7 replies to this topic

[login123]

First, from the newest kid on the block, may you have a happy and safe new year in 2007. I have just registered and am looking forward to participating. Just used ccleaner, worked great.

The History folder in win xp is ornery, won't let you look at it, properties inquiry shows a bunch of files which are invisible, dos cursor just sits there and blinks. . .ORNERY.

To get a look at everything in the history file, copy it to a folder, then use winzip (ver. 9 on my computer) to compress it, then double click on the zip file in the right pane of windows explorer. This will show all the archived files. Double clicking on any of them will open it with the associated application (notepad for me).

Same thing works for the temporary internet files folder and the cookies folder. You probably don't have to compress them, just copy them and click on them.

Have just found out that some old information is still true:
1. When win xp creates the cookies\index.dat file at startup, it is 16 kb in size
2. The other 2 (temporary internet files and history) are created at 32 kb.
2a. Wrong. The default in . . .history\history.ie5 is 16 kb also. edited 2007 01 Jan
So, if your index.dat file shows up larger that 16 or 32 kb, it isn't "new".

Again, happy new year, be safe, and may God bless.

[Glenn]

login123, on Dec 31 2006, 11:58 AM, said:

The History folder in win xp is ornery, won't let you look at it, properties inquiry shows a bunch of files which are invisible, dos cursor just sits there and blinks. . .ORNERY.

To get a look at everything in the history file, copy it to a folder, then use winzip (ver. 9 on my computer) to compress it, then double click on the zip file in the right pane of windows explorer. This will show all the archived files. Double clicking on any of them will open it with the associated application (notepad for me).

Same thing works for the temporary internet files folder and the cookies folder. You probably don't have to compress them, just copy them and click on them.

Welcome!

I'm not sure what you mean. On any of several WinXP PC's I use, I can see the contents of History, Temporary Internet Fles and Cookies directly with no problem.

[TheFiresInTheSky]

Welcome to the site
There are options for viewing hidden files and also files associated with windows in control panel>folder options.
Maybe it's because you haven't checked to show all files?
-aaron

[login123]

Glenn, on Dec 31 2006, 01:57 PM, said:

Welcome!

I'm not sure what you mean. On any of several WinXP PC's I use, I can see the contents of History, Temporary Internet Fles and Cookies directly with no problem.

Thank you for the welcome, Glenn.
I do have the "view all. . ." option checked.

In windows explorer, when I click on temporary internet files (TIF), I can see files, etc, but what I can't see is the index.dat file that resides there. If I delete all the visible files, then right click and select "properties", I am told that there are 200 files and 6 folders, but they aren't visible. The properties reply varies with how long I have been on the 'net. If, however, I copy the TIF folder into "my documents", I can see them all.
What is in there right now is: a folder "Content.IE5", four folders with random names like 4Q1OREHZ, a desktop.ini file, and an index.dat. Inside the folder 4Q1OREHZ et. al. are many files from the last 'net session. The index.dat file will open with notepad, it is a history of 'net use. Same process: copy and open, works for the Cookies folder.

The History folder, however is ORNERY, I'm tellin ya. It shows "today", "yesterday", "lst week", etc, but it also has several subfolders, and several index.dat files, and you can't see them no matter where you copy it to. However, if you copy it to "my documents", Winzip it, then click on the zip file in the right explorer pane, all the files in there are visible and openable (is that a word?).

Anyhow, ccleaner finds and deletes them all. A before and after comparison shows that after running ccleaner at startup, the only ones to be found are the newly created ones, nothing in them.

I do have a question: Can you see the index.dat folders in TIF or in history without going through this copy etc procedure? If you can, I'd sure like to know how. Thanks again for the welcome words.

[Glenn]

I understand now ... and no, I can't see the index.dat in History or Temporary Internet Files directly. As you say, CCleaner (and other cleaners) delete them so, once I verified that, I forgot about them.

I think the reason that the History index.dat is "ORNERY" is because it is always locked in use by Windows.

There are utilities such as Index Dat Spy which allow you to read an index.dat (including History). Some cleaners such as Eusing Window Washer include a viewer.

[login123]

Glenn, on Jan 1 2007, 02:19 PM, said:

I understand now ... and no, I can't see the index.dat in History or Temporary Internet Files directly. As you say, CCleaner (and other cleaners) delete them so, once I verified that, I forgot about them.

I think the reason that the History index.dat is "ORNERY" is because it is always locked in use by Windows.

There are utilities such as Index Dat Spy which allow you to read an index.dat (including History). Some cleaners such as Eusing Window Washer include a viewer.

Thanks for the tip about eusing, I will get it and try it. Happy new year.

[login123]

TheFiresInTheSky, on Dec 31 2006, 02:26 PM, said:

Welcome to the site
There are options for viewing hidden files and also files associated with windows in control panel>folder options.
Maybe it's because you haven't checked to show all files?
-aaron

Hello, TheFiresInTheSky. Didn't mean to ignore you, just that I have this job which occupies way too much of my time. Am new to forums, spend much of my time trying to figure out to whom I actually replied. :-)

Thank you for the information and the welcome.

[login123]

Glenn, on Jan 1 2007, 02:19 PM, said:

I understand now ... and no, I can't see the index.dat in History or Temporary Internet Files directly. As you say, CCleaner (and other cleaners) delete them so, once I verified that, I forgot about them.

I think the reason that the History index.dat is "ORNERY" is because it is always locked in use by Windows.

There are utilities such as Index Dat Spy which allow you to read an index.dat (including History). Some cleaners such as Eusing Window Washer include a viewer.

Well, I booted up an old computer here, copied the history file to another folder, dbl clicked it and it opened right up, can see everything in it. On the old one, win xp is the same, software same, etc. Cannot do that on this computer, won't show'em. Don't understand that. Not too worried about it, just thought I would let you know.