Lots of folders and files in C:\windows\temp

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gordon Staley
  • Start date Start date
G

Gordon Staley

I noticed that I am accumulating a lot of directories in c:windows\temp.
We're talking LOTS (over 67,000 folders with 2-3 files in each). This all
started back on the 26th of January. I figured this out by looking at the
file creation dates using the DIR command at the command prompt.

Most of the directories are 32 character hex like this:
DFFEA65F96BD46b0A8F5C8C31D6BAE0C, containing two files, one ending in ".HPJ"
and the other ending in ".RTF" with the same filename as the ".HPJ" file.

Two questions:
1) How best to delete these folders and their files?
- rmdir doesn't seem to allow wildcards
- going through explorer is tedious
2) Any idea what is causing these directories with the two files (.HPJ,
..RTF) to be created?
- I've traced the start to the 26th of January
- Nothing is obvious from the system restore log

Thanks for your help. This is really a vexing problem.

Gordon Staley
 
I dont know what internet browser you use, but if you use Internet
explorer, just open IE and click Tools>Internet Options>and click Delete
Files under Temporary internet files. The method for other browsers is
similar.

Please reply if that works; I am curious.
 
Hi Gordon,
1) How best to delete these folders and their files?
- rmdir doesn't seem to allow wildcards
Click to expand...

Sure it does, shorten to just RD /s /q *.*
- going through explorer is tedious
Click to expand...

edit/select all/file/delete
2) Any idea what is causing these directories with the two files (.HPJ,
.RTF) to be created?
Click to expand...

See: http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=hpj it should explain a few
things.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
I use both IE and FireFox. I've been able to delete temproary Internet
files, but they seem to be located in other directories.

These files go back to January 26th. It's really odd, I checked the number
of files in each of the cwindows\temp directory with the 32 hex charter
folder names using "DIR X*" where X values ranged form 0-F hex. I found
about 4,400 folders in each directory. It looks like whatever is generating
these diretories tries to spread them out evenly.

Like I say, this is a vexing one.

Gordon
 
Hi Rick,

Here's what happened.
Sure it does, shorten to just RD /s /q *.*
Click to expand...
C:\WINDOWS\Temp>rd /s /q *.*
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
edit/select all/file/delete
Click to expand...
I'll try it again, but the last time it took a VERY long time just to log
the 67,000+ folders.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Gordon
 
From Explorer, remove them in batches (right click and drag the cursor over
a group). What you probably have is one or more corrupt files that is
jamming up the process.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
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