IE 6 temp internet files size resetting

  • Thread starter Thread starter KAS
  • Start date Start date
K

KAS

I remember seeing a similar story on here a while ago but
can't find it.

I've noticed that even though I have set my Temporary
Internet Files size to 5 megs (not percent) it will from
time to time reset itself to 624 megs.

This is in a networked environment and I've talked with our
IT guys and there is no policy that they are aware of that
would reset this value.

I have moved the slide bar to full left which puts the size
at 1 meg but it resets every other day or so.

I only use IE if I have to (using another browser) but
since I do go to other users desks from time-to-time to do
updates and fixes and I reset their browser to 5 megs I'm
concerned that the point of resetting the cache size is
being defeated.

Anyone know of a reason why the setting would reset itself?
I can find no pattern to when this setting changes.
 
KAS said:
I remember seeing a similar story on here a while ago but
can't find it.

I've noticed that even though I have set my Temporary
Internet Files size to 5 megs (not percent) it will from
time to time reset itself to 624 megs.
Click to expand...

I think you are going to have to do some monitoring of the subkeys
being added to this one:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths

For example, the UI shows that I have 187 MB maximum.
(That is just an oversized maximum to allow CacheSentry to maintain
a much smaller cache.) However, I think I have found an explanation
for that number using the CacheLimit value in the path1, path2,... subkeys.
RegEdit shows the decimal value of those items is 47872.
Multiplying that by 4 and dividing by 1024 gives the 187 value.
Therefore, it appears that the units implied by each CacheLimit value is KB.

Given that example it appears that in order to get 1 MB in the UI
each CacheLimit value would have to represent 256 KB.

There is another puzzle one level higher in the Paths subkey itself
with its Size value. I see Reg_Binary 24 01 00 00 for that
which I have found no explanation for at all. Using Intel storage order
and interpreting it as 0x0124 = 292 is the closest that I can get
to 187. Really stretching the inference from that I might guess
that if the maximum number of cache directories is really 6 instead
of 4 that is roughly what 6 CacheLimit's would give in terms of Megabytes.

Note that the CachePath values in each of the path1, path2,... subkeys
appear to be dummy values. The real final subdirectory is a random
name and so far there are 8 of them. As with many things in the registry
I suspect we are looking at some residual implementation. ;)

I'd be curious to see what your numbers really are and how they
change. Since you seem to be willing to experiment with resizing
your Cache you could also use RegMon while you are doing that
(e.g monitoring for SetValue) and make a note of which values
change under the above subkey.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---
 
Aye carumba! Thanks Robert. I'll take a look at the
registry items you suggested.

During my search on Knowledge Base I did come up with an
article or two which suggests it may be a corruption in
certain files which are causing this and that removing
those files in Safe Mode then allowing the files to be
recreated on boot up might solve this problem.

Thanks again for your help.
 
Back
Top