Behaviour of index.dat

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Guest

Hi,

I’m trying to work out how index.dat files behave - in particular how they
behave when you delete them.

I’ve been deleting the index.dat files from one user account by creating a
file called indexdat.cmd that contains the following text

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Cookies\index.dat"
Del "C:\Documents and Settings\ Username\UserData\index.dat"
Del "C:\WINDOWS\Temp\Cookies\index.dat"
Del "C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\OfflineCache\index.dat"
Del "C:\WINDOWS\Temp\History\History.IE5\index.dat"
Del "C:\WINDOWS\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat"
Del "C:\WINDOWS\System32\config\systemprofile\Cookies\index.dat"

I then boot into “safe mode with command prompt†and run the file. It works
fine but there are a few things I have questions about. I was hoping someone
could help.

If I try to delete the file “C:\Documents and
Settings\Username\Cookies\index.dat†without first deleting all the cookies
in the same folder deletion appears to fail.

After several attempts what I think is happening is that Windows is creating
a new index.dat file in that location and populating it with all the
information from cookies that are still in the folder? Is this assumption
correct?

Secondly, all the index.dat files are deleted without any problem. But I was
rather surprised to find that, even after some fairly extensive web browsing,
they hadn’t been automatically recreated. I expected Windows to this as soon
as I booted out of safe mode.

Can anyone tell me why they haven’t been recreated, when they will be
recreated and in response to what stimulus or event?

Fairly arcane stuff I know, but I’d be very grateful if someone could help
me with this.

All the best

Karl
 
Be cautious about deleting >>>

C:\WINDOWS\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.

I should restate that. Do *NOT* delete the index.dat file in...
C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache

Rebuilding the help center recreates that index.dat file.

Reinstalling Help and Support Center in Windows XP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/rebuildhelp.htm

There are other ways to get it back also.

This folder should not even exist on XP >>
C:\WINDOWS\Temp\Cookies

C:\WINDOWS\Cookies is what the folder should be.

These are the Cookies folders...
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies
C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Cookies
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Cookies
C:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Cookies
C:\Documents and Settings\YourNameHere\Cookies
or %userprofile%\Cookies
C:\WINDOWS\Cookies

Almost all of the index.dat files will get recreated, if someone logs on to
that account, except OfflineCache, it never gets recreated automatically.

Index.dat here gets recreated right away.
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5

Index.dats here will not get recreated right away.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5
C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5
C:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5
C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5

If there is an MSHist some long string of numbers, there will be an
index.dat file.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local
Settings\History\History.IE5\MSHist########
C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\History\History.IE5
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\History\History.IE5
C:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\History\History.IE5
%userprofile%\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\MSHist########
C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Local
Settings\History\History.IE5\MSHist########

Sometimes index.dat here gets recreated when you right click a file, Send To
| Mail Recipient. Sometimes it just gets recreated. I do not know why.
Maybe Help and Support.
C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5

The desktop.ini file is a Hidden, System file. The desktop.ini has info in
it that hides some of these folders from Windows Explorer and Search.
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 index.dat files cannot normally be deleted because they are in use.

What index.dat files have not been recreated for you, besides
OfflineCache\index.dat?

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

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