Is it possible to delete the temp folder? Don't forget to clean the Temp folder. Where is the Temp folder in Windows OS
To clean the registry and unnecessary files there are many operating systems special programs. Reg Cleaner Reg Organizer, CCleaner are just a few free programs, which can be safely used to maintain the hygiene of the operating system. But not only operating system requires constant care, systemic hard drive also needs regular user attention. Piling up the system disk with unnecessary files can cause the system to freeze, it will work slower, and in the end, you will not be left alone by a system message stating that drive C is overloaded and requires active user participation in solving the problem.
Overloading the system disk is far from an alien phenomenon for Windows 7 and 8. Both versions of the system require at least 16 GB free space on disk. Along with installed programs on system disk, the volume of the latter quickly grows to 20-25 GB. For low-power office machines or old computers manufactured in the mid-2000s, this immediately affects their performance.
Freeing up space on the hard system drive is done manually. You can remove unused programs or move them to a non-system drive by reinstalling them again. You can also free up space on your system disk by deleting unnecessary files from the Temp folder.
The purpose of the Temp system folder is storage temporary files. These could be program installers downloaded on the Internet, these could be unzipped files that you don’t even know about, these could be fragments of office documents, these could be various add-ons to programs that automatically end up in this folder. Ideally Temp folder is intended for temporary files, but such temporary files often turn into permanent ones, piling up unnecessary junk on the system drive.
For users who actively use a long-installed operating system, unaware of the existence of dead weight, the volume of the Temp folder can reach 4-5 GB. Notable numbers, right?
The Temp folder itself cannot be deleted. And it is unlikely that you will be able to destroy it if you do not have access to perform such an operation. But regularly deleting unnecessary files from this folder will relieve the load on the system disk.
The Temp folder is located on the system drive - usually drive C -, in the Windows folder. This is a general temporary folder, but there is also a user folder, it is located in the user folder (C:UsersusernameAppDataLocal).
We delete temporary files from these folders.
2. If it contains the documents or files you need, transfer them to a non-system drive - drive D or E.
3. Select and delete all other files.
Now all that remains is to clean the user's temporary Temp folder.
2. Now you need to display hidden folders and files. To do this, in Windows 7, click on the Organize button - Folder and Search Options.
In Windows 8 - go to the View tab - Options - Change folder and search options.
In the Folder Options window, go to the View tab and turn on the Show options hidden files and folders and uncheck the Hide protected system files option.
4. Select all files (key combination Ctrl + A on the keyboard) and delete.
If during the deletion process the File is already in use dialog box appears, check the box next to Execute for all current items and click the Skip button.
If any files remain in this folder, leave them. The bulk of useless computer junk has been removed.
Temporary files inevitably accumulate in the operating system, which generally do not affect its stability and performance. The vast majority of them are located in two Temp folders, which over time can begin to weigh several gigabytes. Therefore, users who want to clean up their hard drive have a question: is it possible to delete these folders?
Various applications and the operating system itself create temporary files for correct operation software and internal processes. Most of them are stored in Temp folders, which are located at specific addresses. Such folders are not cleaned on their own, so almost all files that end up there remain, despite the fact that they may never be useful again.
Over time, quite a lot of them can accumulate, and the size on the hard drive will decrease, as it will be occupied by these files as well. When faced with the need to free up space on an HDD or SSD, users begin to wonder whether it is possible to delete a folder with temporary files.
You cannot delete Temp folders that are system folders! This may interfere with the performance of programs and Windows. However, you can clear them to free up hard drive space.
Method 1: CCleaner
Simplify the process Windows cleaning possible using third party software. Applications themselves find and clean both temporary folders at once. A program known to many allows you to free up space on your hard drive without much effort, including by clearing Temp folders.
Instead of CCleaner, you can use similar software installed on your PC and equipped with the function of deleting temporary files. If you don't trust third-party software or simply don't want to install uninstall apps, you can use the other methods.
Method 2: Disk Cleanup
Windows has a built-in disk cleanup utility. Among the components and places that it cleans are temporary files.
