ID: Q142462
The information in this article applies to:
This article describes how to delete unwanted temporary files from your computer. Temporary files are created by programs for storing data temporarily, and are then deleted when the programs quit. If an program quits unexpectedly, it will not delete its temporary files. You should periodically remove any leftover temporary files. These files are stored in a separate directory that is specified in the Autoexec.Bat file.
It is important to remember that since many programs create temporary files while they are running, removing temporary files should be done at the MS- DOS level. Programs generally delete most of the temporary files created when the program is properly closed. At the MS-DOS prompt, all programs should be closed, including Microsoft Windows. This will prevent deleting a temporary file that is currently in use.
Removing the temporary files requires the following steps:
1. Determine the location of the temporary directory.
2. Exit all programs.
3. Determine the existence of any temporary files and remove them.
There are several methods to determine the location of the temporary directory. Follow one of the methods described below.
NOTE: Once the location of the directory is established, it is also important to verify that the specified directory exists.
Method 1: (From Microsoft Word)
a. On the Help menu, click About Microsoft Word.
b. Click the System Info button.
c. From the Choose a Category window, select System.
d. TEMP Directory will be in the list box. This is where the
location of the temporary directory is specified. Make note of
the location.
a. Start the System Configuration Editor:
1) In Program Manager, click Run on the File menu.
2) In the Command Line, type "sysedit" (without the quotation
marks).
3) Click OK.
b. All of the system files will be cascaded in the System
Configuration Editor. The Autoexec.bat file should be on top.
If the file is not shown, choose C:\Autoexec.bat from the
Window menu.
c. There should be a line in the Autoexec.bat that reads
SET TEMP= <location>
This is the location of your temporary directory. Make note
of the location.
a. Quit all programs, including Windows.
b. Make sure your MS-DOS prompt is at the root directory, shown
as "C:\>" (without the quotation marks).
c. Type "set" (without the quotation marks) and press ENTER. This
will display the environment variables on your system. There
may be two entries listed here. The first should read
"TEMP=<location>", and the second may read "TMP=<location>".
Make note of the locations.
1. From the MS-DOS prompt, type "CD <temp directory>" (without the
quotation marks) where <temp directory> is the location of the temporary
directory as determined by one of the methods listed above.
now in that directory. If the directory does not exist, the message
"Invalid directory" will appear.
NOTE: If the directory does not exist, it will be necessary to create
one. This can be done by typing "md <directory name>" (without the
quotation marks) at the MS-DOS prompt.
1. From the MS-DOS prompt, type "cd <temp directory>" (without the
quotation marks), where <temp directory> is the location of the
temporary directory as determined by one of the methods listed above.
You should now see the name of the temporary directory included in the
prompt. This means that you are now in that directory.
list any existing temporary files on your system. Most temporary files
will have the extension .tmp.
delete these files, type the following "del *.tmp" (without the
quotation marks).
NOTE: Repeat step 2 to verify the temporary files have been removed.
For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE ID: Q89247
TITLE : How Word for Windows Uses Temporary Files
ARTICLE ID: Q108503
TITLE : WD1015: How to Optimize the Performance of Word 6.0
"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 756-758.
"Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference," Operating System version 5.0, pages 292-293.
KBCategory: kbusage kbhowto KBSubcategory: Additional query words: 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c 6.0 6.0a 6.0c word word6 ntword wordnt winword temp tmp remove clean directory dos howto performance memory
Version : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c
Platform : WINDOWSLast Reviewed: January 20, 1999