Windows 10: Unable to set location of temporary internet files to correct default

I have been getting error messages on my newly installed Win10 64 bit machine regarding the location of temporary files, on one of my logins. If I go to Internet Options -> General -> Browsing history -> Settings, the location of temporary internet files is reported as: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\.


Every other machine of mine reports this as being C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\


If I try to change the location, the INetCache folder isn't visible in the folder picker, even though I can navigate to it using the file explorer. I have "Hidden files" ticked in my file explorer options.


Is this "incorrect" location of temporary files likely to cause problems or is it a harmless thing that can be ignored?

:)

 

How to view temporary internet files in Windows 10

Follow the steps below for locating temporary files:

- Open either Microsoft Internet Explorer or the Windows Control Panel.

- In Microsoft Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu and choose the Internet Options.

- In the Temporary Internet Files section of the Internet Properties window, click the "Settings..." button. A new "Settings" window appears.

- In the "Settings" window, click the "View Files." This will launch a list of all websites you’ve visited, also known as your Temporary Internet Files or Browser Cache.

 

Windows clears 'Temporary Internet Files' location setting at each bootup.

Hi.

I wasn't sure which community topic to submit this under because it actually crossed over a few of them. Although my problem manifests itself in Outlook, I believe this may be more of a general Windows related issue.

A number of weeks ago, I noticed that my Outlook 365 was suddenly no longer downloading images. After reading many threads (and trying many solutions to remedy the situation), I've finally narrowed the problem down to being related to my Temporary Internet
Files location, or so it seems. Simply, each time I start Windows, if I open up >>> Control Panel / Internet Options / General / (Browsing history) Settings <<< , I see that the Temporary Internet Files "Current location" entry is blank, and "disk space
to use" is set to zero. I then click "Move folder...", select the location (c:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache), set the disk space, and then allow the system to log off. Upon logging back in, everything is fine for the entire
session .... Outlook once again downloads images. However, after I've shut down my computer, the next time I start Windows, the Temporary Internet Files Location setting is once again blanked-out, the disk space is set back to zero, and I must repeat the
process.

Here are some of the things I've already tried:

• I've tried setting the folder location to places other than INetCache (including other drives). The behavior is the same regardless of the location I set. It works for the current session, but is cleared out after reboot.
• I've tried uninstalling / reinstalling IE 11 (via the Windows Features section in the Control Panel). No difference.
• Before resetting the location, I've checked the 'Cache' entry in following two registry keys ... both seem to be populated correctly:
  • HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders.
• I've run SFC / Scannow (No problems reported).
• I've run both Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware scans. No infections reported.

A couple of other things that may be of interest:

• Whenever the Temporary Internet Files Location setting is blank, I'm also unable to navigate anywhere using IE 11. I can launch it, but it immediately locks up. (I assume that's because there's no temp file location specified.) That's not an issue for
  me because I no longer use IE 11 as my primary browser, but I thought I'd mention it.
• Occasionally, I'm able to restart Windows without losing the setting, but that behavior is not consistent. Most of the time, the setting is blanked out.
• Prior to discovering the relationship between the temp file location and the Outlook image problem, I had also tried a number of other recommended solutions, such as unchecking the "Don't download pictures automatically ...." setting in the Outlook Trust
  Center, and unchecking "Do not save encrypted files to disk" (in Internet Options Security). Neither made any difference.

Any help in determining why my Temporary Internet Files location setting keeps getting blanked out would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Windows 10 Pro - All available updates applied.

 

Temp and TMP and Temporary Internet Files locations

Technical Level : Intermediate

Summary

Environment variables are a way to store configuration data, two environment variables emerged as the front-runners for specifying where temporary files should go: TEMP and TMP.

Details

The Summary is from:

Why are there both TMP and TEMP environment variables, and which one is right? | The Old New Thing

It goes back to the days of CP/M

Temporary Folders are used by almost every program on a computer, either during the installation of a program, or for the operation of the app/program.

These are the default values of some of the more important Temporary Folders.

Temporary Internet Files:

Please see:

Change location of TEMP files folder to another drive

Start Internet Explorer.

On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

On the General tab, click Settings.

Click Move Folder. [move only if not set to default, or you need to move to another drive]

Click the folder you created in Step 1.

Click OK, click OK, and then click OK again.

Restart your computer

and

Microsft Edge has become extremely slow

• 
  Open Internet Explorer.
  

• Click on the Gear icon, and select Internet Options.
• On the General tab, under Browsing History, go to Settings.
• On the Temporary Internet Files tab, click on Move folder. [move only if not set to default, or you need to move to another drive]

Default location is -

C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\

i.e.->C:\Users\JoeCool\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\

See:

Recognized Environment Variables (Windows 10) - Windows Deployment

TEMP-The temporary folder on the computer. A typical path is %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp.

TMP-The temporary folder on the computer. A typical path is %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp.

To check your values -> in Cortana type 'Advanced System Settings' (click on the best matched results)- Advanced Tab - Click 'Environmental Variables' button - make sure your TEMP and TMP show the variables above.

After changing the 'Environmental Variables' (Rarely necessary)->Reboot.

Run a Disk Cleanup with all the boxes checked in the final dialog box. (a good process to run occasionally, even if you are not making changes in 'Environmental Variables').

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-996f-99e02c7301c2/disk-cleanup-in-windows-10

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17421/windows-free-up-drive-space

Before messing with any 'Environmental Variables'; verify your backup on FileHistory, OneDrive, or some other method you use->

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...onto-the/a0977ed7-e796-405b-be25-fa41441fc4b0