How to clean up index.dat?

I have deleted a number of cookies from my cookie directory, but "index.dat"
just grows in size. How can I get it to clear out the lines that no longer
reference cookies? (The file seems to be protected from any editing.) OM

Mike
Thu Sep 15 12:00:18 CDT 2005

Since the various index.dat files are in continuous use whilst Windows is
running the easiest way to delete them if their presence worries you is to
boot to DOS using a Win Me boot floppy and then delete them by using the
DEL command from the DOS prompt.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:

> I have deleted a number of cookies from my cookie directory, but
> "index.dat" just grows in size. How can I get it to clear out the
> lines that no longer reference cookies? (The file seems to be
> protected from any editing.) OM

oops!!
Thu Sep 15 12:19:26 CDT 2005



CCleaner (aka Crap Cleaner) takes care of that (and much more):

www.ccleaner.com

Zee





"AMEN" <Nomail@msn.com> wrote in message =
news:OvhWe.330919$x96.58300@attbi_s72...
> I have deleted a number of cookies from my cookie directory, but =
"index.dat"
> just grows in size. How can I get it to clear out the lines that no =
longer
> reference cookies? (The file seems to be protected from any editing.) =
OM
>=20
>

Mike
Thu Sep 15 12:44:10 CDT 2005

CCleaner can however prevent the creation of automatic system restore
checkpoints due to CCleaner using the wininit mechanism.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


oops!! <notme@nowhere.com> wrote:

> CCleaner (aka Crap Cleaner) takes care of that (and much more):
>
> www.ccleaner.com

oops!!
Thu Sep 15 12:48:40 CDT 2005


Mike,

Thank you.

Not aware of that "issue".

Zee




"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message =
news:ucixX0huFHA.3260@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> CCleaner can however prevent the creation of automatic system restore=20
> checkpoints due to CCleaner using the wininit mechanism.
> --=20
> Mike Maltby
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>=20
>=20
> oops!! <notme@nowhere.com> wrote:
>=20
> > CCleaner (aka Crap Cleaner) takes care of that (and much more):
> >
> > www.ccleaner.com
>

Mike
Thu Sep 15 13:19:27 CDT 2005

Zee,

The problem is due to the wininit.ini file created by CCleaner. On
attempting to create a system restore checkpoint the user is told the
system needs to reboot, the logic being that the presence of a wininit.ini
file means that the system is in the middle of an installation and that
this needs to be completed before the checkpoint is created.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


oops!! <notme@nowhere.com> wrote:

> Mike,
>
> Thank you.
>
> Not aware of that "issue".

oops!!
Thu Sep 15 16:13:31 CDT 2005

Mike,

This means that if one reboots immediately after running CCleaner, as I
always do, there should be no problem.

That explains why I haven't run into that issue yet.

Thanks again.

Zee




"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:OxTSFIiuFHA.3252@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Zee,
>
> The problem is due to the wininit.ini file created by CCleaner. On
> attempting to create a system restore checkpoint the user is told the
> system needs to reboot, the logic being that the presence of a wininit.ini
> file means that the system is in the middle of an installation and that
> this needs to be completed before the checkpoint is created.
> --
> Mike Maltby
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> oops!! <notme@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
> > Mike,
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Not aware of that "issue".
>

AMEN
Fri Sep 16 14:36:20 CDT 2005


"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:#fk21bhuFHA.2064@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Since the various index.dat files are in continuous use whilst Windows is
> running the easiest way to delete them if their presence worries you is to
> boot to DOS using a Win Me boot floppy and then delete them by using the
> DEL command from the DOS prompt.

Mike - I don't have a ME boot floppy and can't get ccleaner to download. Any
other choices?

Mike
Fri Sep 16 14:48:52 CDT 2005

AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:

> Mike - I don't have a ME boot floppy and can't get ccleaner to
> download. Any other choices?

Yes make a boot floppy.

You can create a boot floppy (EBD) or start up disk as follows:
Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Startup Disk and follow the prompts.

If you get asked for the location of a "missing" file point the wizard
towards the Win Me cab files which should be in either the
windows\options\cabs or windows\options\install folder. Alternatively
point to the Win9x folder on the Win Me CD. Specifically look for the
file BASE2.CAB and then point the wizard at the folder containing
base2.cab..