Method 3: Manual removal
You can always clear the contents of temporary folders manually. To do this, just go to their location, select all the files and delete them as usual.
In one of our articles we already told where the 2 Temp folders are located in modern Windows versions. From 7 and above the path is the same for them.
Once again we want to draw your attention - do not delete entire folders! Go into them and clear the contents, leaving the folders themselves empty.
We looked at the main ways to clean up Temp folders in Windows. For users who optimize their PC with software, it will be more convenient to use Methods 1 and 2. For all those who do not use such utilities, but simply want to free up space on the drive, Method 3 will be suitable. There is no point in deleting these files constantly, since most often they weigh little and do not take up PC resources. It is enough to do this only when the space on the system disk is running out due to Temp.
There are a lot of different folders or processes in Windows that take up a lot of space, both physical and operational. Many users are so afraid of the computer and the OS that they don’t even want to get into the system disk, but sometimes this needs to be done. In particular, today I will write to you about the Temp folder.
What is the temp folder for?
In the Windows operating system, many different processes constantly occur, belonging both to the OS itself and installed programs. In the process of this work, in order to preserve the intermediate or unfinished result of their activities, everything running applications create temporary data files and actively use them. It is precisely the Temp folder in Windows that is the storage of temporary files.
Where is the temp folder?
So it has about 5 paths, but usually it is located and takes up the most space along the path
(system_drive):\Users\(user)\AppData\Local\Temp
Read about the AppData folder in the article
Is it possible to delete the temp folder
It is possible and necessary. This will not do anything to the system. But it’s better to do this before turning off the computer and ending the session. But you can right now enter in the address bar of Explorer %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp and, having selected everything, delete.
Be prepared that not all files and folders will be deleted. An error may appear indicating that they are busy.
How to clear the temp folder
You can use not the direct method described above, but a more correct one - through Disk Cleanup.
Right-click on the OS disk and select Properties. In this window, click the button Disk Cleanup
We are waiting for the information to be collected
Now select temporary files and clear
By the way, you can delete others too.
Let's modernize it a little this method and make sure that the temporary folder is cleared when the computer is turned off.
1)
Click RMB on To my computer and choose Properties.
2)
On the left edge select Advanced System Settings.
3)
In this window we select Environment Variables
4) Changing the TEMP and TMP values
to C:/Windows/Temp
5) Create a file in Notepad with any name and content:
pushd %TEMP% && rd /s /q . > nul 2>&1
pushd %WinDir%\TEMP && rd /s /q . > nul 2>&1
and save with cmd extension.
For example alex.cmd
or download from here
6) Opening Editor group policies (Win + R-> enter gpedit.msc) and go along the path Computer Configuration -> Windows Configuration -> Scripts (startup/shutdown).
7) We highlight Completed work and click the link Properties
operating room Windows system 7 has Windows folders Temp, which contains temporary files of included programs or games. When you turn off a program or game correctly, temporary files are automatically erased. But if the lights suddenly go out and you don’t have uninterruptible source power supply, restarted the computer with the reset button, or simply turned off the computer with the button, then the temporary files do not have time to be erased and remain in the folders until you delete them manually. Most temporary files are saved in two Temp folders. I will answer the question that interests everyone: is it possible to delete the Temp folder, but you cannot delete the Temp folder itself, otherwise you will not be able to install programs.
We clean the first folder. Temp folder Windows 7
To clean the Temp folder you need to find this folder.
To contain temporary files you need a temp folder
Click “Start” - “Computer” - “Local Disk C” - “Windows” - “Temp”. In the “Temp” folder, select and delete everything. You can use the keyboard keys “Ctrl + A” to select files and folders, “Shift + Del” will clear the temp folder. If a message appears that a file cannot be deleted, click skip, it means that this file is currently running by some program and it will be deleted itself after the program is closed correctly. This is how Temp is cleaned in Windows 7.
