Help with Win98 Content.IE5 please

[jim.t]

Does anyone know how to clear data out of C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat where index.dat is hidden (getting to it thru "Find")? It's also setup as a Wordperfect file, so when I try to clear the file and save it, it won't let me save it as the original, but will let me save it as another file. Is there any other way to clear this file that I haven't found yet? Thanks, Jim.

[AllGamer]

If you boot to DOS mode, then you can delete or Edit, or change the INDEX.DAT file as you like

but not when Windoze is running.

What exactely are you trying to do Anyways?

do you want to delete it, or just Edit it?

[jim.t]

It's never been cleared for about 5 years and has 1.5 mb sitting there. I just wanted to keep the "Client UrlCache MMF Ver 5.2" line and clear it out everything else...not delete the file, I will need it for further use.

[AllGamer]

so you want to Edit the file

in that case you'll need to DOS if you are in Win98/ME and you can use EDIT in DOS

or

you can go to Safe Mode (F8), then in the ugly 16 colors 640x480 windoze, you can run WordPad and edit that file.

and you are done.
:D

make sure to remove the READ only attribuite, before you open both in DOS/Windoze

in DOS use attrib index.dat -h - r -s -a on that directory

[rlpos]

download Spider. Much simpler than doing it in dos http://www.fsm.nl/ward/

[ukulele]

It's never been cleared for about 5 years and has 1.5 mb sitting there. I just wanted to keep the "Client UrlCache MMF Ver 5.2" line and clear it out everything else...not delete the file, I will need it for further use.

It seems to me that if you just delete it then the next time windows needs the file it will just recreate it, but I could be wrong about that. Anyone know for sure?

[BipolarBill]

Uke is right. It will be re-created on startup. ;)

Use one of these:

http://www.langa.com/cleanup_bat.htm

[jim.t]

I've got a copy of Spider, but for some reason it doesn't work on my PC. It lists all the URL's form the history and temp files of IE, but will NOT clean them...who knows why. We've got some Zenworks "big brother" network peeking going on here, and was trying to clean up the harddrive some.

I thought if you went into DOS to clean up those "hidden" files, Windows would not let you see them or get to them. IU could be wrong.

Thanks for the links also, Bill.

[ukulele]

Cool link Bill, that one's a keeper. :)

[ukulele]

I thought if you went into DOS to clean up those "hidden" files, Windows would not let you see them or get to them. IU could be wrong.

They are hidden in windows but you can only access them and delete them in dos, if you know the file names and directorys. Some bright guys figured them out a few years back and created the batch files to remove them. Shame on Billy Boy.

[jim.t]

Windows won't let me get to either one of them...probably will have to go thru DOS with Windows down. Do you happen to know the names of the history and temp IE files in DOS? I know what they are in Windows..temporary internet files\content.IE5, etc, but don't how to get them in DOS.

[BipolarBill]

Jim...use Clean9x.BAT from Langa.com. Link above.

It does all of that by shutting down to DOS. It even runs a SCANDISK and can be made to run DEFRAG too.

[jim.t]

Ok Bill, I'll try it. I'm on a company PC, so it won't give me any surprises, will it??

[BipolarBill]

Nope! I fixed two of my company PCs with it. They would freeze when I tried to open My Computer. After running Clean9x, they're fixed.

[ukulele]

One suprise you will get is how long it takes to run. First time I used it it cleared 220,000 entries and took about an hour and a half on a 700mhz athlon, so expect some down time.

[jim.t]

Well, I just ran Cleanup.bat that I downloaded from Langa's site, and it didn't get any of the IE index.dat files, history files or temp files. Strange isn't it?? Is this thing supposed to be run from a DOS prompt? Can't seem to find anything on execution.

[ukulele]

I haven't tried the one from langa.com but if it's a .bat file then you need to run it in pure dos. Just format a bootable floppy disk with system files , copy the unzipped files onto it and boot with the floppy disk. If there is an autoexec.bat file then it will auto run. If not then when you get to an a: prompt just type in the name of the .bat file and hit enter. When it is done running it should return to a dos prompt. Then you just need to remove the disk and restart once again to windows.

[BipolarBill]

Clean9x opens a DOS window, warns you that the operation requires shutdown to DOS and then does it. It's a no-brainer. http://membres.lycos.fr/limagerie/crazy.gif

[jim.t]

I musta downloaded the wrong "Clean" program then, because this is a batch file, but it didn't give me any DOS window or shutdown instructions. You sure we're talking about the same app...Cleanup.bat??

Thanks ukulele for the instructions. Now I'll haev to see if I have any floppies left. :)

[rlpos]

I tried one of the batch file programs before where it ran from a boot disk and cleaned all the files in dos mode. Worked great about a dozen time and then BAM! PC would not boot up. It had to delete a file that the system needed. since then I have used a combination of Spider and AdAware. and had great results

[BipolarBill]

How many times must I type Clean9x.bat?

[ukulele]

BP, one more time please, what's the name of that file? :D

[AllGamer]

here's what you can do if you just want to delete it.

run the attachment

feel free to view the insides :t
it's safe.

just a simply batch file :t :)

rename it to anything.bat

and run it

[ukulele]

run the attachment

If it is just a text file why do you need to send it as a attachment? Can't you just copy and paste it?

