So, this is the second time I've run the disk wiper and the second time my temp folder has become corrupted. Last time I had to do a system restore (about 10 hours) to completely fix this. I know there are temporary fixes, but I'd rather just do it right the first time. So, (1) how do I fix this without using system restore? and (2) how do I make it so that drive wiper doesn't corrupt my temp folder again? Thanks for any help. Time is essential to me as a college student and I NEED my computer!
Kevin you need to give more info here.
What's your operating system?
Are your temp files in a standard location?
Is there anything quirky about your setup?
In what way does it corrupt the files?
Can you give a run down of how you run the drive wiper etc please.
Also, I've never experience a system restore being that long. I also wonder the same things that Hazelnut asked.
Kevin you need to give more info here.
What's your operating system?
Are your temp files in a standard location?
Is there anything quirky about your setup?
In what way does it corrupt the files?
Can you give a run down of how you run the drive wiper etc please.
Ok, I wsan't sure what you guys would need for info, I apologize. So here goes
Running Windows 7 on Toshiba Laptop with Intel i5 Processor (M460 @ 2.53GHz) with Turboboost. 500GB HDD. 4GB RAM. My temp folder is in the standard location, so yes on that one. I don't know of anything quirky about my setup, but if you shoot me some examples of a quirky setup I will get back to you. The Error I get is "The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable." This error makes it so that I can no longer download off the internet and some programs (Avast antivirus, some startup type programs) won't function completely (can't download updates). I run the drive wiper every so often (maybe monthly) overnight to let it do its thing. I know it makes files irretrievable, so I try to keep everything safe. If you need more info, please let me know.
And @ Nergal
I may have exaggerated a little when I said 10 hours. Maybe closer to 6, not sure, I turned it on and let it run while I was at class all day. I had a roommate check it around 4 hours and it wasn't done yet. And When I say restore, I mean i take a backup drive that has a system image on it and re-image my computer (keeps all my settings intact).
Edit: The root for the temp folder is C drive - users - (my name) - Appdata - Local - Temp
OK I misunderstood I thought you meant windows system restore point (which only takes a matter of mins)
All of that said. You really should not be using Disk Wiper with any regualrity, it will kill your drive. Only use it if you are selling the hard drive
OK I misunderstood I thought you meant windows system restore point (which only takes a matter of mins)
All of that said. You really should not be using Disk Wiper with any regualrity, it will kill your drive. Only use it if you are selling the hard drive
Yeah, after reading a little bit about the function of disk wiper, and especially after my little problem here, I probably won't be using it much anymore. This is a big oops i guess. But I still have this problem, and I would like to know the cause and easiest fix, if just for curiosity's sake.
Edit: I fixed my problem with a Windows Repair Disk, following THIS Took maybe 30 mins from creating the disk to being done. I am still interested in why this happened so I will continue to report back as needed.
Yeah, after reading a little bit about the function of disk wiper, and especially after my little problem here, I probably won't be using it much anymore. This is a big oops i guess. But I still have this problem, and I would like to know the cause and easiest fix, if just for curiosity's sake.
Edit: I fixed my problem with a Windows Repair Disk, following THIS Took maybe 30 mins from creating the disk to being done. I am still interested in why this happened so I will continue to report back as needed.
I will tell you what I think happened. I could be incorrect on this, but this is what I think.
Anytime that Windows is running very, very, very slow, + you have programs that do not load on startup, it is almost always due to ONE or more of the following reasons:
- Harddisk is full or nearly full
- Harddisk has too many programs loading on startup, maxing out processor time or memory usage
- Harddisk is failing or dying
- Malware/Viruses have overcome your computer & thwart your ability to run things. Possible rootkit may be on your system.
- Computer has had a number of software or hardware resets that set the harddisk back from DMA mode to PIO (very slow) mode.