If you are unable to create a boot floppy you can download the image of a
Win Me OEM boot disk from www.bootdisk.com. Download to your desktop,
double click to run and follow the prompts to transfer the image to a
floppy. Do NOT copy the downloaded file to a floppy - that won't make a
bootable floppy but instead a floppy disk containing the file you
downloaded.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com

AMEN
Sat Sep 17 10:36:06 CDT 2005


"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:OQwhIfvuFHA.2512@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:
>
> > Mike - I don't have a ME boot floppy and can't get ccleaner to
> > download. Any other choices?
>
> Yes make a boot floppy.
>
> You can create a boot floppy (EBD) or start up disk as follows:
> Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Startup Disk and follow the prompts.

Thanks for that info, Mike. I had no problem with creating the startup disk,
although I would never have thought to look in "Add/Remove Programs" for the
way to do it.

I can go into edit now and look at the index.dat data, but I'm not sure what
I can delete safely, or even how to select what should be deleted. (The
mouse won't highlight data in the restricted mode and DEL wants the data
highlighted.) Using a utility (in normal DOS mode) I have, I can see
thousands 0D,F0,AD,0B codes being repeated continuoulsly within big sements
of the .dat file, and also a big sement of nothing but nulls (00). These
repeated codes make up the majority of of my 213K byte index.dat file which
currently holds data for only 76 cookies. I suppose that bad things would
happen if I were able to delete the entire index.dat file; or would the
operating system simply reconstuct a .dat file for just the 76 cookies?

I had a past problem with my system where a build-up of useless file reached
a point where I could not load program updates. I had over 32,000 empty
OEM*.INF files clogging things up. After they were all deleted, I could
again load new programs, but I never found out what put all those blank
files on my system.

That's a little off subject. I guess you feel the extra junk in my index.dat
file can be ignored Mike. 213K bytes isn't a big deal, but I do wonder why
it's so full of junk and if at some point it won't cause a problem.

OM

Mike
Sat Sep 17 10:52:05 CDT 2005

Don't try editing index.dat. Delete it. The system will rebuild it when
you next boot based on the contents of the folder. The reason it doesn't
shrink when you delete files is that it has no built in compaction
mechanism simply marking entries as dead and the space reavailable for use
just like the filing system itself where the contents of files aren't
deleted when you delete files but instead the file name is removed from
the File Allocation Table and the space made available for re-use but not
zeroed out..
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:

> Thanks for that info, Mike. I had no problem with creating the
> startup disk, although I would never have thought to look in
> "Add/Remove Programs" for the way to do it.
>
> I can go into edit now and look at the index.dat data, but I'm not
> sure what I can delete safely, or even how to select what should be
> deleted. (The mouse won't highlight data in the restricted mode and
> DEL wants the data highlighted.) Using a utility (in normal DOS mode)
> I have, I can see thousands 0D,F0,AD,0B codes being repeated
> continuoulsly within big sements of the .dat file, and also a big
> sement of nothing but nulls (00). These repeated codes make up the
> majority of of my 213K byte index.dat file which currently holds data
> for only 76 cookies. I suppose that bad things would happen if I were
> able to delete the entire index.dat file; or would the operating
> system simply reconstuct a .dat file for just the 76 cookies?
>
> I had a past problem with my system where a build-up of useless file
> reached a point where I could not load program updates. I had over
> 32,000 empty OEM*.INF files clogging things up. After they were all
> deleted, I could again load new programs, but I never found out what
> put all those blank files on my system.
>
> That's a little off subject. I guess you feel the extra junk in my
> index.dat file can be ignored Mike. 213K bytes isn't a big deal, but
> I do wonder why it's so full of junk and if at some point it won't
> cause a problem.
>
> OM

AMEN
Sat Sep 17 15:41:15 CDT 2005


"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:OQEoB$5uFHA.464@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Don't try editing index.dat. Delete it. The system will rebuild it when
> you next boot based on the contents of the folder. The reason it doesn't
> shrink when you delete files is that it has no built in compaction
> mechanism simply marking entries as dead and the space reavailable for use
> just like the filing system itself where the contents of files aren't
> deleted when you delete files but instead the file name is removed from
> the File Allocation Table and the space made available for re-use but not
> zeroed out..

