Solved How to Delete folders labelled .tmp ?

[Snugglebugs]

I agree with you, but as the Process Monitor didn't work for me, I still don't know where they came from. Except, insofar as the Microsoft Community link correspondence suggested that an alteration to the way that MSI works may have caused it.
So for that part of the problem, I will keep looking at File Explorer to see if any new empty folders turn up.

The other part of the problem, how to delete so many folders that can't easily be grouped to prevent "Access Denied", I found in that same MS Community a suggestion to use the Puran Utilities 'Delete Empty Folders' app and that worked wonderfully

I am trying all their tools one at a time and like them. The first one I tried rapidly detected 184 empty folders and a few clicks later, they have all gone. Highly recommended and there doesn't seem to be any popup or advertising catches. Puran Software - Quality First Now I must make a donation.

At present I am happy to have achieved my main aim, so thanks for the inputs.

Tony

I'm beginning to suspect a set of programs and/or a set of utilities running both in the background and in the foregound are causing this mysterious folder and files.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I've used Process Monitor for many years and this is the first time that I've had it crash like that. You might try it again, now that most of the TMP folders are gone. Even if something is messed up with the way MSI files work on your computer, it would still be nice to know what is installing/updating so often.

 

[Snugglebugs]

Sounds sensible, so I just tried again. I used the same procmon settings as you told me and then switched capture back on. This time it only got a few entries and stayed working for almost two minutes before crashing! I attach the screenshot.

It had created a Test.pml file of 76 MB. Just double clicking on the file didn't open it. Trying to Open it from the File menu in Procmon (after closing and restarting the programme) got me the message "The file was not closed cleanly during capture and is corrupt." Hardly surprising I guess

Maybe there are some different/additional settings to setup Procmon that will let it run without crashing?

Tony
PS two days after deleting the folders I haven't got any new *.tmp named folders on my C drive

I've used Process Monitor for many years and this is the first time that I've had it crash like that. You might try it again, now that most of the TMP folders are gone. Even if something is messed up with the way MSI files work on your computer, it would still be nice to know what is installing/updating so often.

 

[UsernameIssues]

One of the tmp files shown is from MSE. Are you running MSE and AVG at the same time on the same computer?

If the TMP folders come back, look in the Windows event logs to see if there are any helpful entries around the time that the folders were created.

 

[RolandJS]

Over in BleepingComputer forum, a couple of the best techs in BC, for software problems such as these, often have the thred-starter download, install, and run MiniToolBox [with only reporting items checked at first] and Piriform's Speccy. Even though I'm not even close to their ability of the reading and analyzing of, the MiniToolBox log and the "published URL" of the Speccy log, I'm beginning to suspect a set of programs and/or a set of utilities running both in the background and in the foregound are causing this mysterious folder and files.

Addendum: this post was in the "hopper" for a whole day before I "freed" it. It might be outdated by now.

 

[Snugglebugs]

I am not talking, or showing, tmp files. The problem here has always been about folders that include the characters .tmp in the folder name.

No, I am not using AVG at all with MSE! I was greatly relieved when I installed Win 7 and found that MSE was again useable

Tony

One of the tmp files shown is from MSE. Are you running MSE and AVG at the same time on the same computer?

If the TMP folders come back, look in the Windows event logs to see if there are any helpful entries around the time that the folders were created.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I got the impression that you were using AVG and MSE at the same time from this info:



You can update/change that info via this link:
http://www.sevenforums.com/profile.php?do=extra

 

[Snugglebugs]

No, the System Info in my profile is merely a list - it does not imply that there is any particular connection between any of the items in the list!

I have several computers with different OS's and programmes, so a lot of practical experience with technology going back to the 1960s. To keep the various machines (and programmes) in working order it is necessary to understand them all - good fun at times, although occasionally irritating

Tony

I got the impression that you were using AVG and MSE at the same time from this info:

View attachment 390754

You can update/change that info via this link:
http://www.sevenforums.com/profile.php?do=extra