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What are these files in my Windows 7 user folder for, and are they necessary to keep?
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I have the following files in my user folder:
Although the files are system files, I'm constantly seeing them because I'm used to browsing Explorer with system files shown for the greater level of knowledge and control that it gives me over the OS. In the many years that I've used Windows 7 like this, I don't ever recall seeing so many system files in this folder.
I understand that ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.LOG1 are, respectively, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive and the log for that hive, which explains the very recent timestamp of both files. However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago, and at least one is a 0-byte file. Despite this, trying to delete any of them brings up a dialogue claiming System has a lock on them:
I'd like to either remove these 4 files to get rid of the clutter in my user folder, or otherwise understand why I've never seen them before, and what purpose they're actually serving.
Update
Taking into account answers and comments that claim these files are simply registry transaction files that have likely been merged into the Registry and simply failed deletion, I proceeded to try to remove these files from my system using Unlocker 1.9.2, a utility I've used for years successfully for similar purposes. Unlocker warned that it would only be able to delete the files on the next boot. After rebooting the PC, I've found that Unlocker did indeed delete the files, but the files were simply regenerated in their original sizes (note the updated timestamps):
In other words, it seems that there's a lot more to these files than them being registry changes that have already been pushed to the registry. Perhaps a problem caused them to fail to merge with the registry, and as a result the system has left them in a limbo state as files that can't be merged or, or perhaps something else entirely is at play.
windows-7 windows windows-registry user-profiles user-folders
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I have the following files in my user folder:
Although the files are system files, I'm constantly seeing them because I'm used to browsing Explorer with system files shown for the greater level of knowledge and control that it gives me over the OS. In the many years that I've used Windows 7 like this, I don't ever recall seeing so many system files in this folder.
I understand that ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.LOG1 are, respectively, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive and the log for that hive, which explains the very recent timestamp of both files. However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago, and at least one is a 0-byte file. Despite this, trying to delete any of them brings up a dialogue claiming System has a lock on them:
I'd like to either remove these 4 files to get rid of the clutter in my user folder, or otherwise understand why I've never seen them before, and what purpose they're actually serving.
Update
Taking into account answers and comments that claim these files are simply registry transaction files that have likely been merged into the Registry and simply failed deletion, I proceeded to try to remove these files from my system using Unlocker 1.9.2, a utility I've used for years successfully for similar purposes. Unlocker warned that it would only be able to delete the files on the next boot. After rebooting the PC, I've found that Unlocker did indeed delete the files, but the files were simply regenerated in their original sizes (note the updated timestamps):
In other words, it seems that there's a lot more to these files than them being registry changes that have already been pushed to the registry. Perhaps a problem caused them to fail to merge with the registry, and as a result the system has left them in a limbo state as files that can't be merged or, or perhaps something else entirely is at play.
windows-7 windows windows-registry user-profiles user-folders
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I have the following files in my user folder:
Although the files are system files, I'm constantly seeing them because I'm used to browsing Explorer with system files shown for the greater level of knowledge and control that it gives me over the OS. In the many years that I've used Windows 7 like this, I don't ever recall seeing so many system files in this folder.
I understand that ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.LOG1 are, respectively, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive and the log for that hive, which explains the very recent timestamp of both files. However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago, and at least one is a 0-byte file. Despite this, trying to delete any of them brings up a dialogue claiming System has a lock on them:
I'd like to either remove these 4 files to get rid of the clutter in my user folder, or otherwise understand why I've never seen them before, and what purpose they're actually serving.
