Solved Hundreds of thousands of folders in %Temp% cause really slow logons

hsehestedt · Feb 11, 2022

On multiple machines, I have seen Windows logons take longer and longer and finally get to a point where it literally takes several minutes after entering my pin / password to get to the desktop.

Today, I finally sat down determined to figure out what the cause was. I tried many different things, but nothing helped. However, it became clear that it had something to do with my profile specifically.

Finally, I cleared the contents of the %Temp% folder. On my laptop there were about 150,000 folders and on my desktop system there were about 400,000 folders. These folders have long GUIDs for their names. I deleted them all, except for between about 5 and 10 files or folders that Windows would not let me remove.

Bingo! Logons are now almost instant.

Has anyone else observed anything like this or does anyone know what a cause for this is?

I've never seen this on Windows 10, but it's happened on multiple Windows 11 systems for me.

Ghot · Feb 11, 2022

Windows Temporary files are created by the operating system during the normal course of its running when there may not be enough memory allocated for the task.

Software which use large amounts of data like Graphics, Video or Media editing software also create temporary files.

Temporary files are also created for back up purposes by its respective programs. These temp files are left behind even after the task is over which leads to disk space usage.

The Temporary Files in Windows are typically found located in two locations:

%systemdrive%\Windows\Temp

%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp

The Temporary files created by the Windows operating system are usually stored in the %system%\Windows\Temp folder and this is where the system itself will put temporary files during installations.

The temporary files created by the User when running any software is stored in his user profile at %userprofiles%\AppData\Local\. The other folder typically located at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp, is created for each User. This folder is hidden and you will have to first ‘un-hide’ System folders from the Folder Options.

I'm on Win 10 at the moment. I just checked C:\Windows\Temp, C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp and there's only 1 or 2 files in either of those locations. This Win 10 install is almost 2 years old, now.
I do run CCleaner once or twice a day, but that's about it for cleaning.

No networking, editing, streaming on this comp.
I don't use Edge, Windows Defender or One Drive. No syncing.

I run the same setup on Win 11 as well...

Don't know if this will help, but it might give you somewhere to start?

hsehestedt · Feb 11, 2022

Thanks. I appreciate the information. Would you know by any chance whether it is safe to clear the contents of the %systemdrive%\windows\temp folder?

I have no plans to mess with it at the moment, just wondering for the sake of filing it away in the memory bank.

Ghot · Feb 11, 2022

hsehestedt said:
Thanks. I appreciate the information. Would you know by any chance whether it is safe to clear the contents of the %systemdrive%\windows\temp folder?

I have no plans to mess with it at the moment, just wondering for the sake of filing it away in the memory bank.

If you have a full OS backup... you can try... anything.

I just opened CCleaner and looked under System > Temporary Files.
When you right click on Temporary Files you will see this...

Whenever I boot Windows 10 or 11... I count the loading circles.
Mine are always 4 and 1/2.
Right after a Windows Update, it's sometimes 5. But after another reboot, it's back to 4 and 1/2.

It's been that way for almost 2 years on Win 10, and 5 months on Win 11.

Brb, Imma get on Win 11.

Ghot · Feb 11, 2022

Ok... I got nothing in AppData\Local\Temp, and one log file in C:\Windows\Temp
There was 6 temp files in AppData\Local\Temp, but I ran CCleaner, and they're gone.

Here's my CCleaner v5.78 settings. I only run Custom Cleaner and Registry...

It's a good idea to have a backup before the first time you run the Registry cleaner.
I haven't needed the backup on Win 10 or 11, after the 1st CCleaner registry clean... but I did once on Windows 7.

Note: I'm running the exact same software and settings on Win 10 and Win 11.

Note 2: I have the Page File manually set, max. and min at 3072MB

Everything else is pretty much OOBE, except for some personalization tweaks.

hsehestedt · Feb 11, 2022

Thanks for all the help, Ghot.

BTW, I've never used a utility like CCleaner. Always been a little distrustful of such apps. The fact that you have it tells me that you probably find it to be reliable. Any gotchas you can think of in case I decide to try it?

Ghot · Feb 11, 2022

hsehestedt said:
Thanks for all the help, Ghot.

BTW, I've never used a utility like CCleaner. Always been a little distrustful of such apps. The fact that you have it tells me that you probably find it to be reliable. Any gotchas you can think of in case I decide to try it?

I've been using CCleaner since the XP days. Same settings, really.
I have no clue about the versions past 5.78. They started changing too much in the later versions, for my taste anyhow.

This is the version I use, on Win 10/11...

Download CCleaner 5.78.8558 - Download - Filepuma.com

CCleaner, CCleaner A powerful PC cleaning tool for optimizing system performance.

www.filepuma.com

Virustotal results...

VirusTotal

www.virustotal.com

During install, I un-check all the "right click menu" boxes, and these are the rest of the settings I use...

