URGENT UPDATE FOR OS 9 Users!

There appears to be a bug in OS 9.0 that prevents invisible temporary files from being deleted properly after an application crash and subsequent Restart of the Mac.

Discussion

Many applications, like Photoshop, MS Word and others, will create an invisible temporary file each time you create a new file, or make a modification to an existing file, and this file remains invisible on your disk until you do a 'Save', or 'Save as...'. Then, each time you modify that file again, the application will create a new temporary file, where your seemingly unsaved work resides until you approve it (Save it).

Normally, when an application crashes, it will leave behind these invisible temporary files, which the Mac will then move to the Trash at either Shutdown or Startup. If the Mac crashes too, it will normally find those unused files at Startup, and move them to a folder in the Trash called 'Rescued Items From [volume name]'.

If you know what applications you were using when you crashed, for example, Photoshop, you can often open these files again in the parent application and salvage some of your "unsaved" work.

The Bug

Apparently, something is broken in Finder 9.0, which would normally move the unused files to the Trash in the 'Rescued Items' folder. Without this important feature, many users are experiencing a buildup of these dead files, and thus, in some cases, a tremendous loss of available disk space.

At first, we had trouble duplicating the problems, and it seemed tied into those who were also using TechTool Pro's TrashCache feature, or Norton FileSaver, but now it appears to be noncontingent on any third party parts, and can happen to just about anyone under any configuration.

Solution

Of course, the obvious solution needs to come from Apple, and with any luck, they already know about it and it will be a part of Minuet (OS 9.0.1) due to be released any day now.

Until then, you can use some handy freeware written by some cool MacDudes, found at the links below.

You can also just boot from an OS 8.x CD or volume once in awhile, too, any dead files should move to the Trash properly. G4 and some iMac/iBook owners might be the only ones who can't use this method, if your Mac shipped with an OS 9 CD.

Conclusion

You can read more about it at a Mac News Network Special Report, and then remove these unused files using the applications listed below.

We'll be writing a more in depth article in the coming days, explaining more about the bug, and lots more about applications, and how they create and use invisible temp files.

A special Thanks to John Schilling of StimpSoft, who patiently and diligently killed all the bugs we found in the early releases.

Utilities

AutoPurge v2.x (best choice) A free, automatic utility that moves dead files from all volumes at Restart to the Trash for inspection. This is how the Finder is supposed to work, and now version 2.0 will create a containing folder called 'Rescued Items'.

EmptyTempFolder v1.x: (great inspection and learning tool) Essentially the same thing as AutoPurge, except that it allows you to inspect each mounted volume separately and choose which files to zap. This is an excellent tool for learning how and where each of your applications creates invisible temporary files.

Eradicator 1.2 : Another utility for manually zapping dead files.

Article created on: 14 December 99
Article last revised on: 24 January 2000
Author: Frederico
Editor: WebClub '00

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