index.dat file

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Newbie

While cleaning with CCleaner I found few index.dat file which couldn't be
cleaned.
What are these .dat file?
Can they be safely removed ?
If they can be removed how to remove them?
Thanks.
 
Index.dat are files hidden on your computer that contain all of the Web sites
that you have ever visited. Every URL, and every Web page is listed there.

Reboot your computer then press F8 or F5 for advanced boot options; then
choose "safe mode with command prompt; log in as administrator and then from
there you can delete them freely without windows preventing it.

Go to the root (c:\) by typing CD\

then type del index.dat /s

then enter
 
In addition...

Most all can be removed.

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.

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.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Thanks for your reply.
As you say .dat files are files that contain the URLs of the web site I have
visited, is there any way I can view them?
It will help me to get back URL of some of the site I have visited, which
were erased from history when I used CCleaner.
Thanks.
 
Thank You very much for detailed reply.
After reading your reply, I have simply decided not to mess up with .dat
files.
I hope CCleaner knows which file to remove.
I write this because today while using CCleaner I didn't find any .dat file.
Thanks once again.
 
This is the only index.dat that you have to worry about deleting...
C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache\index.dat.

And the problem can be fixed easily enough if it does get deleted.

All of the other index.dat files recreate themselves and start growing
again.

I did not mean to scare you off, only to caution you and make you aware of
why System Information might not work correctly in the future.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
is there any way I can view them?

View index.dat files with edit.com. You do not need to get any 3rd party
software. cmd.exe and edit.com are already on your machine.

1. Open a command prompt. Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK
2. Type or paste the following line...

cd %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5

3. Hit your Enter key.

4. Type or paste the following line...

EDIT /75 INDEX.DAT

5. Hit your Enter key.

6. Edit.com, the MS-DOS Editor will open with the index.dat file.
7. Use the Page Down key to scroll down to find meaningful looking URLs.
8. Then use Up or Down arrow keys to scroll slower.
9. To close Edit, Alt key + F for the File Menu, X key to select Exit.

Notes:
You can also use EDIT /16 index.dat or EDIT index.dat
EDIT opens the MS-DOS Editor (edit.com)
/75 = text 75 characters wide
/16 = text 16 characters wide
cd to whatever other folder to look at other index.dat files.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Wesley Vogel said:
View index.dat files with edit.com. You do not need to get any 3rd party
software. cmd.exe and edit.com are already on your machine.
<SNIP>
Click to expand...

Why not just open them with Notepad? Works just as good, and you do not
have to fiddle around with all the crap... Click it, choose open with,
Notepad, Check the "always open this type of file with" box, hit OK and be
done with it... You'll never be bothered by it again...
 
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