Profile Temp File Cleanup

To: CHR User Community
From: Chris De Espinosa, CMRC-IT Desktop Analyst
Date: January 24, 2006
Regarding: Profile Cleaning

Information

• This procedure is intended for anyone who uses a pc in CHR.
• This procedure assumes that the user logging into the workstation has administrator privileges to that workstation.
• If the user on a particular workstation doesn’t know if they have or doesn’t have administrative privileges to the workstation they are logged into, they should contact CMRC-IT personnel on site to assist in cleaning up their profile.
• Profile cleaning involves the purging of temporary files and folders within a user’s profile but not limited to the \cookies, \temp\, and \temporary internet files folders.
• This procedure should be followed at least once a month – more often if you do a lot of internet surfing.
• Before cleaning up your profile please exit all applications so that no programs are running.
• Start Windows Explorer – it is located in the Start/All Programs/Accessories section of the Start Menu.
• Once Windows Explorer is running please expand My Computer in the left column by left clicking once on the plus sign before the label.
• A listing of all the drives connected to the computer will populate the area under My Computer.
• Click once on the line indicating the C:.
• By default you may receive an information message in the right column indicating that the files and folders are hidden from view.
• If the hidden message appears you will need to modify the display defaults of Windows Explorer.
• If the hidden message does not appear then advance to the next section of this procedure – Cleaning Temp Folders.
• Default Display Changes for Widows Explorer
• Click on the line that says My Computer so that it is highlighted.
• In menu at the top of the screen click once on the Tools option
• Then click on the Folders Options option.
• A box will come up with tabs at the top.
• Click on the View tab.
• In the View option make sure that all lines starting with the words “Automatically” and “Display” have a check in the box before them.
• Make sure the option to “show hidden files and folders” is selected.
• And make sure the check is removed from “hide extensions for known file types.
• At the top of the box click on the Apply to All Folders button.
• You will be presented with a dialog box confirming your selections – click on Yes.
• Once the dialog box disappears you will return to the Folders Options box.
• Click on OK and you will be brought back to Widows Explorer.
• If it isn’t already expand the view of My Computer by clicking on the plus sign before it.
• Then click once on the line indicating the C:.
• The contents of drive C: will not appear in the right column
• Cleaning Temp Folders
• If the contents of C: are not expanded in the left column expand it by clicking on the plus sign before the C:.
• Locate the line Documents and Settings and click once on it.
• The profiles of anyone who logged into the workstation will list out.
• Locate your profile by looking for your login name.
• Click once on your profile and several files and folders will list out.
• Locate the Cookies folder.
• In the Cookies folder you will be able to delete all the entries in the right column in that folder except the Index.dat entry – delete all entries.
• At the completion of the deletion process locate the Local Settings folder in the left column.
• Highlight the folder by clicking once on it.
• Several more files/folders will list out beneath it.
• Locate the folder Temp and highlight it by clicking once on it in the left column.
• In the right column you will be able to delete all entries in this folder including subfolders – delete all entries.
• At the completion of the deletion process locate the folder Temporary Internet Files.
• Highlight the folder by clicking once on it.
• In the right column you will be able to delete all entries in this folder – delete all entries.
• Once all the entries are deleted locate the Recycle Bin in the left column.
• Highlight the Recycle Bin by clicking once on it.
• The contents of the bin will appear in the right column.
• Examine the contents to make sure you do not have anything you want to save – if so move it out of this folder to an appropriate folder say your My Documents folder.
• At the conclusion of the examination right click on the Recycle Bin line and select the entry to Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Once the deletion process is complete close Windows Explorer.
• Reboot your system and continue processing normally.