What does this command mean

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CGB

Start>Run> temp or Start>Run> %temp%

Working on a Symantec program and they said to do above (couldn't tell in
script if they were using percent signs or not....vision problem for me).
They said to run that program, hit select all and then delete. This would
get rid of all temporary stuff prior to installing Norton SystemWorks.
Thing is there are a couple of directories in there and I don't know what
they are and if they should be deleted.

Can anyone tell me what the commands mean and if it should have % signs
front and back?
Should I select and delete all that appears after running one of those
commands?

Thanks,
Chet
 
That command opens your local Temp folder. It's faster to do it that way
than to open My Computer and to navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\<your
account>\Local Settings\Temp.

Your Temp folder is a place for your software to store files temporarily.
Always restart your computer before deleting the contents of the Temp
folder. What's left in there after your computer restarts is safe to delete.
Nevertheless, you should always examine the folder's contents before
deleting them, to see if there's something you might want to keep. (If so,
copy it to another folder.) If you have no idea what you're looking at,
don't worry about it.

The notation %<folder>% means the default location of the folder. It saves
you from having to type the full path to the folder.

Sometimes, the contents of the Temp folder can confuse a software installer.
That's why Symantec is asking you to clear it out.

Ted Zieglar
 
When I run %temp% I get several folders e.g. Adobe (was recently running
adobe), msohtml, msohtml1, and OIS. They are empty. (I ran WindowWasher).
If I choose Edit>Select all and then delete, these folders (sub-directories)
will be deleted and any files in them. It's OK to delete these sub-folders
rather than just deleting files? Seems to me the folders under TEMP will be
regenerated as needed in the future. Do I have this right? I'm to delete
everything in TEMP but not TEMP folder itself? RUN>%temp%>Edit>Select
All>Delete just gets the subfolders and not the TEMP folder itself.

Thanks, again. This should put it to rest after your reply.

Chet
 
After restarting your computer you can delete the entire contents of the
Temp folder [Edit | Select All or press Ctrl+A]. Don't delete the Temp
folder itself.

In time, the Temp folder will once again fill up with folders and files.
That's normal. You don't erase what you scribble on a scratch pad, right?
You just look for other space on the page if you need to keep on scribbling.
The Temp folder is your computer's scratch pad.

The truth is, you could delete the Temp folder itself. It's a Windows system
folder, so it will be automatically regenerated the next time you start your
computer. But don't do it that way. You want to keep things nice and simple.

Ted Zieglar
 
That is a sub-folder of the Windows folder, i.e., C:\Windows\Temp. It is
used for temporary storage and should have its contents emptied
occasionally. There are probably other Temp sub-folders under other folders
in your system as well.
 
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