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20.4. Cleaning Your Temp Folder

También disponible en Español: "Limpieza de la carpeta temporal"

Why is it a good idea to clean my temp folder?

Most programs on your computer create files in this folder, and few to none delete those files when they're finished with them. Thus, the folder grows and grows. The wasted space is less important than it used to be, because disks have grown larger,. But if you're doing regular backups, as you should, they will take longer than they need to. If the folder has enough files in it, Windows can actually run slower and Excel may be unstable. Finally, the temporary files may include copies of sensitive documents, which would be compromised if your computer is attached by malware or is lost or stolen.

Okay, how do I clean my temp folder?

Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista: Basically you're going to try to delete the entire contents. This is safe, because Windows won't let you delete a file or folder that's in use, and any file that's not in use won't be needed again.

Additional keywords: Clear temp folder, clear temporary folder, clear temporary directory

Last edited: 2019-11-18

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