# Solved: Outlook hidden OLK** Temporary Folders - how do you list them?



## Mark851 (Jan 5, 2009)

Outlook saves e-mail attachments in temporary folders at C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files. The folders are all OLK**with several being there. I've read around the various solutions being offered but none seem to apply. (Checking the 'show hidden folders' options don't work nor does using 'run' from the start menu and typing %temp%. Even dos doesn't seem to show the OLK folders.)However, if you know the folder name and type it into the address bar of Windows explorer the folder and its contents magically appear! This is fine if you know the folder name and you can find this by starting to save an e-mail attachment and noting the suggested folder name into which it is to be saved. However, there appear to be numerous OLK folders and once the e-mail with the attachment has been deleted there seems to be no way to to find the OLK folder using the 'save as' trick. So far I have managed to track down and delete 5 OLK folders but suspect there are more in there. I've seen a batch file intended to purge these folders but would prefer to see and manipulate the folders rather than just blanket delete them.

The reason for wanting access to these folders is to delete files to save disk space and to remove potentially commercially sensitive documents. On occasion access could also be useful when an e-mail and attachment is deleted accidently.

Anyone got any ideas?

Operating system Windows XP Professional running Microsoft Office including Outlook 2003


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## austin-support (Jan 5, 2009)

Is there some reason you cannot delete the OLK folder and all of its contents? Outlook will recreate the OLK folder....


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## austin-support (Jan 5, 2009)

FYI - I can see and manipulate the contents of this folder from a command shell.


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## Mark851 (Jan 5, 2009)

The problem is that I can't see the OLK files so I can't delete them. (Those I have discovered via the 'save as' trick have gone the way of the dodo, but the rest I can't see) I did consider attempting to delete the whole 'Temporary Internet Files' in which the OLK folders reside but the system won't let me do that which is probably just as well.

Can you actually get the Command shell to list the OLK folders? If so this is the solution but I need a little guidance. The command shell ('Start' , run, "cmd"?) I'm not a real whizz on. I have vague memories of using DOS in the days before Windows. Based on this in the command shell I can get a directory of C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings with the 'dir' command but that won't even show the 'Temporary Internet Files' folder let alone the OLK folders within it. Is there a switch needed with the 'dir' command to show hidden folders? (I could dig out my old DOS manual from somewhere or other but I'd probably choke on the dust plus presumably dos and cmd commands are not all the same.)

Guidance on the command shell to get to the OLK folders would be appreciated.

Thanks so far!


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## austin-support (Jan 5, 2009)

That is by design I think. In Microsoft's infinite wisdom you can view the Temporary Internet Files folder in windows explorer but cannot see the temporary subfolders beneath it. In the command shell you cannot see the Temporary Internet Files directory but you can change directory by typing: C:\>cd "Temporary Internet Files" <enter>, and then type: C:\>dir <enter> to view its contents in list format. You should be able to see the subfolders at this point and use the CD command to view the contents of each. You can use: C:\>rd /s <path> to remove the OLK folder and all of its contents. Type: rd /? for command usage.

There may be another way to do this, I'm just shooting from the hip here. I'm pretty comfortable with the command shell and have used it for years. However, be very careful!! There is no recycle bin in the command shell!


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## Rollin_Again (Sep 4, 2003)

Use your registry editor to navigate to the following location (you may need to replace the number 11 with your applicable version of Office)

*HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Security*

There will be a registry key called "OutlookSecureTempFolder" Check the value that is assigned to this key which should be the the true location of Outlooks temp files directory which is different from your regular Windows temp files directory. This is the directory that you want to delete the temp files from. If you are unable to locate the registry key value mentioned above by navigating to the location provided you should be able to search the registry by opening the registry editor and clicking EDIT >> FIND and then typing in the name of the registry key (OutlookSecureTempFolder)

If deleting the files from the directory doesn't work try creating a new temp files directory for Outlook to use and change the path on the registry key above to point to the new directory.


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## Mark851 (Jan 5, 2009)

Bingo! Both the 'command shell' option from Austin-support and the 'registry key' approach from Rollin-again in the previous 2 postings work giving the name of the OLK file. With that I can type the folder name into the address line of Windows explorer which causes the OLK folder to appear, the contents of which can then be edited as required. Perfect!

Comment - having played with these methods for an hour or so, it seems that every time you delete the OLK file then open an e-mail attachment a new OLK file with a different two or three character ending is created. This shows up in the registry as the new "OutlookSecureTempFolder". It would appear that there is only ever one OLK file- certainly the 'dir' command in the command shell only shows one - and not several as I'd originally suspected. If so, saving an e-mail attachment and noting the directory name then allows access to what should be the one and only OLK file. And there is only one?

Thank you gentlemen, both for the solution to this particular problem - I was beginning to tear my hair out - and for the more general tuition.


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