# Solved: Understanding Content.IE5 folder



## oldjoe

Can someone please explain what the content.ie5 folder and its eight subfolders are for? It is a well hidden system folder of some sort.
Looking at "My Computer"\C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files, the window shows some cookie files + others, but no folders.
Right click on Temporary Internet Files shows xxx files, & 9 folders.
(At one time I had 712 files (4.7 megabytes) in here, until I managed to kill it with DOS commands (CD)(ATTRIB)(DELTREE)(ETC)). Thereafter, it recreates itself some how, but with fewer and different files.
Windows explorer allows one to see the folders, however, the files it displays seem to be a copy of the Temporary Internet Files folder's contents. If I delete one of the files, it disappears from all 9 folders???

What is all of this about? What program uses it, and for what purpose?

Can I freely delete this stuff? How often? and what suffers from its removal?

I have checked the box in Tools/Options/Advanced, for the automatic clearing of this folder on IE closure, however it always seems to leave a few files uncleared (usually adware cookies).

Thanks, OldJoe


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## Deke40

I regularly delete the whole Content.IE5 folder with no problems. When you delete you trash bin with it in there you will get a popup telling you cannot delete. Just click the popup off and close your recycle bin and when you reopen it the folde will be gone.

Before you do this right click your TIF folder and see how much is there then do it after deleting the Content.IE5 folder.

Here is some more info if you have DOS:

First go to DOS and at the prompt type in the following commands:

CD\WINDOWS\TEMPOR~1\CONTENT.IE5(This will also be .IE5 even if you have installed IE6.)
EDIT /75 INDEX.DAT

You will be brought to a blue screen with a bunch of binary.

Press and hold the [Page Down] button until you start seeing lists of URLs. These are the sites you have visited. When your done looking go to File>Exit. If you don't have mouse support in DOS then use the [ALT] and arrow keys.

Now delete the Content.IE folder and repeat the above and look.

PS-To delete this out of IE6.0 you have to reboot and then you can delete it from Recycle Bin after the new Content.IE folder has been recreated.

For more info on index.dat go to fxxxmicrosoft.com. Just enter the correct letters for the x's that belong to that common f word.


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## Triple6

Its the Internet Explorer temporary files.


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## oldjoe

Thanks, Deke, for the advice and comments. I feel more comfortable now, knowing that this is safe to do. I printed your reply so that I can refer to it frequently in the future. I'll now practice with your ideas. I'm anxious to see this index.dat file.


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## Deke40

There are several ways to look at the index.dat file and the one I use is Winspy which will let you look at a lot more.


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## oldjoe

Deke,

GREAT PROGRAM... It did a much better job of showing index.dat than DOS edit did.

Now tell me exactly what method you use to delete content.ie5 ???

"My computer" won't let me see it, and windows explorer won't let me delete it.
I get a warning window about it being a system file (X is grayed out). Is DOS the only way to do it?

Equally confusing, the view I get of index.dat shows urls which I never entered, plus urls from ages ago, and does not show many urls that I know I've entered???

The file is 966K. Is that normal?

Thanks again, Old Joe

W95 - IE 5.5 - Old but still a lot of fun!!!


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## oldjoe

Hi Deke,
I'm back again, after viewing and, of course, printing the fxxx file you suggested. All 16 pages are full of most of the answers I was looking for. This will take me a while to digest and put to use. Thanks, again.


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## Deke40

You are welcome.


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## jaye944

oldjoe said:


> Equally confusing, the view I get of index.dat shows urls which I never entered, plus urls from ages ago, and does not show many urls that I know I've entered???
> 
> The file is 966K. Is that normal?


yes normal, 2 hints

1> use z-tree gold (rewritten for 32bit of older x-tree gold)
2> if you dont want this (but at the sacrifce of slower internet access) goto internet options, temporary internet files, and set check for newer pages to "never"


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## oldjoe

Deke,
I fully digested the 16 pages mentioned above, and used the info to successfully clean up these "Really hidden files". Good job! You can mark this as solved if you wish, but leave it up for a while for others to study as it applies to millions of PC's.

Old Joe


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## Deke40

Oldjoe-You can mark it solved by clicking on the "Thread Tools" at the top of the window and ticking "Solved".

Glad to help.


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