[AllGamer]

originally was intented to be a .bat file
but it wont acept a .bat file, so i just renamed it. it was quicker
:p

[Keillor]

Or just use X-Setup in Windows (requires a reboot).

http://www.xteq.com/

[BipolarBill]

CLEAN9X.BAT!!

[noBoaz]

This is a relatively old article but none the less explains it quite well.

http://www.nethole.com/articles/01/08/07/1442243.shtml

[AllGamer]

I think we heard ya the first time around
:p :t

[rangeral]

:D :D Get it straight before you drive bill to the other end of the spectrum.

I wrote fred once a long time ago with his early bat, telling him how lazy his bat file made me since I am a maintenance bug.:)

[BipolarBill]

It's too late! :x

[jim.t]

That's what I was trying to tell ya Bill....I didn't see a Clean9X.bat at this site. It was CleanUP.bat now. Maybe the same thing as you have, but don't know. Thanks to all who responded. I'll check all these suggestions out. Being this is a company PC, I'm a little hestitant to mess with "big brother" to much, but also want a clean PC.

As always, you've been a great help. Knew I could find what I needed here....always have.

Thanks folks, Jim.

[jim.t]

Hey Allgamer,
do you have to run IEClear from DOS with Win98 down? Thanks for the d/l.

[omega31]

Originally posted by AllGamer
rename it to anything.bat and run it

Anything.bat it is.;)

.
.
.
.
.
.

Hmmm... I have this malicious looking file called anything.bat. Anyone know what it is?:r

[pgriffet]

Originally posted by jim.t
It's never been cleared for about 5 years and has 1.5 mb sitting there. I just wanted to keep the "Client UrlCache MMF Ver 5.2" line and clear it out everything else...not delete the file, I will need it for further use.

Hi Jim, the index.dat is recreated when Windows reboots, don't worry about. the program "spider" cleans the index.dat but the file itself never shrinks, that's why we need to delete the file in pure DOS.

For those who want to get rid of cache and/or history, either

- Change the file attributes of the index.dat to +r (read-only) while in DOS.

- Or delete the index.dat (in DOS) and create a *directory* called index.dat at the same place where index.dat *file* was. When you will reboot, Windows is bluffed and there is no file written to the IE's cache. I've tested it and it works pretty good, IE doesn't write anything to TIF but that's maybe too hard for a lot of people.

HTH

Pierre.

[BipolarBill]

Click me! (http://www.langa.com/clean9x.htm)

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by jim.t
Hey Allgamer,
do you have to run IEClear from DOS with Win98 down? Thanks for the d/l.

just run it from inside normal win95/98/ME

the rest is automatic

:t

[Tweb]

I just made my own bat file an placed it in c:\windows
Restart computer pressing F8 an selecting F8 > 5 > Enter
Then just type the name on my baat file an it does all the work

Here's my bat file, I've been using it for years now with no problems in Win98SE

echo off
echo Deleting IE Temporary Internet Index.dat
del c:\windows\tempor~1\content.ie5\index.dat
echo Deleting IE Temporary Internet files :)
del c:\windows\tempor~1\*.*
echo Deleting continued
del c:\windows\tempor~1\content.ie5\*.*
echo Deleting ALL Cookies files :)
del c:\windows\Cookies\*.*
echo IE Temporary Internet Index.dat will be
echo restored upon reboot!
END

NOTE: This deletes EVERYTHIG including the cookies folder contence. If you don't wanna clear the cookies contence just remove the cookie lines from the above!

It works for me an have had no problems with it an I didn't have to change the attributes!

Here's another one but I find the above one works fine

echo Deleting ALL IE Temporary Internet files :)
DELTREE /Y c:\Windows\tempor~1\Content.IE5\*.*
echo Deleting ALL Cookies files :)
DELTREE /Y c:\Windows\Cookies\*.*
END

[BipolarBill]

Nice work!

[jim.t]

Thanks again folks for all the help and bat files. I've used a few of them and they all seem to work well.

Hey Bill, you're not gonna believe this...I finally found the Clean9X.bat file you were talking about. :)

Thanks, Jim.

[pgriffet]

Originally posted by Tweb
It works for me an have had no problems with it an I didn't have to change the attributes!


Hi tweb, I have mentionned 2 ways to get permanently rid of cache/history, so you have to do it once and IE writes no files anymore to TIF\Content.IE5.

But that's maybe not for everybody.

I sometimes delete my index.dat and there is no need to deltree all the sub-folders under TIF\content.IE5. Why ? Because when Windows reboots, 4 brand-new sub-folders are created and a index.dat of 16 Kb, the old sub-folders are deleted as they are only "valid" with their associated index.dat, from a IE point of view.

If you don't want to wait for hours when you delete your files in DOS just delete the index.dat file located under TIF\Content.IE5.

Pierre.

[ukulele]

If you don't want to wait for hours when you delete your files in DOS just delete the index.dat file located under TIF\Content.IE5.

Wow! I like that. I'll try it on my wife's computer. She wouldn't know if work right or not. Oh,Oh! Here she comes now with a BIG carrot! :eek:

[jim.t]

Watch them wifes...they'll sneak up behind ya pretty quick...and probably got the checkbook in their hand. Bless them,all. :)