# windows temps files



## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

I assume %temp% in a run line takes you to one of the two locations already mentioned?

FWIW, I use CCleaner and it's supposed to take care of all temp directories, if you're inclined to try it (Piriform for the download).


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Yes I did the %temp% and %tmp% and *.log.

I want to do an image backup and don't want all the extra files in the image making it larger.

Windows disk cleanup says there is only about 25mb of files to cleanup.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

I can vouch for CCleaner. It does its thing well.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

I ran it and now c: properties shows 600MB less data but AVG still reports 760MB of temporary files.

Probably just some quirk in AVG.


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

ccleaner is great. Free version is fine for me. I run it at the end of the day.

Add ccenhancer (from majorgeeks site) and it's even stronger.

ccenhancer (not Piriform) is an add on that modifies the cc_config.ini file so that software more recently added to your system is included in your 'sweep' of files to be reviewed/deleted, including temp files.

Run its registry cleaner also. Safest of the many out there.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

> Run its registry cleaner also


I've heard one should not clean the registry on Win 7 or newer OSes, as it causes the registry to become fragmented and slower for the computer to read it. Just what I've heard, not something I can back up.


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

With ccleaner, most stuff deleted from registry is paths to things that no longer exist. That may leave the registry a bit fragmented. There are registry de-fragger tools out there which I don't use.

My Win 8.1 boots in 19 or 20 seconds, my 'test' that 'it's a clean machine'. (quoting Paul McCartney.)

Sorry we can't agree but I am pleased with its results.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

To find temp files, search for 
*.tmp


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

When doing an image backup (I use AOMEI Backupper, System Backup), I first 'turn off' the hibernate feature: powercfg -h off

After my backup, I 'restore' the hibernate feature (which helps with boot time):
powercfg -h on

That keeps image size lower. Use max compression also.

Can move the pagefile off the main directory to another partition but size is 20% of hibernate file so I skip it.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

No hibernate. This is a desktop.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Last time I tried to clean the registry it killed the PC. I don't do that anymore.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

There is no reason to use a registry cleaner. Returning to your original post, why are you concerned with .tmp files?


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

I am concerned about the 780 MB of space(according to AVG) that is being wasted on my hard disk by them and by the extra size and time it adds to my images when I make backups.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

To me, the space that AVG takes is a waste of space but that's another story. As I said, search for *.tmp 
The * is the wild card that searches for any name. The .tmp is the file extension. Before you do the search, you need to uncheck Hide file extensions for known files & check show hidden files & folders.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

A trick I learned many years ago is to set up your TEMP folder on a separate partition. If you have more than one physical drive, even better is to put TEMP on a small separate partition on a secondary drive. That way no need to back up the Temp files, which get recreated and/or re-written when you start up a program again.

For example, I have my TEMP and TMP set to D:\TEMP. D is only 10 GB large. more than enough space if you keep it clean. (I have 4 physical drives, partitioned C through R.)

Once every two weeks or so, I just go in there and manually delete everything in the TEMP folder more than one day old. You can't delete stuff that is in use, and some temp files for programs such as antivirus need to stay. But no problem if you try to delete it, Windows won't let you do it.

And then you can run Defrag too to clean up the TEMP drive.

(Not many programs these days use the TMP folder, but set it up to point to your new TEMP folder anyway. No need for separate TEMP and TMP folders)

I also set things up so that only O/S and program files and related settings are stored on the C drive. I put all actual data files: email, photos, spreadsheets, etc on my E drive. Makes backing up the actual data simple, small and quick. I do it every day.

Large files such as videos go on the other partitions.
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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I know that you can't hear me but where did you get the idea that all .tmp files go to the same folder?


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

I have deleted all the *.tmp, *.temp, *.log files. Windows reports more space on the disk.

I just want to be sure that I have deleted all the junk before I ghost the drive.
Since AVG is reporting all these junk files I am trying to find them. But I am starting to think AVG is not so accurate on this report.

Today it is reporting low files. I did a restart yesterday but I guess overnight shut down reset it.


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

joed said:


> I have deleted all the *.tmp, *.temp, *.log files. Windows reports more space on the disk.
> 
> I just want to be sure that I have deleted all the junk before I ghost the drive.
> Since AVG is reporting all these junk files I am trying to find them. But I am starting to think AVG is not so accurate on this report.
> ...


Both AVG and Avast are not always reliable in what they consider to be junk. 

I would create a Windows Restore Point before letting them do any kind of "clean-up."

Be especially careful about letting any program "clean up" your registry. Again do a system restore point as well as a dedicated registry backup (export). Cheap insurance.
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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Joe, you deleted all the files. Did you empty the recycle bin? That space counts too.


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