EXTRA BOGUS Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, & History folders

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grant Robertson
  • Start date Start date
G

Grant Robertson

Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 14:05:39 -0500
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Organization: Home
X-Newsreader: MicroPlanet Gravity v2.50

First, let me be clear. I am not asking how to empty out the standard TIF
(Temporary Internet Files), History, and Cookies folders. I know how to
do that using Internet Properties.

The problem I have here is an EXTRA set of BOGUS folders with the same
names that get created in my Temp folder every time I boot up in normal
mode. They cannot be deleted in normal mode either. If I boot to Safe
Mode I can delete them and if I then reboot to Safe Mode again they do
not get created.

I have done some experiments and if I use MSConfig to disable all of my
Startup items the folders still get recreated when I boot to Normal Mode.
However, if I choose Diagnostic Startup in MSConfig then the files do not
get recreated when I boot to Normal Mode. This tells me that the issue is
most likely caused by some service but I can't figure out which. I am
certainly not in the mood to reboot my computer dozens more times today
just to figure out which service is causing this problem. I am guessing
it has something to do with the system for replacing protected files.

I have done some research in the newsgroups and the exact same issue has
been reported several times over the last few years. Usually there is no
response at all. In one thread some people suggested booting to the DOS
prompt and using the DELTREE command to remove the offending files and
they wouldn't come back after that. Unfortunately, I have tried booting
to Safe Mode with Command Prompt as well as booting off of a floppy to
delete the files. They just come right back when I boot to Normal Mode.

Along with the a fore mentioned folders a series of .tmp files get
created with file names such as "~DF8F55.tmp" and "~DFA943.tmp". These
two were created within a minute of booting up. Over time I often get
dozens more. None of these files can be deleted in Normal Mode. I get a
dialog saying the file is being used by another program.

This problem has been ongoing for months. I have no idea how long it had
been happening before I even noticed it.

I am now concerned that I may have some virus or spyware that is causing
this. Here's the deal. I am a professional computer consultant. Most of
what I do these days is clean up spyware off of PC's for people. I have
scanned the hell out of my machine and never find anything other than a
few tracking cookies. This has me completely stumped.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this issue?
 
On a hunch I went into MSConfig and disabled anything having to do with
Norton Internet Security. Deleted the files in Safe Mode and rebooted.
The bogus folders were not recreated. But after a few seconds a DF*.tmp
file was created. I could not delete it. So I opened Task Manager and
started killing processes. My second guess was Microsoft AntiSpyware's
gcasServ.exe process. I was able to delete the file. I left the process
dead for a while and no new files were created. As soon as I started up
Microsoft AntiSpyware it created two new files.

So it seems the cause of my problem is the software I use to protect
myself. Norton Internet Security creates the bogus IE cache folders and
Microsoft AntiSpyware creates the DF*.tmp files.

I don't mind them creating the files but I don't like them being
undeletable while the programs are running. This means I have to figure
out some way to empty out the Temp folder before these processes are
started so it doesn't eventually fill up and take over my whole hard
drive.
 
On a hunch I went into MSConfig and disabled anything having to do with
Norton Internet Security. Deleted the files in Safe Mode and rebooted.
The bogus folders were not recreated. But after a few seconds a DF*.tmp
file was created. I could not delete it. So I opened Task Manager and
started killing processes. My second guess was Microsoft AntiSpyware's
gcasServ.exe process. I was able to delete the file. I left the process
dead for a while and no new files were created. As soon as I started up
Microsoft AntiSpyware it created two new files.

So it seems the cause of my problem is the software I use to protect
myself. Norton Internet Security creates the bogus IE cache folders and
Microsoft AntiSpyware creates the DF*.tmp files.

I don't mind them creating the files but I don't like them being
undeletable while the programs are running. This means I have to figure
out some way to empty out the Temp folder before these processes are
started so it doesn't eventually fill up and take over my whole hard
drive.
Click to expand...
Try this program and use the options/ custom folder tab to clean the
temp folder on startup.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4191.html
 
Grant Robertson said:
On a hunch I went into MSConfig and disabled anything having to do
with
Norton Internet Security. Deleted the files in Safe Mode and
rebooted.
The bogus folders were not recreated. But after a few seconds a
DF*.tmp
file was created. I could not delete it. So I opened Task Manager
and
started killing processes. My second guess was Microsoft
AntiSpyware's
gcasServ.exe process. I was able to delete the file. I left the
process
dead for a while and no new files were created. As soon as I started
up
Microsoft AntiSpyware it created two new files.

So it seems the cause of my problem is the software I use to protect
myself. Norton Internet Security creates the bogus IE cache folders
and
Microsoft AntiSpyware creates the DF*.tmp files.

I don't mind them creating the files but I don't like them being
undeletable while the programs are running. This means I have to
figure
out some way to empty out the Temp folder before these processes are
started so it doesn't eventually fill up and take over my whole hard
drive.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't be able to delete any file that is open and being used.

cmsix
 
I don't mind them creating the files but I don't like them being
undeletable while the programs are running.
Click to expand...

This is a feature of the OS by design and not a feature of the running
programs. You can probably write a script to delete them automatically
and insert a call to it in the registry or some other startup axis
point.
 
Grant Robertson said:
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 14:05:39 -0500
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Organization: Home
X-Newsreader: MicroPlanet Gravity v2.50

First, let me be clear. I am not asking how to empty out the standard TIF
(Temporary Internet Files), History, and Cookies folders. I know how to
do that using Internet Properties.

The problem I have here is an EXTRA set of BOGUS folders with the same
names that get created in my Temp folder every time I boot up in normal
mode. They cannot be deleted in normal mode either. If I boot to Safe
Mode I can delete them and if I then reboot to Safe Mode again they do
not get created.

I have done some experiments and if I use MSConfig to disable all of my
Startup items the folders still get recreated when I boot to Normal Mode.
However, if I choose Diagnostic Startup in MSConfig then the files do not
get recreated when I boot to Normal Mode. This tells me that the issue is
most likely caused by some service but I can't figure out which. I am
certainly not in the mood to reboot my computer dozens more times today
just to figure out which service is causing this problem. I am guessing
it has something to do with the system for replacing protected files.

I have done some research in the newsgroups and the exact same issue has
been reported several times over the last few years. Usually there is no
response at all. In one thread some people suggested booting to the DOS
prompt and using the DELTREE command to remove the offending files and
they wouldn't come back after that. Unfortunately, I have tried booting
to Safe Mode with Command Prompt as well as booting off of a floppy to
delete the files. They just come right back when I boot to Normal Mode.

Along with the a fore mentioned folders a series of .tmp files get
created with file names such as "~DF8F55.tmp" and "~DFA943.tmp". These
two were created within a minute of booting up. Over time I often get
dozens more. None of these files can be deleted in Normal Mode. I get a
dialog saying the file is being used by another program.

This problem has been ongoing for months. I have no idea how long it had
been happening before I even noticed it.

I am now concerned that I may have some virus or spyware that is causing
this. Here's the deal. I am a professional computer consultant. Most of
what I do these days is clean up spyware off of PC's for people. I have
scanned the hell out of my machine and never find anything other than a
few tracking cookies. This has me completely stumped.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this issue?
Click to expand...
***************************************************

Host (whatever).dll loading early on, HiJackThis, delete on reboot
yup . Get 'er done.
post with any Questions.

Mich...
 
Mich said:
***************************************************
Click to expand...
corrected...
Global Startup(whatever).dll or .exe loading early on, HiJackThis,
delete on reboot
yup . Get 'er done.
post with any Questions.

Mich...
Click to expand...
could not remember the exact thingamuhuzit last night...
 
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