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Can I safely delete ALL *.log and *.tmp files? Are there any log and tmp files windows needs or any other important programs like ms office, norton, and even games would need? Thank you.
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Can I safely delete ALL *.log and *.tmp files? Are there any log and tmp files windows needs or any other important programs like ms office, norton, and even games would need? Thank you.
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If you have just installed a program, DO NOT delete Temp files until you have rebooted the computer. Some files can not be installed while Windows is running, but will be installed after a reboot.
As to Log files, seems ok to delete, but I have had instances when trying to uninstall a program where I get the error message:
"Install.log was not found. Uninstall will not continue". Not sure about this one, since I have seen this message even though I haven't deleted log files.
Alright, anyone know a program that identifies log and tmp files and removes them?
IMHO, perhaps you should ensure you have a suitable sized hard drive and not worry about these insignificant files because your trying to personally control this is like sitting on the beach with a gallon bucket and trying to empty the ocean.
True. But I'm talking about 500 files that take up about 100 megs. I've already gotten rid of all the tmp files that are useless, I'm just not sure about these other ones.
Thank anyways. =)
A drive died at the office and the Officemax had some 40G drive for 29USD. Round it up to 1 dollar per G and your 100 MB cost you 10 cents of storage. Or 0.25 % of the storage space was consumed by these files.
It's your choice on this matter, so make it and move to bigger issues.
Bob
There is no need for such a program since I can delete *.TMP with the DEL command. Here's it's help page.
"C:\>del /?
Deletes one or more files.
DEL [/P] [/F] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
ERASE [/P] [/F] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
names Specifies a list of one or more files or directories.
Wildcards may be used to delete multiple files. If a
directory is specified, all files within the directory
will be deleted.
/P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
/F Force deleting of read-only files.
/S Delete specified files from all subdirectories.
/Q Quiet mode, do not ask if ok to delete on global wildcard
/A Selects files to delete based on attributes
attributes R Read-only files S System files
H Hidden files A Files ready for archiving
- Prefix meaning not
If Command Extensions are enabled DEL and ERASE change as follows:
The display semantics of the /S switch are reversed in that it shows
you only the files that are deleted, not the ones it could not find."
A DEL \*.TMP /S seems to be the command. An issue that many want a graphical program for such one liner commands. You could write such?
Bob
My question wasn't how to delete these files, any monkey knows how to delete something on a computer, even using prompt.
My question was "is it safe to delete all log and tmp files?" That question was answered by Ray Strauss, thank you, where he said that if you delete all log files that when you uninstall a program you'll get an error.
So now comes my second question. Is there a program that will identify the flies which can be deleted safely and do it for me? Or maybe this question is easier, which log and tmp files should I NEVER delete?
I didn't come here for an argument or debate, I came here for help. I asked a simple question, I would like a simple answer. Thank you.
I noted I deleted them. I do have an advantage in that I "Ghosted" or duplicated the drive before as a test.
"Is there a program that will identify the flies which can be deleted safely and do it for me? Or maybe this question is easier, which log and tmp files should I NEVER delete?"
You'll love this one. If you take a trip in the Way-back machine with Mr. Peabody and I to the days of OS/2 and dinosaurs, the next version of the file system for OS/2 was to be fully Object-Oriented. If you weren't around for those discussions, the condensed version is that a file not only is known as a "file" but "belonged" to it's creator. Such creator items are in the Apple File System and while it has alleviated the headaches of finding out what file belongs to what program, there is an overhead to the extra directory maintenance.
Thank you Mr. Peabody for the trip...
Today, Microsoft is only now hinting of such an object-oriented filesystem in Longhorn.
The long answer boils down to this. No program made can identify what .tmp or .log belongs to what program.
In closing, I have no way to measure people's skills so when the question comes up, even the obvious or simple steps must be presented. Some will take ill or rage over such, others will not have known a command could have done this in a one liner.
People of all skill levels travel here. Give them all a fair shake that the DEL command can do the work.
Smile,
Bob