deleted, and the cached files DO remain in them and inaccessible if I use explorer to delete them as I once was able to. Likewise, if I use tools/internet options/delete temporary internet files it doesn't touch a thing in those cache directories, they remain loaded with crap

 

[waynephinney]

No Internet Explorer 6 and Windows users huh?

I'd love to help you out, but I use WinXP with Mozilla. Used to use Pheonix, but Mozilla is just that much better.