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Clear temporary Windows files

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Works with Windows 10 and 11Works with Windows Vista, XP, 7, 8, 10, 11, and Windows Server 2008 or newer.
  • Windows onlyThis script improves your privacy on Windows
  • Multiple actionsThis page belongs to a category, containing some changes with similar goal.
  • Impact: Minimum

    System Functionality / Data Loss Risk: Low

    This action improves privacy with minimal impact when you run the recommended script.

  • Batch (batchfile)These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.
  • 3 scripts
  • No subcategories
  • Administrator rights requiredThis script requires privilege access to do the system changes
  • Fully reversible

    You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using this website.

    The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

Overview​

This category covers removal of temporary Windows files.

It is recommended to clean these files as they can be used for unauthorized analysis of user behavior and system usage 1. They may also potentially host malicious software 2 3. Eliminating these files significantly enhances the security and privacy of the system.

Microsoft advises this cleanup for enhanced security 2. Besides enhancing security, removing these files also frees up disk space. However, removing temporary files might lead to a slight delay in initial application/system load times.

By regularly clearing these files, users reduce the chance of malware residing 2 3 in these folders and prevent the unauthorized use of their information for forensic analysis 1, serving as a simple and effective strategy for maintaining a secure and private system environment.

Safe for General Use
All actions in this script is recommended for all users. This is recommended for all users to improve without any noticeable impact on the system functionality.
Sources
PrivacyLearn.com maintains strict sourcing standards for accuracy, integrity and up-to-date content. Our content relies on authoritative sources including vendor documentation, industry standards, and verified research. Learn more about our verification process and quality standards in our editorial standards page.

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Choose one of two ways to apply:

Download script​

Download and run the script directly
  • No app needed
  • Offline usage
  • Easy-to-apply
  • Free
  • Open-source

Normal — Everyday Privacy (Enterprise-Grade)​

  • Recommended for all
  • Safe for daily use
  • No impact on system stability

Read more about Normal and other protection levels

Help

How to apply "Clear temporary Windows files" using script​

  • ≈ 2 min to complete
  • Tools: Web Browser
  • Difficulty: Simple
  • ≈ 5 instructions
  1. 1

    Download

    Download the script file by clicking on the   Apply protection  button above.
  2. 2

    Keep the file

    If warned by your browser, keep the file.
  3. 3

    Open

    Open the downloaded file.
  4. 4

    Exit

    Once it's done, press any key to exit the window.
  5. 5

    Restart

    Restart your computer for all changes to take effect.

Apply with privacy.sexy​

Guided, automated application with safety checks
  • Recommended for most users
  • Includes safety checks
  • Shows the code
  • Free
  • Open-source
  • Popular
  • Offline/Online usage
Open privacy.sexy
Help

How to apply "Clear temporary Windows files" using privacy.sexy​

  • ≈ 3 min to complete
  • Tools: privacy.sexy
  • Difficulty: Simple
  • ≈ 4 instructions
privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily with more advanced options.
  1. 1

    Open or download

    Open or download the desktop application
  2. 2

    Choose script

    1. Search for the category name: Clear temporary Windows files
    2. Check the category by clicking on the checkbox of the category.
  3. 3

    Run

    Click on ▶️ Run button at the bottom of the page.

    This button only appears on desktop version (recommended). On browser, use 💾 Save button.

Explore This Guide​

  • 3 Privacy settings

Choose what to protect based on your needs:

Click any option to learn more about what it does.

Each change can be applied and reversed individually.

  • Some settings and commands may require technical knowledge to apply correctly.
  • Most users find the Normal protection above sufficient.

Clear temporary system folder

This script eliminates the contents of the "%SYSTEMROOT%\\Temp\\" directory, also known as the Windows Temp directory. This directory is located within the Windows system folder "%SystemDrive%\\Windows\\Temp\\". It is used by the system and system-level processes to store temporary files, including those generated by the operating system and other system-level software. This folder, protected by specific access control lists (ACL), is accessible only to system-level accounts. Known for being utilized...

Clear temporary user folder

This script deletes the contents of the "%TEMP%\\" (or "%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Temp\\", "%TMP%\\") directory, used by applications and processes to store temporary files. This directory is situated within the user profile "%SystemDrive%\\Users\\\\AppData\\Local\\Temp". Only the respective profile user can read and write to this folder. This folder's usage for understanding user behavior in forensics raises privacy concerns. Its content deletion, a regular operation performed by Windows system tools li...

Clear prefetch folder

This script deletes the contents of "%SYSTEMROOT%\\Prefetch\\*", typically pointing to "C:\\Windows\\Prefetch\\". What is Prefetch? Introduced in Windows XP, Prefetch was developed by Windows to expedite application startup and the boot process. It works by preemptively loading data and code pages into memory from the disk before requests, monitoring application's startup page faults, and storing the gathered data in the Prefetch directory. Why Clear the Prefetch Directory? Over time, many fi...

Similar Guides​

Wider Goal​

The guide below includes this guide to achieve a wider goal.

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Privacy cleanup to protect your data with support of proper personal data control on Windows — Read along, this system calibration illustrates just that. What's eq...

— Privacy cleanup

Same Goal​

Other guides in Privacy cleanup 

See settings that are in the same category as this guide.

Using other actions in the same category may help you achieve your goal better.

See all 13 guides

About the Creators​

These people have authored this documentation and written its scripts:

  • Avatar of undergroundwires. The creator of PrivacyLearn and privacy.sexy. Black and white portrait showing a person wearing a polka dot tie and suit jacket, reflecting the professional expertise behind the privacy protection tools.
    • Certified security professional
    • 7+ years experience securing banks
    • Open-source developer since 2005
    • EU advisor, Public Speaker, Moderator
    • Hundreds across the globe
    • Testers, reviewers, developers
    • Companies, military agencies
    • Community since 2017
About Us

Reviewed By​

This guide has undergone comprehensive auditing and peer review:

  • Expert review by undergroundwires​

    • Verified technical accuracy and editorial standards
    • Assessed system impact and user privacy risks

  • Public review by large community​

    • Privacy enthusiasts and professionals peer-reviewed
    • Millions of end-users tested across different environments

History​

We continually monitor our guides, their impact and all other privacy options. We update our guides when new information becomes available. On every update, we publicly store who made the change, what has been changed, why the change was made and when the change was made.

Review Change History Our Change Process