# Where the hell have my temporary internet files disappeared to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192 "2006-01-30T11:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/1 "2006-01-30T11:41:39Z")
I’m trying to clear my giant bulging IE cache (and I haven’t even USED IE in ayear, so hell if I know where that crap is coming from) but I can’t find my temporary internet files anymore. It’s weird. It should be in my Windows folder,right? But I can’t get there even if I type the address manually. And my computer is also denying the xistence of content.ie5 and other stuff. I’m kind of expecting someone to tell me I’m sufferinga brainfart and looking inthe wrong place or something but seriously,wtf is going on? And I think I screwed up my space bar cleaning my keyboard today too. This bites. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/2 "2006-01-30T11:44:44Z")
Mine are by default in the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\jjimm\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files Not the Windows folder. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/3 "2006-01-30T11:53:54Z")
Holy crap. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. Why is my brain stuck in 5 years ago? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/4 "2006-01-30T12:00:11Z")
Well it’s not obvious. Why not Application Data/Microsoft/Temporary Internet Files? Why not Local Settings/Application Data/Microsoft/Temporary Internet Files? Why are there so many duplicated folder locations? Why not make it simple? Bloody Microsnot. One vagary of IE, by the way, is that the actual files are located in hidden subfolders, and all you see in that folder are shortcuts to them. And they’re not normal hidden files and folders either - they don’t show up on ‘Find file’. Bloody Microsnot. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/5 "2006-01-30T12:10:01Z")
Eh, so what do you suggest I do, then? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/6 "2006-01-30T13:05:26Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Eh, so what do you suggest I do, then? Don’t depend on your memory to clean out your caches manually. Use a [free tool like CCleaner](http://www.ccleaner.com/), which cleans not only your internet temporary files, but Windows temporary files, recycle bin, cookies, history, registry and more. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/7 "2006-01-31T08:39:57Z")
So, because I don’t want to clog up the board with my computer maintenance questions, is Avast home edition actually freeware? I mean it says it is, but then it says my version is going to expire some time in March. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/8 "2006-01-31T08:52:11Z")
I must be missing something obvious… in IE why not just just go Tools \> Internet Options \> General \> Delete Files ? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/9 "2006-01-31T08:58:14Z")
Or even fancier (but the same number of mouse-clicks), open “My Computer”, right-click on C:, choose “Properties”, and hit the “Disk Cleanup” button. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/10 "2006-01-31T09:04:22Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > Or even fancier (but the same number of mouse-clicks), open “My Computer”, right-click on C:, choose “Properties”, and hit the “Disk Cleanup” button. Well, fancier, perhaps. But that way, on my laptop, takes at least a half hour to figure out how much space it could save if it compressed all the 100,000 odd files that have been used in a while. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/11 "2006-01-31T09:09:59Z")
Because that doesn’t do what you think it is doing. Everything that ever entered your hard drive through IE is still sitting on it somewhere if you don’t remove it with anything other than what Microsoft gives you. Go to C:\Documents and Settings[your logon]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5 and see for yourself (and notice how you have to type the address in your address bar because nothing you do will get some of those folders to show). ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/12 "2006-01-31T09:14:04Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > (and notice how you have to type the address in your address bar because nothing you do will get some of those folders to show). I don’t use IE anymore and I’m not about to start, but the above is wrong… My Computer \> Folder Options \> View \> Show Hidden Files and Folders ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/13 "2006-01-31T09:22:27Z")
Okay, you do that, and tell me if a folder called Local Settings appears in your C:\Documents and Settings[logon] folder. Then type “Local Settings” into your address bar and report back to me what you see. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/14 "2006-01-31T09:22:44Z")
Furthermore, I just fired up IE again just for you. In C:\Documents and Settings\Brad\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files (I don’t have a “content.IE5” folder in there, all the files were just there) there were 19,595 files. I did the the delete files thing I mentioned in post #8, and now the only thing left there are cookies, 1,417 of them. You’re using Windows XP? I have IE6. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/15 "2006-01-31T09:23:56Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Okay, you do that, and tell me if a folder called Local Settings appears in your C:\Documents and Settings[logon] folder. Then type “Local Settings” into your address bar and report back to me what you see. I already have. I already told you that. Yes it’s there. I done with this. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/16 "2006-01-31T09:25:36Z")
There _is_ a Content.IE5 folder. Type it into the address bar. I’d still like my Avast question answered please, if anyone knows. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/17 "2006-01-31T09:28:16Z")
Okay, my bad. Local Settings does show up. Content.IE5 does not. If you’re too stubborn to check it’s your loss. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/18 "2006-01-31T09:32:38Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > There _is_ a Content.IE5 folder. Type it into the address bar. > > I’d still like my Avast question answered please, if anyone knows. Don’t tell _me_ what there _is_ or _isn’t_. No, there _isn’t_. Maybe _you_ should _upgrade_ to to _IE6_. Now I’m _really_ done, and I feel _insulted_ by your _insolence_. Good bye. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/19 "2006-01-31T09:35:46Z")
I _have_ IE6. _Have_ you actually _looked_? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192/20 "2006-01-31T09:37:58Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > I _have_ IE6. _Have_ you actually _looked_? You are acting like a jerk. You’ll never get computer help from me again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-have-my-temporary-internet-files-disappeared-to/342192.md?page=2)