Under Options > Cookies... I move all the cookies I want to keep like certain site logins... from the left side to the right side.
The cookies on the left side get "removed" when you run CCleaner, the ones on the right side are the ones to... keep.

After Windows Updates I always run...

sfc /scannow

Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

I think that's everything.

Ghot · Feb 11, 2022

A lot of folks use this instead...

Wise Disk Cleaner - Free Disk Cleanup and Defrag Tool

Download Wise Disk Cleaner to clean up your disk of useless and outdated junk files, browser traces, cookies, and history on your disks. Free up your disk space, protect your privacy, and make your PC run faster.

www.wisecleaner.com

glasskuter · Feb 12, 2022

This did happen in Windows 10 as well and they will come back. There was a lengthy thread some time ago about this. Here's the solution to keep the empty folders from coming back.

In Task Scheduler disable \Microsoft\Windows\Management\Provisioning\
Logon (at logon of any user)

Then delete the empty folders from C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local

Wynona · Feb 12, 2022

Ghot said:
I'm on Win 10 at the moment. I just checked C:\Windows\Temp, C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp and there's only 1 or 2 files in either of those locations. This Win 10 install is almost 2 years old, now.
I do run CCleaner once or twice a day, but that's about it for cleaning.

No networking, editing, streaming on this comp.
I don't use Edge, Windows Defender or One Drive. No syncing.

I run the same setup on Win 11 as well...

View attachment 21568

Don't know if this will help, but it might give you somewhere to start?

Wowser! I have searched for *.temp and *.tmp and never found these!

I followed your instructions and have now eliminated a few gazillion temp files.

I just cleaned up Windows 10 and 11. Now to reboot and see if it's faster. I haven't had much of a slowdown, though.

Wynona · Feb 12, 2022

Ghot said:
I'm on Win 10 at the moment. I just checked C:\Windows\Temp, C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp and there's only 1 or 2 files in either of those locations. This Win 10 install is almost 2 years old, now.
I do run CCleaner once or twice a day, but that's about it for cleaning.

No networking, editing, streaming on this comp.
I don't use Edge, Windows Defender or One Drive. No syncing.

I run the same setup on Win 11 as well...

View attachment 21568

Don't know if this will help, but it might give you somewhere to start?

Wow! Eliminating all those temp files made bootup so much faster, it's amazing!

Thank you so much, Ghot.

ThrashZone · Feb 12, 2022

Hi,
Just shows win-11 isn't all that great once again.

f14tomcat · Feb 12, 2022

Fabler2 · Feb 12, 2022

I use Un-cleaner now and again.

glasskuter · Feb 12, 2022

I don't think any of you have read post #9. I just thought I'd keep someone from reading 182 responses by posting the original solution.
The problem has been around a long time. I think I remember reading the details of a recent update that addressed it though the update did not remove all the temp folders that were already there.

Windows 10 & 11 create tons of empty folders in System32

https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/01/windows-11-creates-lots-of-empty-folders-in-a-system32-directory/ https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/tw-xxx-yyyy-zzzz-tmp-files/#post-2391889 I found 2200 of them on my Windows 10 install, and 180 of them on my recent Windows 11 install. Location...

www.elevenforum.com

ThrashZone · Feb 12, 2022

Hi,
Yep surprised ghot didn't post it again.

glasskuter · Feb 12, 2022

ThrashZone said:
surprised ghot didn't post it again.

We can give @Ghot a pass this once.

Ghot · Feb 12, 2022

glasskuter said:
I don't think any of you have read post #9. I just thought I'd keep someone from reading 182 responses by posting the original solution.
The problem has been around a long time. I think I remember reading the details of a recent update that addressed it though the update did not remove all the temp folders that were already there.

Windows 10 & 11 create tons of empty folders in System32

https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/01/windows-11-creates-lots-of-empty-folders-in-a-system32-directory/ https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/tw-xxx-yyyy-zzzz-tmp-files/#post-2391889 I found 2200 of them on my Windows 10 install, and 180 of them on my recent Windows 11 install. Location...

www.elevenforum.com

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Yep surprised ghot didn't post it again.

glasskuter said:
We can give @Ghot a pass this once.

Different problem.

The one before (the "provisioning" issue), was for files located here...
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local

The problem this time, was for files located in these spots... more of a CCleaner solution.
C:\Windows\Temp
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp <---- mainly, this one

ThrashZone · Feb 12, 2022

Hi,
Yeah I don't nor have ever liked/ used ccleaner.

Ghot · Feb 12, 2022

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Yeah I don't nor have ever liked/ used ccleaner.

Yeah, that's fine. Read post #2. The quote in post #2 is from MS as to the possible "causes".
CCleaner was just the "possible" reason, that I didn't have all those Temp files.

For all I know, it could be Temp files left there from Windows Defender virus definitions or something.
Maybe something from Edge... or some other software the OP uses, that I don't.

CCleaner is just one possible solution.
Whatever is "causing" those Temp files to pile up for the OP, is still unknown.