Is it possible to remove Windows temp? Computer care: don't forget to clean the Temp folder

In the Windows operating system, there is a so-called Temp folder, which stores all the temporary information necessary for the operation of the computer. It is used by programs installed on the computer and the OS itself and is needed to save computing resources. Instead of storing intermediate calculation and data processing values ​​in RAM, Windows places them in this directory. This article describes why the Temp folder is needed, where it is located, and how to delete the data in it.

Location

Some applications may create their own directories to store temporary information. However, the most commonly used Temp folder is located at "C:\\:Users\*username*\AppData\Local". Instead of drive C, there can be any other media on which the operating system is installed. The username refers to the login of the account under which you are currently working.

The second most commonly used Temp folder is located in the “Windows” directory on the system hard drive.

Setting display options

It should be noted that the AppData directory in which Temp is located is hidden and cannot be seen without first configuring Windows Explorer. To do this you will need:

After this procedure, you will be able to see and open the AppData directory to get to the Temp storage and delete its contents.

Clearing temporary storage

Typically, the Temp folder is cleaned automatically by Windows OS tools. However, there are times when, as a result of failures or incorrect operation of some programs, the system cannot delete some files, and they remain. Over time, such “garbage” accumulates, and the size of the directory grows and can reach several tens of gigabytes. In this case, you must delete its contents.

Cleaning does not cause any harm to Windows, so you can delete all files contained in the directory without any fear. To do this, simply go to this directory, select all its contents (using the mouse cursor and the Alt+A key combination) and press Detele.

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 are constantly occurring, both belonging to the OS itself and installed programs. In the process of this work, in order to save the intermediate or unfinished result of their activities, all 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 this method a little 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 Group Policy Editor (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 Don't forget to clean the Temp folder

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There are many special programs available to clean the registry and unnecessary files of the operating system. Reg Cleaner, Reg Organizer, CCleaner are just some of the free programs that can be safely used to maintain the hygiene of the operating system. But not only the operating system requires constant care, the system 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.

System disk overload is far from an alien phenomenon for Windows 7 and 8. Both versions of the system require at least 16 GB of free disk space. Together with installed programs on the 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. 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 to store 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, the 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:\Users\username\AppData\Local).

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 enable the Show hidden files and folders options 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.

Programs that we regularly install on a computer, during their operation, create temporary files in it designed to extract data or archive it, simple distributions of programs, and even step-by-step saves of the work of text editors. To prevent them from hanging around in confusion all over the computer, the programs that create them determine the location of such files in the Temp folder.

Theoretically, after work on programs is completed, such files should be deleted on their own, but this does not always happen.

Remember how often, in an attempt to resurrect a frozen system, you pulled the plug from the socket or incorrectly disabled a running program? Such actions in relation to our computer cannot take place without a trace: temporary files are “collected” in it constantly and overload the Temp folder, which is already filled to the top. And since we all know that free space is one of the keys to the success of efficient PC operation, the Temp folder overloaded with “garbage”, accordingly, constantly slows down operating processes.

Step One: Search for Temp Folders

There may be several similar file storages on a PC, but most often we have only two Temp folders. One is located in the Windows folder, namely in the system partition of the PC, while the second can be easily found in the user profile by enabling hidden folder displays. So, in Windows 7, you need to follow the path: Drive C: Users Folder - Username - AppData - Local

If for some reason you do not find the Temp folder here, seek help from your trusty friend “Search” and the “Run” command. In the window that appears, simply enter the command %TEMP% and it will automatically open before your eyes.

Stage two: making it more convenient

If there is a need to make working with folders more convenient, then both Temps with the temporary files stored in them can be combined into one or created completely new in another place convenient for you. Go to the Start menu, click on Computer and open system settings.

In the window that opens, change the path to the entered TEMP and TMP addresses to the created or selected folder. This is easy to do: left-click on each variable, then use the “Change” function and enter a new folder path.

Confirm your selection with the "OK" key. As a result, you will get one folder storing temporary files in a place convenient for you.

Stage three: cleaning the Temp folder without harming the system

If you still have a question: “Is it possible to delete the Temp folder?”, We hasten to warn you that this is absolutely forbidden. But it must be cleaned regularly to free up disk space for work.

The easiest way to do this is to select the entire contents of the folder and delete it manually. However, if some of the files in it are involved in work (the system will warn you about this using pop-up windows), you will not be able to delete such files.

You can get rid of the “indigenous residents” only by calling for help from special utilities, such as: Ccleaner. However, if there are few such files in the folder, then the easiest way would be to leave them alone and not touch them for the time being. Keep in mind: such robotic assistants can also remove files from your computer that should not be removed under any circumstances. That is why developers include in cleaning programs the ability to create a backup copy of files.

Now let's look at the second method of cleaning the Temp folder, which is not inferior to the first in either efficiency or simplicity. So, in Windows 7 you will find a special service called “Disk Cleanup”: it is located in the Start utilities and allows you to delete those temporary files that have not been used by the system for more than a week.

To do this you need to follow a few simple steps.

First, go: From the Start menu to Computer.

Right-click the system drive (usually the C:\ drive) and check “Properties”.

Place a checkmark next to the “Temporary files” item. After clicking Ok, a small window will appear that will “ask” you if you really want to do this. Just confirm your intentions.

If you want to try manually deleting temporary files, you will first need to find them yourself.

