Genealogy Chat

EMPTYING TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES This routine maintenance job should be done once a week or so – more if you surf the internet a lot. There are several ways to empty temporary internet files....this way, though, is the only way that empties all of the files. 1. Click on START at the bottom of your computer screen 2. Click on SEARCH. 3. A box appears titled SEARCH RESULTS at the top of the box. On the left of this screen area there is a list of options. Click on ALL FILES AND FOLDERS. 4. Now another box appears with same heading at the top SEARCH RESULTS. To the left you’ll see three fields under the sub-heading SEARCH ANY OR ALL OF THE CRITERIA BELOW. 5. In the first empty field, above it says ALL OR PART OF THE FILE NAME. Here you want to type in the word “temporary internet files” (The “ “doesn’t need to be typed in, just the words “temporary internet files.”) 6. The 2nd field where it says “A WORD OR PHRASE IN THE FILE” can be left blank; with nothing in it. 7. The third field that says “LOOK IN” should show: “LOCAL HARD DRIVE: C.” If it doesn’t look at the blank field and you’ll see a small arrow shaped like a “v.” Click on the arrow and a drop down box appears showing a list of areas in your computer. Click on LOCAL HARD DRIVE C and it will now appear in the field. (You may have to scroll to find it.) 8. Now click on SEARCH located under the three fields you just filled in. 9. Now a list of folders and files will be listed on your screen. What we are looking for in the list are any YELLOW folders labeled TEMPORARY INTERNET FILE. There may be just one or there may be several YELLOW folders listed labeled “temporary internet file.” The following steps you’ll do to EACH of the YELLOW folders labeled temporary internet file that you see. 10. Double click on the yellow “temporary internet file” to open it. You’ll now note that there is a list of things in this yellow folder. These are all the websites your computer has visited. Every website you go to is saved in this folder. (This is a good way to check to see where your younger kids have been on the internet!) What you want to do now is empty this folder….we’re emptying the contents of the folder….not deleting the Yellow Folder. Your computer needs the yellow folder to collect temporary internet files. There is absolutely nothing in this folder that will harm your computer by deleting them. There is nothing in this folder that you need. Not deleting temporary internet files once in while will actually slow down your computer 11. To delete the temporary internet file go to the top, left of your screen and click on EDIT. 12. A drop down box now appears…..click on SELECT ALL. You’ll now note that everything in the yellow temporary internet file folder is highlighted. 13. Now go back to the top of your screen and click on FILE. 14. A drop down box appears. Click on DELETE. 15. A box will then appear asking if you want to delete these files…..click on OK. 16. You’ll now note that everything in this file has disappeared….yeah, you did it correctly! 17. If there are other YELLOW “temporary internet files” that were listed, go back to each one and follow the same steps for each. If there are several yellow “temporary internet files” some of them may be empty (that’s fine.) There is nothing for you to do to these Yellow “temporary internet files. Some of the temporary internet folders will just show CONTENT.IE5 and DESKTOP in them; there is nothing to do with this…..just leave them alone. You need only to empty the temporary internet files that show web site addresses. Hope this helps you Copied and pasted from Judy

I have nudged Judy's thread to the top. Carole