Dumping Windows XP Cache

How to delete Windows Xp cache and remove temporary internet files that Disk Cleanup fails to. This is a good maintainece practice. Dumping your internet cache files completely in Windows XP or any Windows version from 98 to Windows 7 can increase performance, free up disc space and prevent people from tracking you on the internet via old cookies stored on your system.

1) Close all Programs

2) Run Disk Cleanup: Start> All Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disk Cleanup

That doesn’t clean them all out though. Let’s repeat those two steps now and I’ll show you all the stuff it missed and we’ll proceed to fully dump that pesky windows cache:

1) Close all Programs

2) Run Disk Cleanup: Start> All Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disk Cleanup

3) Click once to highlight ‘Temporary Internet Files’

4) Click ‘View Files’ button

5) Delete all the files and folders you see there (disk cleanup failed to delete these).

THINGS TO NOTE

New ‘clean’ folders and files will be generated the next time you open Internet Explorer. You can delete all .ini files, if you cannot delete the index.dat file that’s ok. If you can’t fully delete all folders/files you may have Yahoo or MSN messenger or some other progam still running. Try closing everything you can in your tool tray (where the clock is). You may also search for and delete the contents of these folders:

/prefetch
/cookies
/temp
/my recent documents
/recent
/jpi_cache/file/1.0
/jpi_cache/jar/1.0
/minidump

While we’re at it let’s flush the DNS cache by command line:

1) Start> Run> type in: ipconfig /flushdns

2) Click OK After performing the above I recomend you defragment your drive and create a restore point:

1) Start> All Programs> Accessories> System Tools> Disk Defragmenter

2) Start> All Programs> Accessories> System Tools> System Restore

Repeat Monthly.

Graham Streets
MSC Founder