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Many many many programs (including some windows background services) use Trident (Internet explorer) this is where these files come from
junbug, I've often wondered this myself. Internet Explorer is intimately connected into the Windows operating system. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a separate application. My theory is that as other browsers create internet cache files, the system makes copies that then show in IE. The reason I think they're copies is because when I delete them, it never effects the Firefox cache. But I really don't know why it does this, that's just my theory.
junbug, I've often wondered this myself. Internet Explorer is intimately connected into the Windows operating system. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a separate application. My theory is that as other browsers create internet cache files, the system makes copies that then show in IE. The reason I think they're copies is because when I delete them, it never effects the Firefox cache. But I really don't know why it does this, that's just my theory.
No this is not what happens, these files (as I stated above) are made by programs that use the internet explorer engine to render themselves, this can be desktop gadgets, the desktop background and many random programs (microsoft office and many NON-ms products too). These files do not come from other browsers, such as Firefox, those have their own cache