# Emptying your Temp Folder

Remnants of an installation or patch are stored by Windows as temporary files, which can prevent the re-installation or starting of that program. These temporary files are normally created to temporarily store information in order to free memory for other purposes, or to act as a safety net to prevent data loss when a program performs certain functions. These temporary files however can trick the game's installation program into thinking that the game is already installed, or that a patch is installed when the patch has not been applied properly. Since this can cause complication,becomes necessary to delete these useless remnants to give your system a clean slate prior to launching or installing a piece of software.

To delete your Windows temporary files on Windows XP:

1. First you will need to delete the standard Windows temporary files:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click Run.
3. Type temp into the available text field and click OK.
4. Click on one of the files in the folder that just opened, and press Ctrl and A to select all of the files in this folder.
5. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
6. When prompted if you are sure, choose Yes to All.

2. Next you will need to delete your specific logins temporary files:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click Run.
3. Type C:\Documents and Settings\<Insert login name here>\Local Settings\Temp in the available text field and click OK.

- Note : Be sure to specify your Windows login without the greater than/less than symbols, in the bolded area above.

1. Click on one of the files in the folder that just opened, and press Ctrl and A to select all of the files in this folder.
2. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
3. When prompted if you are sure, choose Yes to All.

To delete your Windows temporary files on Windows 95/98 or Windows ME:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click Run.
3. Type temp into the available text field and click OK.
4. Click on one of the files in the folder which opened, and press Ctrl and A to select all of the files in this folder.
5. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
6. When prompted if you are sure, choose Yes to All.