That was too simple. Took it down to 2^16 in size --> 65K. Hmmm. Well,
thanks again Mike.

OM


(Still curious as to what would create thousands of blank OEM*.INF files on
my system.)

Mike
Sat Sep 17 16:33:25 CDT 2005

AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:

> That was too simple. Took it down to 2^16 in size --> 65K. Hmmm. Well,
> thanks again Mike.
>
> OM
>
>
> (Still curious as to what would create thousands of blank OEM*.INF
> files on my system.)

That's easy. Look not further than Norton System Quack. :-)

For more details see the Symantec site:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/2000120915010309&src=n
and also MS KB 281967 - "Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
Installing Updates, or Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281967). I would strongly recommend
that you contact Microsoft and mention KB281967 and also KB301540 and ask
for a copy of the new ifsmgr.vxd v4.90.3003. You will then either be sent
the file or told how and where to download a copy. There should be no
charge for this call other than for the cost of the phone call.

Alternatively do yourself and your PC a big favour and dump System Doctor
since it causes far more problems than any non-existent benefit that
Symantec might claim it offers.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com

AMEN
Sat Sep 17 22:03:31 CDT 2005


"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:eejPw98uFHA.3260@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:
>
> > That was too simple. Took it down to 2^16 in size --> 65K. Hmmm. Well,
> > thanks again Mike.
> >
> > OM
> >
> >
> > (Still curious as to what would create thousands of blank OEM*.INF
> > files on my system.)
>
> That's easy. Look not further than Norton System Quack. :-)
>
> For more details see the Symantec site:
> http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/2000120915010309&src=n

"The page cannot be found"

> and also MS KB 281967 - "Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
> Installing Updates, or Adding New Hardware"
> (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281967). I would strongly recommend

Yep that was it, but had I read that one back on 3FEB04 I would not have had
a pleasant several-hour chat with Tanya in Nova Scotia and Nichant in Deli
on a 3-way telephone conversation. Actually, to finally load and run Outlook
Express V6, I had to let WinDoctor restore several INF files from the
Windows Trash Can, and re-install Outlook Express a second time. I did that
while Philip, also near Delhi, had me on hold waiting for the Outlook
expert.

> that you contact Microsoft and mention KB281967 and also KB301540 and ask
> for a copy of the new ifsmgr.vxd v4.90.3003. You will then either be sent
> the file or told how and where to download a copy. There should be no
> charge for this call other than for the cost of the phone call.

I haven't found any blank OEM*.INF's building up since February 2004, so I
believe that problem has gone away; still using the same Norton utilities I
had before the problem came up. Are those fixes for the INF problem? OM

Mike
Sun Sep 18 05:03:53 CDT 2005

> Are those fixes for the INF problem?

Yes, as I said earlier. If you read the two KB articles mentioned
(KB281967 and KB301540) you will see that replacing ifsmgr.vxd with an
upgraded version 4.0.3003 fixes this Norton induced problem. Personally
though it's something I permanently fix on all my PCs by not installing
malware from Symantec all of which causes major problems regardless of the
operating system in use. :-)
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com


AMEN <Nomail@msn.com> wrote:

> Yep that was it, but had I read that one back on 3FEB04 I would not
> have had a pleasant several-hour chat with Tanya in Nova Scotia and
> Nichant in Deli on a 3-way telephone conversation. Actually, to
> finally load and run Outlook Express V6, I had to let WinDoctor
> restore several INF files from the Windows Trash Can, and re-install
> Outlook Express a second time. I did that while Philip, also near
> Delhi, had me on hold waiting for the Outlook expert.
>
>> that you contact Microsoft and mention KB281967 and also KB301540
>> and ask for a copy of the new ifsmgr.vxd v4.90.3003. You will then
>> either be sent the file or told how and where to download a copy.
>> There should be no charge for this call other than for the cost of
>> the phone call.
>
> I haven't found any blank OEM*.INF's building up since February
> 2004, so I believe that problem has gone away; still using the same
> Norton utilities I had before the problem came up. Are those fixes
> for the INF problem? OM