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Temp files are that elephant in the room that you might not even be aware of. Try putting an elephant on the roof of your car, then drive it and see what happens.

Spoiler: your car will become an elephant as well — slow and plodding. That is what will happen to your system when it becomes bogged down by too much junk.

Don't kid yourself. Junk files are one of the most common causes of system slowdowns. The more unnecessary files are occupying space on your internal memory, the more time it takes to perform even basic operations.

To make matters even worse, the computer will start making annoying sounds, like a decrepit old matron groaning visibly with each painful step she takes.

Perhaps the effect might be less pronounced if your processor and RAM can compensate somehow. However, if your system's specs aren't exactly top of the line, you better pray to whichever deity you serve that there aren't some hidden files clogging up your drive.

The good news is that prayer isn't your only option out of this kind of bend. You can get rid of those junk files and give the machine the breathing space it needs. I'm sure it would appreciate that if it could speak. Never mind that, the smoothness and stability you will encounter will attest to this.

Temporary Files are the Most Insidious Types of Junk Files

Perhaps, you've been opening and closing user folders in search of those files that seem to have eaten up all your system storage. However, your quest proved to be futile. Maybe you have deleted all the files you can spare but the available storage attributed doesn't add up.

Welcome to the debacle of temporary files. They might be temporary but their effect is often permanent, at least until you get rid of them. That said, you don't have to worry. We will show you how to delete Temp files in your system with our exciting optimization tool. Before we explain exactly how, let's take an explanatory journey into the land of Temporary files.

What are Temp Files?

Temporary files are created by the operating system when another task is being performed. They don’t have much use on their own, but they need to be available while the OS performs some other activity. Once the task is finished, their usefulness ends.

Temporary files are, as their name implies, meant to be temporary. They are created to hold information that is made available to the service that is currently running. They are middleman files between a service and the system. Moreover, they don't change anything on the computer or do anything — apart from wasting space, that is.

Why are they able to waste space? Shouldn't they be removed once the function for which they are created has been fulfilled? Well, they should be; but this is Windows we are talking about. Thus, some of them hang around on your system. The number and size of temporary files can accumulate over time, taking up megabytes and even gigabytes of storage!

Temp Files Come in all Shapes and Sizes

Now, you may be wondering how to delete temp files for all users. Perhaps, you stumbled on a temporary folder and quickly and gleefully deleted it. However, that doesn't mean that your problems are over and your system will immediately begin to perform smoothly.

For a start, there are different types of temporary files, and each of them varies in size. Some make minimal impact on storage, being a few kilobytes large. Others can reach as large as a gigabyte or more for a single iteration of the file type.

We mentioned earlier that temp files are created by the system when it wants to perform some tasks. The type of temp file created depends on the type of work being done.

Temp files are common when Windows 10 is installed on top of an existing installation. Whether it is a version upgrade or a feature update, the OS downloads temporary installation files which it uses for a successful installation. Once done, it makes upgrade and error logs as well.

None of that is an issue. The problem occurs when these files remain on the system even after the update is done and dusted. Since you're only focused on ensuring a successful update, you're unlikely to pay attention to whether there are leftover files. Actually, you're likely unaware that there are temporary files involved in the first place.

Apart from Windows Update, other applications can create their temporary files. These files are often created for system downloads. Torrent applications are known to create theirs as well. Productivity apps like Microsoft Word and Excel even create temporary copies of unsaved documents.

If left unchecked, all these can add up to a dizzying array of space-consuming files scattered all over the place. Which brings us to…

Temp Files can be Found in Different Locations

Ever wondered where those pesky temp files are hiding on your computer? Well, most files are used briefly by the OS, and they are placed in the Windows Temp folder. Where that folder actually is, is variable. It can change from user to user and system to system.

Since a temporary files folder is created for each user, the best place to find it is in the user profile folder of Windows 10 or 8.

For most people, the location of their temp folder is:

C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Temp

Another common location for files that are no longer needed is C:\Windows\Temp\

Certain programs and applications may have their temp folders stored within the parent folder of the program. Examples include browsers and antivirus programs. Google Chrome, for instance, stores caches temporarily on the system. Those can balloon to a disproportionate size, slowing down both the browser and the entire system.

