Solved IE disabled but still generating temp files?

[scoobz]

I've just done a clean install of home premium 64 and I'm going through the process of optimization. One of those optimizations is disabling IE however it still appears to be generating temporary internet files and other data even though I have 'removed' it (disabled in windows programs)

Seems a bit odd to me, any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Not sure if it's related or not but you can refer to this and some of the most recent posts and see if you have some of the telemetry updates installed ?
http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...windows-10-upgrade-updates-windows-7-8-a.html

 

[scoobz]

Thanks for the quick reply, this is something I was looking at only yesterday coincidentally

Thanks for the link, I got the one I missed.

I'll see if ccleaner finds any more files.

 

[scoobz]

Yup it's still generating an index.dat almost immediately after cleaning.

This seems odd from a program that is disabled...

 

[LMiller7]

Use of Temporary Internet Files isn't exclusive to Internet Explorer. There are a number of other Windows components that do so as well, such as Windows Explorer and Windows Search. There is nothing unusual about this.

 

[marsmimar]

Use of Temporary Internet Files isn't exclusive to Internet Explorer. There are a number of other Windows components that do so as well, such as Windows Explorer and Windows Search. There is nothing unusual about this.

Scoobz, here's what Microsoft says about Internet Explorer. I've highlighted what I think are the important points:

Remove all visible entry points to Internet Explorer and set another browser as default
(Applies to Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1)

Windows allows you to remove all the visible entry points to Internet Explorer and to set another browser as the default. Once access is removed and another browser is chosen as the default, all Internet Explorer icons and menu entries will be removed and Windows will no longer automatically launch Internet Explorer. However, it remains possible for apps and users to directly launch Internet Explorer.

------------------------------------

Turn off Internet Explorer
(Applies to Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1)

Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 allow you to turn off Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer is turned off, it's not available for use by any users on the PC and can't be launched for any reason, even if no other browser is available on the system. The program files to launch and use Internet Explorer are removed to a separate storage location as a backup copy so that a user can turn Internet Explorer back on.

When Internet Explorer is turned off using this feature there is minimal impact on third-party programs (and other parts of Windows itself) that call upon Internet Explorer app services, because the Internet Explorer files that provide functionality to third parties and other parts of Windows are left intact.

Source: How to turn Internet Explorer off - Windows Help

This might help explain why temp files are still being generated.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Yup it's still generating an index.dat almost immediately after cleaning.

This seems odd from a program that is disabled...

Are you using the built in Administrator account for day to day use?

Process Monitor should show you what app or apps are accessing things in that folder.

Set the filter something like this:

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
No problem they may return so keep a watch out not sure what those listing are about hopefully the other posts will help figure it out
Cheers.

 

[scoobz]

Thanks for the input everyone, it does help to know that it's standard behaviour and MS' official line on it.

UNI, I did get as far as the screen shot you posted but not really sure what to do beyond that. I clicked on apply and many, many entries remained.

I was using my last setup for 5 years and don't remember seeing the IE entries in Ccleaner although it could be something I became blind to over time

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You might post a screen shot of what was found possibly UNI can get an idea from it to go forward ?

Could be windows updates checking ?

 

[torchwood]

Doesn't matter if you "dissabled" IE, as its a clean install ALL of the updates that relate to it will still download, ie the fix's etc hence the temp files.

Roy

 

[scoobz]

Thanks Roy, we're a few days into this install so all major updates are done. It's more like new files being generated within a couple of minutes of a cleanup.

The only programs running are FF and WLM so it's got to be WLM I'm thinking.

I've just closed WLM a few minutes ago and no new temp internet files as of right now. I removed the RSS feeds but apparently they're still somewhere accessing the web.

(that's my best guess at the moment)

 

[scoobz]

Are you using the built in Administrator account for day to day use?

Btw, I am, I thought that was ok? I got tired of doing elevated command prompts

 

[UsernameIssues]

UNI, I did get as far as the screen shot you posted but not really sure what to do beyond that. I clicked on apply and many, many entries remained.

After hitting apply, you close that window with OK. That should filter the results. Look in the column named Process Name. Those are the apps writing to that folder.

If I totally missed what you were asking, maybe watching me use Process Monitor might help you out. See this post.

Are you using the built in Administrator account for day to day use?

Btw, I am, I thought that was ok? I got tired of doing elevated command prompts

Using the built in Administrator account for day to day use is not safe. If you do not understand why, then you should not be making the decision to change the way Micosoft set up the security model. The built in Administrator account to disabled by default. Some users (and companies) also rename the built in Administrator account for a bit more safety.

It would be best to...
...create a user:admin account
...create a user:standard account
...move you current profile files to the user:standard account
...disable the built in:Administrator account
...have a password on all accounts
...use the user:standard account for day to day use
...set the User Account Control slider to the top
That is the best.

Most people tend to use a user:admin account for day to day use.


If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you frequently do via elevated command prompts?

 

[scoobz]

I closed and reopened procmon, entered the filter and the list was empty until I closed and opened WLM, I also got entries for HWMON when I opened that, ccleaner of course, cmdagent and WMIC.exe

I have 3 profiles on the machine admin, guest (disabled) and a user/admin account (which is still there but I disabled the logon screen)

I think I disabled UAC on the user account so to all intents and purposes it WAS a proper admin account. I don't do anything on a regular basis that demands elevated prompts, just in the overall setup of windows (there were loads of things to do, most requiring some sort of admin access).

I'll have to research how to copy the admin profile over to the user account. Edit: Not having a lot of luck, maybe I need to create a new account before I can copy the data over? "Delete" and "Copy to" are greyed out.

Thanks

Btw, this is a machine only I have access to so I'm not worried about local security.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Now you see the apps using that folder

The UAC setting is system wide. What it is set at in one account is what it is set at in all accounts. It should be set to the default or higher setting. Each time that you see the UAC prompt, you sould not think of it as an annoyance, you should think of it as proof that the OS security model is functioning. You should never run a browser from an admin account while the UAC is off.

Yes, create whatever user account you will be using, then copy Start menu items, documents, videos.... over to that account.

 

[scoobz]

Now you see the apps using that folder

The UAC setting is system wide. What it is set at in one account is what it is set at in all accounts. It should be set to the default or higher setting. Each time that you see the UAC prompt, you sould not think of it as an annoyance, you should think of it as proof that the OS security model is functioning. You should never run a browser from an admin account while the UAC is off.

Yes, create whatever user account you will be using, then copy Start menu items, documents, videos.... over to that account.

Thanks. Thing is I want an exact copy of what I'm using in the admin account. Is this the way to do it?
Fixing a corrupted user profile - Windows Help

 

[UsernameIssues]

I don't know of a way to have everything copied. You might want to search this forum's tutorials.

 

[scoobz]

I don't know of a way to have everything copied. You might want to search this forum's tutorials.

Turns out that was the right way to do it although I had some problems with permissions (solved by taking ownership of the appdata folder)

Thanks for the assistance

 

[Callender]

Appdata - taking ownership

Turns out that was the right way to do it although I had some problems with permissions (solved by taking ownership of the appdata folder)

You'd better check that you haven't got a self-replicating application data folder.

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\*

Endless replication usually happens if you take ownership of that folder.