- Conflict of security programs or startup programs (IE, Norton + McAfee installed to the same drive with both set as your antivirus)
- Files or registry have become corrupted over time (can also be caused by malware, uninstallers that delete shared folders from similar type programs, uninstallers that "overwrite" the system32 files with one of theirs, then delete it on uninstall, etc)
- Windows updates. Over 6 to 9 months, hundreds or even thousands of updates can be downloaded to a PC. Much help as they are supposed to be, sometimes one will inadvertently install a corrupted or flaky drive that destabilizes a system, as well as slowing a system up over a period of time
- PC/Laptop fans are clogged. CPU is overheating, OR the fan(s) on the powersupply & 3D card may be clogged with dust as well, preventing full operation under heavy stress or overload
I would assume that you were infected with malware, but since I am not there to check your PC, I am not totally certain.
I will tell you what I think happened. I could be incorrect on this, but this is what I think.
Anytime that Windows is running very, very, very slow, + you have programs that do not load on startup, it is almost always due to ONE or more of the following reasons:
1 - Harddisk is full or nearly full
2 - Harddisk has too many programs loading on startup, maxing out processor time or memory usage
3 - Harddisk is failing or dying
4 - Malware/Viruses have overcome your computer & thwart your ability to run things. Possible rootkit may be on your system.
5 - Computer has had a number of software or hardware resets that set the harddisk back from DMA mode to PIO (very slow) mode.
6 - Conflict of security programs or startup programs (IE, Norton + McAfee installed to the same drive with both set as your antivirus)
7 - Files or registry have become corrupted over time (can also be caused by malware, uninstallers that delete shared folders from similar type programs, uninstallers that "overwrite" the system32 files with one of theirs, then delete it on uninstall, etc)
8 - Windows updates. Over 6 to 9 months, hundreds or even thousands of updates can be downloaded to a PC. Much help as they are supposed to be, sometimes one will inadvertently install a corrupted or flaky drive that destabilizes a system, as well as slowing a system up over a period of time
9 - PC/Laptop fans are clogged. CPU is overheating, OR the fan(s) on the powersupply & 3D card may be clogged with dust as well, preventing full operation under heavy stress or overload
I would assume that you were infected with malware, but since I am not there to check your PC, I am not totally certain.
So, you're thinking that my corrupted temp folder just happened to be a coincidence with my running disk wiper? I'm not sure what you're saying here. I don't have a program that isn't starting, I have a folder that cannot be used or deleted and is required for downloading from the internet. My computer doesn't really run slow either. I try to make sure it's as fast I can get it.
Ok, I'll give you my response to these then.
1- My hard disk only has about 60GB full out of the total 453GB
2- I specifically went through my start-up programs and deleted everything I didn't need or at least stopped it from running on start-up. So my start-up is the fastest that I can get it.
3- This computer is brand new, as in less than 3 months old, so I seriously doubt this.
4- Also doubtful. I use firefox with a bunch of security settings along with Avast as my antivirus. (not completely thrown out the window, but highly doubtful)
5- Not quite sure on this one. I've only done the restore once, but that was AFTER this problem occurred.
6- As mentioned before, only one anitvirus so this isn't possible unless it conflicts with windows for some reason that I don't know of.
7- Possible I guess, as I do run ccleaner after every install/uninstall. (with all the options checked)
8- Ccleaner gets rid of windows updates, and as previously mentioned, brandy new computer, so not that many to begin with.
9- Also covered by New Computer. It's not used in any kind of dusty place either.
It may be worth shrinking your partition from a full blown 500 GB down to 100 GB
That should reduce by a factor of 10 the amount of time taken and the wear and tear of the HDD as you Wipe Free Space each month.
It may also reduce the time for which your TEMP is exposed to any risk.
N.B. I do not use nor endorse WFS myself.
Alan
It may be worth shrinking your partition from a full blown 500 GB down to 100 GB
That should reduce by a factor of 10 the amount of time taken and the wear and tear of the HDD as you Wipe Free Space each month.
It may also reduce the time for which your TEMP is exposed to any risk.
N.B. I do not use nor endorse WFS myself.
Alan
Which program would you recommend to do this? The free-er the better
I use both off
http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html
I believe the second one can safely alter the system partition whilst running live under Windows,
but I feel more confident using first one, the Boot CD, when tweaking my System C:\.
