What is Index.dat file? Index.dat Location, Removal, Reader, Viewer

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Index.dat files are files hidden on your Windows calculator, that contain details of all of the websites that you lot have ever visited. In Windows seven and earlier, Internet Explorer nine and before, used the index.dat file to index all this data, including the Internet Enshroud, Cookies and History. Every URL and every Web folio is listed there was indexed. Non only that, but all of the emails that had been sent or received through Outlook or Outlook Express also get logged in these index.dat files. These files were to be constitute therefore in the Internet Cache, Cookies and History folders.

What is Index.dat file

Nonetheless, things changed with Windows 11/10/8. In Windows 11/ten/8, Index.dat files are non used past Net Explorer 10. The indexing functions are being implemented within a Microsoft database organization. The WebCacheV01.dat file in the C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WebCache binder in IE11 in Windows 10 is said to exist playing a similar role. While yous may be able to see index.dat files in some locations, you will as well be able to see counters.dat file, container.dat file, suggestedsites.dat file and so on, in the Temporary Internet Files folder, History, and the Cookies folder. These also, are hidden files. I found most of them to be 0 size files on my Windows computer.

Index.dat file reader or viewer

You can employ freewareIndex.dat Suite or Index.dat Scanner to view the alphabetize.dat file in Windows 7 or earlier. Just y'all will not exist able to use these freeware on Windows 11/10/8, for reasons explained above.

Windows 7, Windows Vista users can download and use the 60KB freeware here. Information technology promises to be quite a revealing experience!

Delete Alphabetize.dat file

Over a catamenia of time, the Index.dat file in the History folder – and other folders too – could go very large. You cannot delete it or resize it using congenital-in options. Even if you clear the Internet Explorer History past clicking the Clear History push, the size of the Alphabetize.dat file will non change. Nor will changing the Days to continue pages in history value to 0 modify its size. You lot will have to delete it.

To protect your privacy, you may wish to remove it, but its removal is difficult, and the transmission removal process is deadening. Y'all tin can instead use a adept cleaner like freeware CCleaner to remove the file. After you delete or erase the alphabetize.dat file, Internet Explorer will create a new empty index.dat file on reboot.

Go here to find some interesting facts nearly Temporary Files.

Looking to learn more about other files or file types or file formats in Windows? Check these links:

Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a ten-year Microsoft MVP (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP. Please read the entire mail service & the comments first, create a Arrangement Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any third-party offers while installing freeware.