Learning how to delete temporary internet files or to learning how to clear internet history is a bit geeky! The average computer user would probably never go near the temporary Internet files and would not even know that they exist. This is properly a good idea but like the word says, these are “temporary Internet files” and they are pretty safe to delete. In fact I am quite vicious with my temporary Internet files and I delete them often as part of my computer maintenance schedule.

These folders I am going to show you not only stored temporary Internet files, they also store other temporary files. For example when you open a Microsoft word document it is placed into the temporary folder and when you close the document it is taken out again. Unfortunately sometimes the file is not taken out again and the files that buildup. Same with looking at pages on the Internet. Most of the Internet files are stored temporarily and are kept. It is even worse when you open a document that is stored on the Internet because you will have the full file stored in your temporary files. Basically just using your computer creates extra files that you do not know about. This does not matter if you are just working on the computer or browsing the Internet, it’s still creates files.

How to delete temporary internet files? Where are there?

I’m not going to tell you how to delete temporary Internet files yet. I am actually going to show you where to find them.

There are three different places that you can find temporary files on your computer. They are located in different place in Windows Vista and Windows Xp. In Windows Vista there are three file paths below to follow to view the temporary files. If you would like to see someone deleting these files then please see my computer maintenance video.

C:UsersUsernameAppDataLocalTemp (%temp)

C:WindowsTemp (temp)

C:UsersUsernameAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet Files

To view these files you can type the exact path into the run box and you will be taken there. Make sure you replace the part where it says “username” with your own username. For the top two there is a shortcut to type in. This is shown at the end of the path. Therefore to see the first temp folder we would follow these steps:

1. Press WINKEY and R to open a run box.
2. Then type in %temp% and press ok. See the screenshot below.

The window below will appear showing all the temporary files in this folder…This is all junk and although I clean this temporary folder out often, it still has over 26MB of files in it. That might not seem like much but that is only for one week. Image if you left it there to build up over 52 weeks or more. You should simply select these files and right click on them and delete them. There is nothing there that is needed. The only thing is you might not be able to delete a file if it is being used by another program. You can come back later and delete it.

These files are from your computer use and from opening and viewing items from the internet.

If you want to view the second Windows temp folder then simply type temp into the run box. You can find both of these temp folders the same way in Windows XP.

The last place to find temporary files is the temporary internet files. In Windows Vista they are located at C:Documents and SettingsusernameLocal SettingsTemporary Internet Files. These files include cookies, browsing history, and more..

To find your temporary internet files simply type this path into the run box. Make sure you replace the word username with your username (mine is mitz) for your computer. See the screen shot below. All these files have been collected when you browse the internet.

How to delete temporary internet files Windows XP

1. Go to the start menu and choose control panel from the menu.
2. Double click on the internet options icon. The Windows below will appear.
3. Click on the Settings button, just below the heading, browsing history.
4. The Temporary Internet Files and History Settings window will open.
5. Click on View files to see the temporary internet files.

This will give the chance to clear internet history,and clear internet browser cache, including cookies and temp files.

How to delete temporary internet files in Windows Vista and Windows Seven

If you are using Internet Explorer You just need to find the Internet options. The screen shot below shows how to find the Internet options in Internet Explorer number nine.

This screen shot is for Firefox.

Now you are welcome to delete any of these files manually if you like. This is how to delete temporary internet files.

How to delete temporary internet files using Windows Tools?

You can use The system tools that are included with the Windows operating system to clean up your computer, however it is widely thought that 3rd party programs can do a more thorough job. To find Windows system tools simply go to the start menu, choose all programs, then accessories, then system tools. This applies to both Windows XP and Windows Vista. You will see a list of system tool programs that you can use to cleanup your computer. You can use disk cleanup to safely delete temporary internet files and you can also Delete your visited website history and other temporary internet files via Internet Explorer.

Now you know how to delete temporary internet files!

Tagged as: clean files, delete, how to delete temporary internet files, junk files, remove, safe, safely, safely remove, temp, temporary files, temporary internet files

This post was written by...

Mitz – who has written 731 posts on Computer Tips.

Hi guys…I am a computer freak but I do not always talk in tech language. Hope you enjoy my website and learn everything you need to know in an easy to understand way.. If you like what you see please join: Follow Tips4pc On Twitter | Become A Facebook Fan | Subscribe RSS Feed | Tips4pc Youtube Channel

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