Have we mentioned the recycle bin? Of course, it is a place to temporarily keep files you've deleted. While you wait, those files remain in the storage. You don't have to wait for Windows to delete them automatically after 30 days. You can do the honour yourself, freeing up sizable space in the process.

Should you Delete Temp Files?

Are you kidding me? You absolutely have to get rid of temporary files at the earliest opportunity. If your system is much slower than you think or your available storage has become incredibly low, we wouldn't be surprised if you put the blame on temporary files. In fact, you're more likely to be right.

If Windows isn't going to take out the garbage, you should do it yourself or use a cleaning tool. Furthermore, there is simply no point in retaining files that aren't useful. No program wants them. No program needs them. Nobody does either.

How to Delete Temp Files in Windows 10 and Windows 8

Here's the relieving part of all this: you absolutely don't need to go about searching for the temporary files yourself. Chances are, you may not find them all. You might even end up discarding something that is actually useful.

Delete Temp Files with Auslogics BoostSpeed

Auslogics BoostSpeed is a performance utility that helps you optimize your Windows 10 computer at the click of a button. It contains a boatload of different features and tools that target various aspects of the PC performance. There are utilities that help you correct errors in the registry. Others like Disk Defrag tab adjust system settings for optimal operation. Another Auslogics BoostSpeed component helps to make your hard disk perform efficiently.

The Deep Disk Cleaner tool in Auslogics BoostSpeed finds all the temporary folders on your system so you can get rid of them with a few clicks. You won't need to delete different folders individually. It might be hard to decide which of these files are still useful or might be needed in future. BoostSpeed presents them all at a glance so you can select those you're absolutely sure aren't necessary.

It is super easy to use the Deep Disk Cleaner in Auslogics BoostSpeed to eliminate temp files. Once you've downloaded and installed the software, launch it and select the Clean Up tab, followed by the drive(s) you wish to scan for temporary files. Under your drive selections, click the Deep Disk Cleaner button.

A new tab will open, showing a list of system and application temporary files that can be scanned for. The list is quite exhaustive. So, take your time going through everything and tick the ones you wish the tool to find.

For example, under Web Cache, you can untick Chrome Cache Files if you wish to delete temp files created by Google Chrome. You will find Edge temp files, Excel temp files and even IE temp files here. In the System Files section, you will find different temporary files created by different Windows services.

Once you're satisfied, simply click the Scan Now button and Deep Disk Cleaner will do its thing. After a few moments, look through the items it discovered and uncheck any you may want to keep. Then, click the Clean Up button to complete the deep cleanup.

What Auslogics BoostSpeed offers is convenience: the ability to see all the temp files in one place. This helps you to quickly delete them in one go.

Using BoostSpeed, you will be able to easily delete temp files older than 30 days but which somehow remain on your PC. When you've finished using the tool to discard those unnecessary files, you will notice that your system storage now has more space for new files.

Manually Delete Temp Files on Windows 10

If you want to manually remove those pesky temp files, you can do that as well. This only works for temporary files created by the operating system. It won't be as easy if your target is all the temporary files on your system. In that situation, Auslogics BoostSpeed is your best bet.

• Using the Run Box

Open the Run box, type “%temp%” (no quotes) and hit the Enter key. File Explorer instantly opens the user temp files folder. Select everything in this folder and delete them.

• Using the Command Prompt

There is a command for deleting temp files from command prompt as well. Actually, there are two commands—one targets the User temp folder while the other handles the Windows temp folder.

Open an elevated Command Prompt and do the following:

• Type "Del /S /F /Q %temp%" (no quotes) to clear the Userprofile Temp folder.
• Type "Del /S /F /Q %Windir%\Temp" (no quotes) to clear the Windows temp folder.

Note: Don’t forget to hit Enter after every command.

You can also type "cleanmgr" (no quotes) in the Run dialog and use the Disk Cleanup utility in Windows to delete temp files on the hard drive.