Problems erasing C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\ always creates by itself!

CCleaner for Windows
1

Hello, 

I've been having this problem since forever since having Windows 8.1 64-bit installed on my system 4 years ago.




I use CCleaner for a long time. I don't use Internet Explorer. Google Chrome is always my default Internet Browser.


Yet for some obnoxious reason whenever I go to analyze I always get stuff like that as shown below.  




C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\ASWAFAKO


C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\GDWMIM04


C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\GDWMIM04




It gets erased but about 5-10 minutes later the INetCache shows up with these stuff again. These things seem to load up by themselves even if I erase them or restart my computer!




Is this normal? Shouldn't the INetCache\IE\ folder be always empty considering that I don't use Internet Explorer at all?




These temporary internet files even load up via Disk Cleaner and absolutely every time I load up Disk Cleaner the Temporary Internet Files will show at least around 2KB of data in the C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE folder. However, when I click view files it will state that this folder is empty even though it is still occupied with 2KB of data. There is no apparent malware or virus that I can find on my computer. These issue started happening on day one 4 years ago. I have not reformatted Windows in the last 4 years since I have built this computer with the Windows 8.1 64-bit Pro OS.




These things loaded up again as I am writing this forum topic..


 C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\ASWAFAKO 


C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\GDWMIM04 


C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\GDWMIM04 


C:\Users\ms\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\MD7CHS43




These things that keep loading up apparently appear as Suggestions[1][2][3]. Can anyone explain what are these stuff and why do they always load up even when I am not using Internet Explorer?

2

this keeps coming up now and again.

those INetCache are Windows generated - delete them and (as you've discovered) they'll just come back. 

even though YOU don't use IE, Windows still does as IE, Skype, Office, OneDrive, Defender, metro apps, etc all share common system libraries.

they take up next to no space, so either ignore them and move on or add them to the exceptions list.

3

See my explanation in the second part of this:

4

I solved the problem, finally! :) 

I simply uninstalled Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 8.1 by going to Control Panel--->Programs and Features--->Turn Features on or off and then uncheck the box next to Internet Explorer 11. Hit ok and then upon restart of the computer Windows will have removed Internet Explorer.




Following this operation the INetCache has so far remained at 0 bytes! It has not come back yet and has no signs of doing so! Before it would happen immediately every few minutes without even using or launching Internet Explorer. Now I've tested this for more than 3 hours so far and this issue is no longer occurring. Disk Cleanup shows temporary internet files as 0 bytes and CCleaner no longer shows the Internet Explorer Temporary Internet Files. The <span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#353c41;font-size:14px;">\INetCache\IE\ folder is also empty.</span>




This is a problem related to my PC, I think. I tested this on my dads Windows 8.1 64-bit system and it does not happen on his computer. My mums Windows 7 64-bit PC also does not make it happen either. I've been using CCleaner for more than a decade now and in the past I also do not remember this happening. This definitely wasn't normal. Now I don't know if reinstalling Internet Explorer will fix it. But since I don't need it, I don't think I'll bother to make the experiment.

5

Technically it just turns IE off, it's so interwoven into the operating system that uninstalling is ill-advised.

6

... i let ie11 in w8.1 turned on even if i dont use it to many or ... a little bit

there are only 4 "empty" folders, if you dont use it :-)

7

Actually I was a little bit fooled. They still came back. But are slightly different from before. I still get INetCache\IE\GDWMIM04 and INetCache\IE\ASWAFAKO but the difference is this time instead of the file names coming as Suggestions[1] they are coming as View[1]. 

Uninstalling Internet Explorer 11 reduced the frequency of these INetCache from loading. But they still come in from time to time. But maybe once in a few hours rather than few minutes. Now I tested it on my other computers Windows 8.1 and 7 which also come with these things even when Google Chrome is assigned as default web browser.




I don't know how it is on Windows 10. I heard that on Win 10 Internet Explorer is completely uninstallable as it has Edge as the new default. But it doesn't seem like Internet Explorer is the issue here, unless of-course Windows is silently loading it up. The size of these are very small less than 5KB so it is no big deal. Just wanted to make sure they aren't triggered by a virus, I guess I can at least rule that out as it is happening with the other computers as well.