Deleting Temp Hidden File

[mike2002]

I'm running Windows XP Pro.

I recently noticed a file in C:\ which has 'hidden' attributes, named ~temp_fill_file_SB8jcl and weighing in at 16GB. I can only think it has been left over from an application that I used to overwrite the free space on my HDD. I can't find any references to a 'temp fill file' on Google, but assume it must be safe to delete judging by its size.

Anyone experienced this at all?

[Sylvander]

My imperfect understanding...

When a program like ERASER is used to [for example]...
"Erase all unused space on drive" [usually a partition]...
All the bits of unused space are allocated as being part of one huge file...
And that space is then over-written with the number of patterns of 1's & 0's specified.
When that process is complete, [I've noticed] the user is given a warning that there is no space remaining on the "drive".
I normally just click OK knowing that it's not a problem.

That huge file should then be deleted.
Looks like in this case that didn't happen.
I think you'd be safe to "Shift-Delete" the file.
Always nice to have an image of the partition before doing such a thing, so you can recover it if necessary. :)

[mike2002]

Hi Sylvander.

Seems to make sense, but here's a real mystery for you!

After running the 'Recover My Files' program, I was determined to erase certain files that showed up in its listing. I've run ERASER, plus East-Tec Eraser, and also Restoration. (not all at the same time - naturally). Restoration additionally has the facility to erase unused disk space.

Despite all this, 'Recover My Files' still continues to show these unwanted files. The thing is about 'Recover My Files' is that it shows a list of my HDDs, but C:\ shows up twice, the second listing being a 'virtual disc', i.e. you use this when Windows cannot recognise the disc (does that make sense?).

After overwriting and erasing, the normal C:\ deleted contents just show up as temp files etc, but it's on the 'virtual disc' where it's showing a list of recoverable files.

Work that one out!

[Sylvander]

Yikes, I don't know what is...
1. The "Recover My Files" program...
2. "East-Tec Eraser"...
3. "Restoration"...

I imagine the effects you are seeing depend upon what these programs do and how.

e.g. I wonder if "Recover My Files" keeps a record of the names and locations of all files/folders "deleted". [In a backup copy of the file table?]
I don't see why it would keep a list of ERASED [overwritten with patterns of 0's & 1's] objects since they would be practically unrecoverable.
But hey-ho, perhaps it keeps a record of those too.

In the past I used the copy of "DiskEdit" [Norton Disk Editor][included on my FREE copy of the "Emergency Boot CD" = EBCD] to look directly at the file/folder contents of my partitions, and noticed that "Erased" objects had not totally gone.
There was a record left behind of the time/date of the erase.
Can't remember if each object name also remained.
But the content had indeed been overwritten.

[Paul Komski]

C:\ shows up twice, the second listing being a 'virtual disc', i.e. you use this when Windows cannot recognise the disc (does that make sense?).Presumably this is only within the "Recover My Files" application and not a duplication of C: within "My Computer". It's not clear to me what this relates to so perhaps you might post or link-to (http://www.tinypic.com/) a screen-shot?