If you need to free up some space on your computer, you can look for some files to delete. Temporary ones are created when Windows crashes; the computer does not need them and therefore they are excellent candidates for your "cleaning" operations. Prefetch files are a bit more complex; they are created when an application is activated for the first time. Typically, you should only delete them if your computer is infected with a virus or malware and only if you know exactly what you are doing.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Deleting Temporary Files
Step 1. Use the disk cleanup feature
This tool is very useful for deleting temporary and prefetch files from your Windows computer. It works for any version of Windows, from Vista onwards.
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Open "Disk Cleanup". You can do this in a couple of different ways.
- Click on Start> All Programs> Accessories> Tools> Disk Cleanup.
- Open the "Run" menu by pressing the Win + R keys, type "% windir% / system32 / cleanmgr.exe" without the quotes in the "Open" field.
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Select the memory drive you want to "clean". Typically, you choose the OS disk which is "C:" by default, unless you have manually changed the path letter. The feature scans the drive of your choice for a wide variety of temporary files. At the end, the list of all the types of these files is proposed.
- You can also see the "Clean up system files" option. To access it you must have administrator rights and this is a more thorough procedure that removes temporary files, such as those in the Windows Update catalog.
- Check the boxes of "Temporary internet files", "Temporary files" and click on "OK".
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 2 Step 2. Look for files with the ".temp" extension
Temporary files typically have this extension at the end; then go to the "My Computer" or "This PC" section and search the C: drive for *.temp files. The asterisk (*) is important because it tells the computer to look for anything ending with.temp.
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 3 Step 3. Look for the "Clean Disk" function in the "Control Panel"
Click on "Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files". Check the "Temporary Files" box and click "OK".
Part 2 of 2: Deleting the Prefetch Files
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 4 Step 1. Open "Windows Explorer"
Select the "Organize" button and choose "Change folder and search options" from the drop-down menu that opens. Click on the "View" label. Check the box for "Show hidden folders, files and drives" and select "Apply". "Click" OK "to close the window.
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 5 Step 2. Access the operating system disk
By default it is "C:", unless you have manually changed the path letter. Go to Windows> Prefetch. Delete the.pf files you want to delete.
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 6 Step 3. Open "Windows Explorer" again
Select the "Organize" button and the "Change folder and search options" option from the drop-down menu that opens. Click the "View" label.
Delete Temporary Files and Delete Prefetch Files from Your Computer Step 7 Step 4. Select "Do not show hidden folders, files and drives"
Click "Apply" and finally "OK" to close the window.
Advice
- Empty the recycle bin at the end of the operations, to permanently delete the files.
- Deleting prefetch files can slow down or damage your computer; generally, this is best avoided unless you know exactly what you are doing.
