UGN Security Forums UGN Security: Knowledge Base Operating Systems Windows & Windows Security Wiping index.dat

index.dat files keep a history of all the files within the directory. Now, being the little paranoid child I am, I wrote a simple cleaner for these files. I call it "clean" and it simply takes the first argument (the filename) and creates a file with the same name, essentially "over writing" the old file with a new one (yes...I realize there are much better ways of doing this...). But for some reason, I cannot get rid of the index.dat file located under The Documents and Settings folder of my User in Windows XP Home (C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Cookies\index.dat). I have tried my clean program, deleting it, opening and erasing its contents...I simply can't get rid of the data.

Any ideas?

do you just get permission denied errors? If the file is write locked then you're out of luck. Try renaming the file too, and if successful, rebooting.

The error is that it is in use by another person and/or file. I am the admin on the box so permission denied errors are a no go. I do not believe the file is write locked. And I can't rewrite for the same reason I can't delete.

Meh, I will probably just have to boot to DOS to delete it...

By the way, does anyone know a workaround or a hack so you can get WindowsXP to boot to DOS, or do I still have to use my windows 98 boot disk?

Thanks

Windows has file locking on important files. index.dat is one of them.

There is a way to disable the file locking, look in the newest issue of 2600 magazine under "Windows XP Tips and Trix" or whatnot...

haha, I picked up the new one today without even seeing your post. Coincidence? I think not...

Thanks.