I also feel more confident by defragging the partition first so that the files are shifted away from the far end so that the Boot CD has few files to shift/shuffle/relocate in the shrunk partition.
And Finally, the First Thing is to ensure I have a good valid Macrium image backup on a separate physical HDD,
plus a Macrium Boot CD that will forgive my folly in trying to make Windows better ! ! !
Alan
Alan I have also use the same one on XP (used the bootable cd download)
Quick, and a great user interface.
I use both off
http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html
I believe the second one can safely alter the system partition whilst running live under Windows,
but I feel more confident using first one, the Boot CD, when tweaking my System C:\.
I also feel more confident by defragging the partition first so that the files are shifted away from the far end so that the Boot CD has few files to shift/shuffle/relocate in the shrunk partition.
And Finally, the First Thing is to ensure I have a good valid Macrium image backup on a separate physical HDD,
plus a Macrium Boot CD that will forgive my folly in trying to make Windows better ! ! !
Alan
thank you for the suggestion! I went ahead and partitioned my HDD. I had been meaning to partition it anyways, I just never found the time. But now I've got 4 separate drives. 2 of which I have no idea what to do with haha. (system drive=150GB and 3 others=100GB/each, one of which i'll save for media only). Maybe I'll put a linux distro on one just for fun
Funny, we still haven't figured out why my problem came to be..? Any ideas?
2 of which I have no idea what to do with haha.
Hard Disk images so you never have to format and reinstall again! Also movies, music, setups, etc. Although I'd opt for hi-res pictures of the family dog terrorizing the cat.
What actually causes the problem, and what is problem free ?
Testing just one thing at a time :-
Do you always use Secure Deletion, or Normal Deletion ?
Does the problem strike when you do a Secure Deletion ?
Does the problem strike if you do Wipe Free Space ?
Funny, we still haven't figured out why my problem came to be..? Any ideas?
Ideas I am not short on - but they may fail to be solutions ! !
1.
If Avast depends upon %TEMP%, could it be trying to protect %TEMP% from being Wiped ?
2.
Is there some alternative tool which can "WIPE" to the same degree as CCleaner,
and does that also corrupt %TEMP% and show your system needs fixing before it can be wiped by anything ?
3.
Via start/run you can launch CMD.EXE for a DOS prompt.
Now invoke
CD /D APPDATA\LOCAL
Now invoke
CACLS TEMP
Now invoke
DIR T* /A
I use CACLS because I am familiar with it, and that is all I had with XP Home edition.
I know there are more powerful tools available with Windows 7, but have not tried them.
The results for me are :-
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601] Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.C:\Users\Alan>CD /D APPDATA\LOCAL
C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local>CACLS TEMP
C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local\Temp NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F
BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)F
Alan-Desktop\Alan:(OI)(CI)FC:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local>DIR T* /A
Volume in drive C is Primary Hard Drive
Volume Serial Number is 3E16-BCE7Directory of C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local
22/02/2011 20:04 <DIR> Temp
04/02/2011 06:57 <JUNCTION> Temporary Internet Files [C:\Users\Alan\AppD
ata\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files]
0 File(s) 0 bytes
2 Dir(s) 36,102,209,536 bytes freeC:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local>
You will probably get comparable results when your %TEMP% is working,
and when %TEMP% is not working you may have valuable clues about what is wrong.
N.B. The "/A" concluding the command "DIR T* /A" is to reveal the hidden
"<JUNCTION> Temporary Internet Files ..."
I just want to rant now about pernicious <JUNCTION> which have some tricky features that I fear may confuse secure deletion;
and any such Junction that may be embedded in your TEMP folder may have repercussions,
and any Junction OUTSIDE of TEMP but pointing at TEMP may have repercussions.
The last time I counted Windows 7 had nearly 50 Junctions scattered around, uggghhh .
Now I am on a pension my children no longer receive my "hand-me-downs",
and I am grateful to my son for a "hand-me-up" Windows 7 desktop that is so much faster than my old XP Laptop,
but now I am subject to Windows 7 I miss the sense of control that XP gave me.
Regards
Alan