Cleaning the second folder. appdata local temp
How to find the second appdata local temp folder. Usually they try to immediately find the local temp folder, but this is wrong, first Now that the hidden folders have been made visible, we begin to look for where the Temp folder is located. Click “Start” - “Computer” - “Local Disk C” - “Users” or “Users” - “User Name” (everyone has a different name, Kolya, Masha, Admin, etc.) - “AppData” - “Local” — “Temp.” Select all files and folders in the “Temp” folder and delete them. If you cannot remove some files from the Temp folder, then leave them.
The remaining Temp folders do not need to be cleaned. These Temp folders may not exist, but the system will create them when they are needed. You can check whether the Windows 7 Temp folder is created or not.
Where are the rest of the Temp folders?
“Start” - “Computer” - “Local Disk C” - “Users” or “Users” - “UpdatusUser” - “Temp”.
“Start” - “Computer” - “Local Disk C” - “Users” or “Users” - “General” or “ All Users" - "Temp".
“Start” - “Computer” - “Local Disk C” - “Users” or “Users” - “Default” - “Temp”.
Video
This video shows how to find the Temp folder in Windows 7 and how to delete everything stored in the Temp folder.
So, friends, now you will find out where the Temp folder is. In fact, there can be up to five such directories on a computer or laptop. But the main work falls on those that are located in some area of the operating system and according to the location of the user documentation. That is, these are the following paths:
- C:\Windows\Temp
Almost every PC user has a question: why is the Temp folder needed and what functions does it perform?
Here local disk Take C as the default, since the operating system is installed on it as standard. You may have it installed on a different drive. The same applies to the second point, where the directory is called “Username”: you need to write the name that you have.
If we have figured out the location of our folder, then what about its purpose? What is stored in the Temp folder? So, Temp contains temporary files from various processes on the computer. The simplest example is the installation of any software. That is, when installing an application, temporary files and documents are created on the system that are needed for correct installation. Or for some utilities to work: a set of temporary files is also created. Sometimes these documents accumulate and do not clear themselves. Therefore, users are advised to periodically clean this area to ensure the best operating system performance.
Many users are often interested in the following question: is it possible to delete a place like Temp completely? Of course, under no circumstances! This is a system path that is needed for the OS to work properly. And if you don’t want additional problems and adventures on your own head, then it’s better not to touch anything. For more serious questions, it is better to contact specialists.
How to clear temporary documents
So, from the above we have already understood that it cannot be deleted. Then how to free up the space that this directory occupies. So let's now discuss this question: how to clean the Temp folder?
- First, you should scan your system for malicious codes, that is, viruses. This is done because often a simple virus can be stored in this path and location after some programs have run. Therefore, we scan the computer or laptop with an anti-virus utility, clean and remove viruses (if there are any, of course) and reboot the device. Additionally, you can separately check the Temp directories for the presence of malware.
- Now go into it. You may find yourself with a large list of files that you do not understand. Select them all using the mouse or with a combination Shift keys for faster selection.
- When all files are selected, press the combination of Shift and Delete buttons. This must be done at the same time. The system will clarify whether you really want to permanently delete these files, to which you respond positively.
- Wait until the documents and information disappear from your computer. This completes the cleaning of the Temp area.
Cleaning problems
It happens that deleting files from this folder is not always successful. That is, an error may occur when clearing and deleting some information. Don't worry right away that you have some kind of problem with your computer. In fact, the system may be using these files in at the moment time. If you know which program is using documents, you can close it using the task manager from the registry and then try again to clean the Temp directory.
Let's sum it up
The Temp folder is located in one of these following paths:
- C:\Windows\Temp
- C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Temp
Its direct purpose is to store temporary files and documents when the user uses certain programs and utilities. In this regard, the location, called Temp, can take up a significant amount of space in the computer’s memory: sometimes this weight reaches several gigabytes! An occupied space can negatively affect the operation of a computer or laptop. Therefore, users are recommended to promptly empty this folder in order to free up memory from downloaded information.
Many people wonder: is it possible to delete the Temp directory? As mentioned above, this is not possible, since this is a system directory. You can only clean it by deleting the files located in it, but not the location itself. We hope everything went smoothly for you, dear readers. Let us share in the comments who had what amount of information along this path and whether you were able to free up space.