Problem with TEMP folder.

I'm having problems clearing the TEMP folder under Windows. The folder seems
to have got corrupted as none of the files cannot be deleted. No other
program is running when I try to delete. I regularly delete the files in the
TEMP folder as this helps to increase performance with some programs I use.
Anyone know how this problem can be fixed?

If some of the files are in use boot to Safe Mode and then empty your Temp
folder.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Pat wrote:

I'm having problems clearing the TEMP folder under Windows. The
folder seems to have got corrupted as none of the files cannot be
deleted. No other program is running when I try to delete. I
regularly delete the files in the TEMP folder as this helps to
increase performance with some programs I use. Anyone know how this
problem can be fixed?

boot to Safe Mode and then empty your Temp folder.
This was unsuccessful.

I have also tried Disk Cleanup without success.
There are over 500 files currently in the TEMP folder and almost all relate
to MS Office. If I select just one file anywhere in the folder it will not
allow me to delete it. In fact when a file is selected it displays the item
it relates to. What I mean is that it may show a custom command button in
Excel or something like that, very weird!

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
If some of the files are in use boot to Safe Mode and then empty your Temp
folder.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Pat wrote:

I'm having problems clearing the TEMP folder under Windows. The
folder seems to have got corrupted as none of the files cannot be
deleted. No other program is running when I try to delete. I
regularly delete the files in the TEMP folder as this helps to
increase performance with some programs I use. Anyone know how this
problem can be fixed?

What was unsuccessful? Booting to Safe Mode or the deletion? Assuming
the deletion please provide a little more information such as the file
name and the location of the folder please.

By booting to Safe Mode you should be able to delete all or virtually all
files in the Temp folder, by default C:\Windows\Temp. This folder should
not be used for either data or to have programs installed into the folder
although some parasites do so.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Pat wrote:

boot to Safe Mode and then empty your Temp folder.
This was unsuccessful.

I have also tried Disk Cleanup without success.
There are over 500 files currently in the TEMP folder and almost all
relate to MS Office. If I select just one file anywhere in the folder
it will not allow me to delete it. In fact when a file is selected it
displays the item it relates to. What I mean is that it may show a
custom command button in Excel or something like that, very weird!

Booting to Safe Mode was successful but deleting the file in C:\Windows\Temp
was not.

What we are discussing is something beyond what the TEMP folder behaves
normally. I would regard myself as competent at clearing the TEMP folder as
I would have performed this task many times without difficulty. Its my
feeling the TEMP folder has got corrupted as a result of the computer
crashing where it displayed a black screen with only a flickering cursor
visible

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
What was unsuccessful? Booting to Safe Mode or the deletion? Assuming
the deletion please provide a little more information such as the file
name and the location of the folder please.

By booting to Safe Mode you should be able to delete all or virtually all
files in the Temp folder, by default C:\Windows\Temp. This folder should
not be used for either data or to have programs installed into the folder
although some parasites do so.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Pat wrote:

boot to Safe Mode and then empty your Temp folder.
This was unsuccessful.

I have also tried Disk Cleanup without success.
There are over 500 files currently in the TEMP folder and almost all
relate to MS Office. If I select just one file anywhere in the folder
it will not allow me to delete it. In fact when a file is selected it
displays the item it relates to. What I mean is that it may show a
custom command button in Excel or something like that, very weird!

The TEMP folder is not a special folder in any way, it is a folder just
like any other. May I suggest that you boot to safe mode and run scandisk
and defrag on the drive containing the Temp folder concerned as your
problem could be due to a damaged FAT.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Pat wrote:

Booting to Safe Mode was successful but deleting the file in
C:\Windows\Temp was not.

What we are discussing is something beyond what the TEMP folder
behaves normally. I would regard myself as competent at clearing the
TEMP folder as I would have performed this task many times without
difficulty. Its my feeling the TEMP folder has got corrupted as a
result of the computer crashing where it displayed a black screen
with only a flickering cursor visible

"Pat" wrote:

Booting to Safe Mode was successful but deleting the file in C:\Windows\Temp
was not.

What we are discussing is something beyond what the TEMP folder behaves
normally. I would regard myself as competent at clearing the TEMP folder as
I would have performed this task many times without difficulty. Its my
feeling the TEMP folder has got corrupted as a result of the computer
crashing where it displayed a black screen with only a flickering cursor
visible


Boot your computer with a WindowsMe Startup Disk (make on using
Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs - Startup Disk, or download an
image for one from www.bootdisk.com)

Choose the "boot with CDROM support" option from the boot disk startup
menu.

When it has finished booting enter the following commands:

C:
CD\WINDOWS\TEMP
PATH C:\WINDOWS; C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SMARTDRV

If you have gotten to this point without any error messages, and if
the command prompt now reads:

C:\WINDOWS\TEMP

then you can proceed with this final command to actually delete the
files:

DELTREE /Y *.*

That should wipe out everything.

WARNING:
If your command prompt is not displaying C:\WINDOWS\TEMP when you
issue the DELTREE command you could do serious damage to your system,
and it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to recover from
this.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."