Index.dat file

[Steve]

I make it a habit to empty my cookies folder every week. Last week I found a file (index.dat) in my cookies folder. I cannot delete it, no matter what I do. I'm running Win. 98se on a PIII system. When I try to delete this file a window comes up saying "access denied. make sure disk isn't full or file isn't in use by other program" If I try to open the file a window comes up and saya "access denied, file in use by another program". I tried shutting down all the programs that I could, but this still persists. I've tried getting rid of it with the various programs on the Norton Systemworks program but they come up "unsuccessful". What the heck is this file? It showed up just a couple of weeks ago, so I know it's not vital to my machine. Does anyone know what this file is and how I could delete it?

[ReddDogg]

I don't know what it is, but I do know how to delete it. If you restart your computer in ms-dos mode (done on the shutdown screen) and at the c:\ prompt (might say c:\windows or something like that) you want to type in del c:\windows\cookies\*.* and then type a y to say yes and delete all files. once that is done, then type in win to reboot back into windows. That should clear out your cookies, all at once, without having to go through file by file and says yes to delete too.

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Joe Redd
MCP

[Steve]

Thank you, Reddog. I did what you suggested, it seemed to work but in the end... there it is. It's still there. What gives?

[ReddDogg]

One more thought, maybe try that string del c:\windows\cookies\index.dat instead of having hte *.* in there. That is odd, I will start going out and looking for this file, see what I can find. What does everyone else think?


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Joe Redd
MCP

[ReddDogg]

One more thought, maybe try that string del c:\windows\cookies\index.dat instead of having hte *.* in there. That is odd, I will start going out and looking for this file, see what I can find. What does everyone else think?

wait, I went on my computer, and I too have an index.dat file and I cannot delete it. I tried opening it, and it is garbage I see. now I am intriqued.

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Joe Redd
MCP

[ixl]

Had no idea myself, but slapping "index.dat" into deja.com indicates that it is an indexing file used by Internet Explorer, which will recreate it if you delete it... so don't bother. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Charles M. Kozierok
Webslave, The PC Guide (http://www.PCGuide.com)
Comprehensive PC Reference, Troubleshooting, Optimization and Buyer's Guides...
Note: Please reply to my forum postings here on the forums. Thanks.

[Steve]

But why is the file there? I've had this computer since April, and it was only 2 weeks ago that the file turned up. The machine worked fine before the file showed up. It kind of bums me out to think that an internet company could put a file on my machine that I could not get rid of.

[ixl]

The "internet company" that is doing that, Steve, is Microsoft. They of course have no qualms about doing any old thing to your machine that they feel like, from drivers that can't be uninstalled and on up from there. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif
Did you recently upgrade your version of Internet Explorer?

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Charles M. Kozierok
Webslave, The PC Guide (http://www.PCGuide.com)
Comprehensive PC Reference, Troubleshooting, Optimization and Buyer's Guides...
Note: Please reply to my forum postings here on the forums. Thanks.