If you want a quick & easy way to keep your cookies, cache, & history files & those annoying MS index.dat files cleaned up here's a very simply way to do it. I created a RAMDrive using MS DOS RAMDrive.sys. Then I changed the pointers in the registery to point to the RAMDrive & saved cache, cookies, & history junk files there. Now everytime you reboot poof they are gone. Click on Start...Run...sysedit Select Config.sys Copy & paste the following into your config.sys DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.exe NOEMS DOS=HIGH,UMB DEVICEhigh=C:\WINDOWS\RAMdrive.sys 5120 /E You can change the 5120 to what ever amount of RAM you want to steal. I have 320M RAM so I took 5M. Under Internet Options You could also lower Amount of disk space used for Temp Internet Files to 1 or 2M. 1024 1M RAM 2048 2M RAM 3072 3M RAM 4096 4M RAM 5120 5M RAM 6144 6M RAM 7168 7M RAM Reboot before editing the registery so you can now see your RAMDrive: Using regedit go to this Key & set the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders Cache "Enter RAMDrive Letter" ex: F: Cookies "Enter RAMDrive Letter" ex: F: History "Enter RAMDrive Letter" ex: F: Hope this is helpful to someone.

G'day Eric, just curious, does any of the original cache folders come back at any point while surfing? When I renamed and relocated these folders there were at least a dozen or so reg entries that HAD to be changed or else they came back. Also I had to 'cement' the changed locations in the file that creates them, namely, Wininet.dll. If I didn't I would somehow get the originals back, as well as the new folders, doubling the size of everything. I also, just for the hell of it, renamed the *.dats [now *.rtt with own icon] and gave them a new extension. I did the same for the cookie files too [now *.mfx files with own icon], and their prefix [cookie:]. Spider.exe seems to get bamboozled trying to find any of these folders and files. Your seems interesting, might try it one day.

Hi Ronnie, I actually used System Mechanic to change the paths for the cookies, history etc & no it never recreated anything on my HD. When I run spider the only files it finds are on my RAMDrive. It actually works perfect. I don't have to run any apps to clean up that crap & there is no delay in loading my OS now where I used to have my autoexec cleaning those folders on bootup. e.

good work Eric

Good idea but I have a simpler one. Locate the index.dat files you want to delete but leave them where they are at. Next write a simple batch file (DELINDEX.BAT) that has: del C:\windows\tempor~1\index.dat del C:\windows\history\index.dat (and so on) to delete the index.dat files causing "problems". Then simply add the line: CALL C:\WINDOWS\DELINDEX.BAT to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This will delete the files at startup and Windows will recreate them as fresh when it restarts. If you are wanting to cover your tracks after you have shut down, simply tell the computer to shut down to DOS and type the name of the batch file.

Yes Hack I used to have it setup like that too but if you had alot of temporary internet files, history and cookie files it sure slowed down the loading of Windows. And the temp files sure build up in a hurry. My way you never have to worry about them again & it doesn't cause file fragmintation & cross linked files & your hard drive from writting & deleting so often. From both methods I personally prefer the RAMDrive if you have the RAM to spare. I am just giving other options to this problem. e.