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Many files with ~ at the end, example: abc.dll~CT78FMF6

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System: Dell Precision Notebook, Windows 7 Prof 64bit, latest updates, True Image 2016 latest update, Build 6595

Hi,

on my system partition there are thousands of file duplicates with the same size and same date like:

DellSystemDetectLauncher.exe (408 KB)

DellSystemDetectLauncher.exe~AVRR49EB (408 KB)

DellSystemDetectLauncher.exe~CT78FMF6 (408 KB)

or

precision-m4600_service manual_de-de.pdf (30.702 KB)

precision-m4600_service manual_de-de.pdf~CHCCVUO5 (30.702 KB)

Nearly every folder contains these duplicates.

I think I remember that these were left over after a crashed full image recovery (not started from recovery CD as recommended, but directly within TI from a separate local partition, no idea why this crashed).

I do have an full image back-up that does not contain these files from some weeks ago, but it contains a severe system bug, therefore to recover from that is not an option.

Every new full image backup on the external disc drive now contains these files.

My question: Can I delete these files (del *.*~*) from the system partition without damaging my system or what would you recommend how to go forward?

I really need help and appreciate any advice very much.

Regards

Bodo

0 Users found this helpful

Bodo, welcome to these user forums.

I have seen previous reports of similar temporary files caused by an incomplete restore operation, so the key question is to ask if your system is working OK as it is now with these files present?

If it is working OK, then my personal recommendation would be to move those temporary files to another drive rather than deleting them immediately, that way you would have a way of recovering any that may be needed if a further problem arises.

Another option you could try is setting an exclusion for these files in your backup task using *.*~* then check the backup to make sure they were excluded.

Steve, thanks for your recommendation. The system is currently working OK with all these files present.

Can you please give me instructions how to exclude files from backup.

Am I right:

- first generate a full image back-up including these files

- exclude the files from full image back-up and perform another (separate) back-up

- restore the 2nd back-up and check if the system works OK

- if not, go back to the 1st back-up

Thanks and best regards

Bodo (sorry for non-perfect English, I am from Germany)

 

Bodo, if your system is working OK at present, then there shouldn't be a need to do the steps you listed (i.e. backup with these files excluded then restore that back again).

From your initial post, you already have a backup that contains these ~files, plus have an earlier backup from before they were introduced, so you could recover specific files from that if needed.

I did a quick test on my own Windows 10 system as below and this showed that there are also legitimate Windows files that may be found by using *.*~* - so this may be a slower process to remove all these files!

C:\>dir *.*~* /s
 Volume in drive C is Windows10
 Volume Serial Number is 129D-4BF0

 Directory of C:\ProgramData\VMware

28/06/2017  17:10               581 vmnetdhcp.leases~
               1 File(s)            581 bytes

 Directory of C:\Users\All Users\VMware

28/06/2017  17:10               581 vmnetdhcp.leases~
               1 File(s)            581 bytes

 Directory of C:\Users\smiths\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

12/06/2017  15:20         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF112e8f.TMP
13/06/2017  16:12         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF13dbcd.TMP
11/06/2017  21:43         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF15c29f1.TMP
10/06/2017  14:28         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF17dd8e.TMP
22/06/2017  19:58         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF1a9f3f.TMP
09/06/2017  19:40         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF269225.TMP
10/06/2017  11:05         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF270d8f.TMP
17/06/2017  19:49         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF281f0e.TMP
29/06/2017  15:40         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF2e18b8.TMP
12/06/2017  09:18         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF3c505e.TMP
14/06/2017  19:41         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF4870bd.TMP
23/06/2017  15:25         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF66cbeb.TMP
20/06/2017  14:40         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RF9ffb52.TMP
24/06/2017  14:22         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFa9876.TMP
21/06/2017  17:15         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFa9e8b4.TMP
18/06/2017  12:57         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFb4b0d.TMP
09/06/2017  16:51         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFbd2bb.TMP
08/06/2017  17:16         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFbe27a0.TMP
25/06/2017  13:24         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFc0bcd.TMP
11/06/2017  15:36         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFcd1ad.TMP
15/06/2017  15:54         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFda9ae.TMP
27/06/2017  16:58         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFdbb30a.TMP
19/06/2017  18:12         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFde909.TMP
28/06/2017  17:18         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFf484a.TMP
16/06/2017  10:38         1,048,576 CrashpadMetrics.pma~RFfbadb.TMP
              25 File(s)     26,214,400 bytes

 Directory of C:\Windows\servicing\Packages

16/07/2016  10:36             9,408 Microsoft-Windows-NetFx-AutoNgenEnable.3.5~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  06:59             1,167 Microsoft-Windows-NetFx-AutoNgenEnable.3.5~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.mum
16/07/2016  10:33             9,408 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:16             1,423 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.mum
16/07/2016  10:27             9,218 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  06:58             1,200 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.mum
16/07/2016  10:33             9,409 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:16             1,427 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.mum
16/07/2016  10:27             9,221 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  06:57             1,200 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.mum
              10 File(s)         53,081 bytes

 Directory of C:\Windows\System32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}

16/07/2016  10:36             9,408 Microsoft-Windows-NetFx-AutoNgenEnable.3.5~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:33             9,408 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:27             9,218 Server-Help-Package.ClientEnterprise~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:33             9,409 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~10.0.14393.0.cat
16/07/2016  10:27             9,221 Server-Help-Package.ClientProfessional~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.cat
               5 File(s)         46,664 bytes

     Total Files Listed:
              42 File(s)     26,315,307 bytes
               0 Dir(s)  38,293,544,960 bytes free

You may need to experiment with doing a similar listing ( dir *.*~* /s ) starting from different directories, i.e. do this from C:\Program Files to see how many files are found in that folder path (including subfolders).  Repeat for other folders, so that you can identify what is safe to move or delete and what should be left alone?

Bodo, after a little more thought and testing, you can use a different search string:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.14393]
(c) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>cd\

C:\>dir *.???~???????? /s
 Volume in drive C is Windows10
 Volume Serial Number is 129D-4BF0
File Not Found

Using wildcards: dir *.???~???????? /s  this should only match with the unwanted temporary files leftover from the failed restore.  The /s is to search in subfolders.