We remind you that if you have not previously combined the Temp folders into one, then they are located either here:

Here: drive C:\Users\AccountName\AppData\Local\Temp

There is another way to find Temp folders. Press the hot keys “Win ​​+ R”, open the “Run” window, enter the command “%TEMP%” and click Ok. The folder C:\Users\Account Name\AppData\Local\Temp will open

There is another option that allows you to clear the Temp folder.

Go to notepad and write the following command there: rmdir /s /q %temp% Save the document under some name. For example clean.bat

When you run this shortcut, the Temp folder will be cleaned up on its own. You can even set it up to automatically clean it, which will start immediately when you turn on the computer. To do this, simply add the file to startup.

Now temporary files will not clog up the system drive "C" and interfere with its operation. And this is, in fact, what we were striving for.

Based on materials from the site: "Computer courses for beginners."

Windows 10, like its predecessors, has the amazing ability to accumulate a bunch of junk files and remnants of long-deleted applications. All this can be aggravated by viruses that accumulate during work. And despite the fact that the operating system has its own resources for automatically removing garbage, they must still be activated, and to fully believe in cleanliness and order, periodically clean the computer manually.

Cleaning the Temp folder in Windows 10

The Temp folder is the main storehouse of junk for Windows 7. All it contains is system garbage in the form of temporary files, which can and should be deleted with an absolutely clear conscience, without the slightest risk of harming your computer.

Through parameters

One of the most relevant innovations in Windows 10 is bringing temporary file cleaning to the user level. Now, in order to get rid of ill-fated garbage, it is not at all necessary to look for specially designated places for it, but rather just use standard services.

Cleaning Temp

This time you won’t have to go far and all you need to do is go to the “Options” tab.

1. Right-click on Start and select Settings.

   Select Options"

2. Open to the “System” section.

   Open to the “System” section

3. Go to the “Storage” tab and select the drive with your system (usually C:\).

   Go to the “Storage” tab and select the disk with your system

4. After a short analysis, go to the temporary files.

   Go to temporary file

5. Check "Temporary files" and delete them. At the same time, you can clean the basket with loads.

   Check "Temporary files" and delete them

Enabling Temp autocleaning

To avoid repeating this procedure again, you can set automatic deletion of temporary files.

Traditionally

The other side of the coin of the new Windows functionality is its limitations, as a result of which many users vehemently dislike the very mention of the Settings tab. Moreover, in some cases, cleaning temporary files using standard tools may fail, be unavailable, or do nothing at all.

If for one reason or another the methods described above do not suit you, you can always use the old methods of removing system garbage.

How to find

The easiest way is not to go uphill, but to use the search.

1. If you are using a limited version of Windows, you may not be able to find this folder as it is located in "AppData", which is hidden.

   Due to the same secrecy, you will also not be able to find it directly and will have to go into the control panel.

2. Right-click on Start and go to Control Panel.

   Go to Control Panel

3. On later versions of Windows 10, this button may not be available. If you don't have it, go through the search.

   Can't find it through start, go through search

4. Go to “Design and Personalization” when sorting into categories.

   Go to “Design and Personalization”

5. Go to "Show hidden files and folders".

   Go to "Show hidden files and folders"

Scroll to the bottom, check “Show hidden files, folders and drives” and click “OK”. After this, access to the Temp folder will be open to you in any way.

Check "Show hidden files, folders and drives" and click "OK"

When deleting, you can hold down the Shift key so that you don’t have to empty the Recycle Bin later. All files contained here do not have any uniqueness and even after deleting those in use, all the necessary ones will simply be created anew.

If some files are not deleted, most likely they are active at the moment and you can forget about them or restart your computer to unlink them and try to delete them again.

How to transfer

1. If you are tired of looking for the Temp folder every time, you can move it to an arbitrary place where you can walk closer.

   First, you need to create a folder to store temporary files. Select a place on your computer where you want to see system garbage and create it there with any name (preferably in English). Copy the folder path in advance.

2. Select a place on your computer where you want to see system garbage and create it there with any name

   Now go to the control panel.

3. You can get there through search

   Go to the “System and Security” tab when categorizing.

4. Go to the "System and Security" tab

   Open the "System" section.

5. Open the "System" section

   Click on "Advanced system settings" in the context menu.

6. Click on "Advanced system settings"

   In the "Advanced" tab, open "Environment Variables...".

7. Open "Environment Variables..."

   Select TEMP and click Change.

8. Select TEMP and click "Change"

   Enter the path to the folder you created here and click OK.

9. Enter the path to the folder you created here

   Repeat what was done with TMP. When finished, click “OK” in all previously opened windows and restart your computer.

10. Repeat what you did with TMP

    After the reboot, do not forget to delete the old folder with all its contents.

After reboot, don't forget to delete the old folder

How to clean your Windows 10 computer from junk using an application

A bad feature of the Temp folder is that only those files that the system has assessed as temporary are stored in it.

But Windows 10 is not omnipotent and it does not consider a large amount of system garbage as such and leaves it lying in place. You can, of course, remove all this junk manually, carefully searching through the dark corners of your system, but it will be much easier and more practical to download a special application that can clean everything in just a couple of clicks.

In addition to system garbage and forgotten files, there may be more unpleasant things that it wouldn’t hurt to get rid of. And even if you already have an antivirus, this does not guarantee you protection from all sorts of nasty things and may require checking with a program from alternative developers.

Even after activating automatic removal of temporary files, do not forget to periodically clean your computer yourself, since standard Windows tools are far from all-powerful. And if you start to notice a gradual decline in performance and a long system loading time when you turn on the computer, it’s time to repeat a couple of points from the above.