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Delete Remove Index.dat Files

Here's what you can do to automatically wipe out the index.dat files on a Windows 2000 Professional or a Windows XP Professional machine during each shutdown. This automatic method does not work on Windows XP Home edition.

Instructions for Windows XP Home users:

Windows XP Home users can delete the files manually.  Follow the instructions below to create the IndexDat.cmd file. Save the edited IndexDat.cmd file to your hard drive at the root of C:\. Reboot your PC and when your PC is just starting to bootup, you can keep tapping F8 until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use your arrow keys to choose "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" and press Enter. At the C:\ prompt type "C:\indexdat.cmd" without the quotes and press enter to run the IndexDat.cmd file. After the script has run, press Ctrl->Alt->Delete on your keyboard and select Shut Down->Restart to restart your PC.

Instructions for Windows 2000/XP Professional users:

Index.dat files keep a record of every website you have ever visited and the one in the Content.ie5 folder just keeps growing and growing. It's OK to delete the Index.dat files as windows will created new empty files after rebooting.

Open Notepad and type the following:

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\UserData\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\UserData\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Cookies\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat"

Del "C:\Documents and Settings\Local Service\Cookies\index.dat"

You can download this file by clicking HERE. Unzip it, right click the file and choose Edit from the menu to edit the file.

In this example, the username is Administrator. Replace Administrator with your username. You will need to add any additional users to the script.
Do not confuse All Users, Default User, LocalService or NetworkService as being users.

In notepad Save the file with the file name "IndexDat.cmd" (with the quotes). Your file should now be named IndexDat.cmd. It should not be named IndexDat.cmd.txt.

Copy the IndexDat.cmd file to the following folder:

C:\Winnt\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown

or

C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\Scripts\Shutdown

depending on where you operating system resides.

So IndexDat.cmd should now be in the Shutdown folder.

Now go to Start & Run and type in gpedit.msc and click OK. Open up Computer Configuration->Windows Settings->Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) and double click Shutdown. Click the Add button and browse to the IndexDat.cmd file in the Shutdown folder. Highlight the file, click Open and OK twice. Every time you shut your computer down, it will wipe out the index.dat files.

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Last modified: June 19, 2014