[SOLVED] Rem*.tmp Files - Delete or not delete?

I'm using Windows 98

I have 111 .tmp files on my C: drive.
These are NOT in any folder & they keep increasing in number!

What are they? What do they do?
Can I delete them before they fill my hard drive?
Some are big files (19,532KB).

examples:
Rem5010.tmp
Rem41c1.tmp

Whereas temp files usually delete themselves on exiting a programme - these are obviously not.

Also I've read that NOT all .tmp files should be deleted so I'm reluctant to do so.

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

 

all temp &/or tmp files can be deleted... however
when you download files it makes a temp until you have it setup & installed. If you delete these you will have to redownload to install them.

 

Thanks for your reply.

Before I go for the big DELETE I'll see if I get any other advice if thats OK.

I'm not a teccy you'll notice! And I'm really worried about deleting stuff I ought not to! My PC falls over often enough without me giving it a helping hand!

Er...also I'm still in the dark as to what these files are for and what they do etc.
...and why they don't go to a specific folder and why they didn't delete themselves? !!

All these questions eh!

 

Hi Jazzjunkie,SavvyLady is right when she said all temp files can be deleted.If these Temp files are not delete,it will clog up your hard drive and slow you down.Temp file do not delete themselfs.An easy way to delete all your temp files is by doing it in dos.Try this,Go to Start>shutdown>restart in Ms-dos>at the c:\prompt type,

Smartdrv (hit the enter key)
Deltree/y Tempor~1 (hit the enter key)
Deltree/y History (hit the enter key

Exit (hit the enter key)

Make sure you type it just like i did.This command will delete the the files and folders(windows will recreate a new one when you reboot).

Let us know if this helps.

 

Hi again!

Thanks to those who helped.
I deleted the files and all seems to be OK!

(For the moment - at least!).

Still have no idea what the hell they were supposed to do though,
or why they were there in the 1st place... Ah Well...

Thanks again... till next time...!

 

Hey JazzJunkie ... just remember temporary files are just what they say they are... temporary.

 

JazzJunkie
Short explaination of what Temp files are. Temp files are created
by programs for storing information Temporarily while it goes about doing other functions.......notes so to speak. Unfortunatly some programs are sloppy and leaves these little pieces of scratch paper lying around instead of cleaning up after itself.
There are also temp files left by design such as temporariy Internet files. These are used to speed up accessing Web pages
if a copy of the page already exist in the temp file. Unfortunatly again allot of webpages change and the savings is lost.
That is not a full explaination by no means on Why, Where, and What for but I hope it helps a little.
Dave

 

<font face="comic sans ms" color="#577ac6">I realize that this has been marked as Solved, but I’d like to expand on it, if I may.
I hope no one minds.

Deleting files from the Temporary Internet Files folder, is different than deleting *.tmp files.
The Temporary Internet Files folder is a cache – a storage area – that contains files from previously visited web pages.
Some programs create specific temporary folders for temporary files, and some programs are a bit sloppier.
The Temporary Internet Files folder is a specific folder for temporary files.
These files have extensions such as *.htm, *.gif, *.css, and *.mid, which are the individual source files, images, and sounds that you’ve encountered on each page on the Web.
The idea of caching these pages is this: If you’ve got everything stored on your computer already, the process of bringing up a recently visited web page goes faster, in which case, you won’t have to re-download everything all over again.
But, as davey says, a lot of web pages frequently change, and the savings are lost.
Besides, these files can accumulate, and this in itself will slow browsing and computer performance.

*.tmp files are generated from program odds and ends, improperly closed applications, and backup copies of files.
For example, if you create a document and save it, it is the original document.
If you go back and make changes to the original document, a new *.tmp file is created to reflect those changes.
If you save the changes, the original document is discarded, and the new *.tmp file replaces it as the original.
*.tmp files are also created as a protection mechanism, in case a malfunction occurs during the saving and/or updating procedure.

*.tmp files don’t always delete themselves, such as in the case of an improperly closed program.
I had a teacher once that absolutely insisted we go to File > Close to close a file, and then to File > Exit to close a program, where applicable, and whenever possible.
Merely clicking the X at the top right corner may be instrumental in creating a lingering *.tmp file, as well as being responsible for other harms and evils, according to my teacher.

*.tmp files are okay to delete, like SavvyLady says here, and they do tend to accumulate over time, taking up space and slowing your computer down, as beach51 reminds us.
However, it may be best to delete *.tmp files that were created prior to the day of deletion, while some may still be <i>in</i> use or <i>of</i> use.

I also delete files beginning with a tilde (~*.*), which are produced by open MS Office applications and other running programs.
Most disappear after the program is closed, but sometimes a few ~*.* files may be left behind.
Just be sure to close all programs first, before deleting these types of files.
Other safe file deletions include cookies (passed out freely at web sites in order to place a name to your face), *.chk files (spawns of ScanDisk logs), history files (which provide an easy way to get back to where you’ve been), *.zip files (unnecessary once unzipped), and files left in the Recycle Bin (your business, not mine). </font>