Update
Taking into account answers and comments that claim these files are simply registry transaction files that have likely been merged into the Registry and simply failed deletion, I proceeded to try to remove these files from my system using Unlocker 1.9.2, a utility I've used for years successfully for similar purposes. Unlocker warned that it would only be able to delete the files on the next boot. After rebooting the PC, I've found that Unlocker did indeed delete the files, but the files were simply regenerated in their original sizes (note the updated timestamps):
In other words, it seems that there's a lot more to these files than them being registry changes that have already been pushed to the registry. Perhaps a problem caused them to fail to merge with the registry, and as a result the system has left them in a limbo state as files that can't be merged or, or perhaps something else entirely is at play.
windows-7 windows windows-registry user-profiles user-folders
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
I have the following files in my user folder:
Although the files are system files, I'm constantly seeing them because I'm used to browsing Explorer with system files shown for the greater level of knowledge and control that it gives me over the OS. In the many years that I've used Windows 7 like this, I don't ever recall seeing so many system files in this folder.
I understand that ntuser.dat and ntuser.dat.LOG1 are, respectively, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive and the log for that hive, which explains the very recent timestamp of both files. However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago, and at least one is a 0-byte file. Despite this, trying to delete any of them brings up a dialogue claiming System has a lock on them:
I'd like to either remove these 4 files to get rid of the clutter in my user folder, or otherwise understand why I've never seen them before, and what purpose they're actually serving.
Update
Taking into account answers and comments that claim these files are simply registry transaction files that have likely been merged into the Registry and simply failed deletion, I proceeded to try to remove these files from my system using Unlocker 1.9.2, a utility I've used for years successfully for similar purposes. Unlocker warned that it would only be able to delete the files on the next boot. After rebooting the PC, I've found that Unlocker did indeed delete the files, but the files were simply regenerated in their original sizes (note the updated timestamps):
In other words, it seems that there's a lot more to these files than them being registry changes that have already been pushed to the registry. Perhaps a problem caused them to fail to merge with the registry, and as a result the system has left them in a limbo state as files that can't be merged or, or perhaps something else entirely is at play.
windows-7 windows windows-registry user-profiles user-folders
windows-7 windows windows-registry user-profiles user-folders
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
edited 19 mins ago
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
2,52662751
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
6
down vote
However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file, and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago.
The *.regtrans-ms contains write and read transactions changes made to NTUSER.DAT. Since those changes have already been applied to the registry these files can be safely removed.
The *.LOG2 file was created due to *.LOG1 already existing more than likely. The *.blf file contains metadata that is used to manage access to the log data contained within *.Log1. The other files are logs of changes, they can be removed, but will be created again if they are needed.
They're not backups of registry changes, actually, they're what changes to the registry are before they become changes to the registry.
As a protection against registry corruption, which used to be a fairly common, and very nasty problem in Windows, what newer versions of Windows do when a change to the registry is requested, is write the requested change to a file before doing anything.
Once Windows has determined that it's "safe" to write the change to registry, it does so, and following that, it will then verify that the change has been made, at which time it will delete the file and move onto other OS tasks. When something in this process fails, you end up amassing these files.
Once you're done analyzing them, any of these .blf or .regtrans-ms files that were created prior to the last system boot can be safely deleted. There's no way they will (or should) be written to the registry, so they're junk.
Source: NTUSER.DAT and UsrClass.dat files building up by the thousands, why and can I delete?
Eventually, these files might be created again, if everything works right, they are deleted after the changes are applied and verified. Any number of things could have caused the cleanup to fail, you likely will have to use your favorite third-party program, to kill the handle so you can delete the files.
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
6
down vote
However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file, and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago.
The *.regtrans-ms contains write and read transactions changes made to NTUSER.DAT. Since those changes have already been applied to the registry these files can be safely removed.
The *.LOG2 file was created due to *.LOG1 already existing more than likely. The *.blf file contains metadata that is used to manage access to the log data contained within *.Log1. The other files are logs of changes, they can be removed, but will be created again if they are needed.
They're not backups of registry changes, actually, they're what changes to the registry are before they become changes to the registry.
As a protection against registry corruption, which used to be a fairly common, and very nasty problem in Windows, what newer versions of Windows do when a change to the registry is requested, is write the requested change to a file before doing anything.
Once Windows has determined that it's "safe" to write the change to registry, it does so, and following that, it will then verify that the change has been made, at which time it will delete the file and move onto other OS tasks. When something in this process fails, you end up amassing these files.
Once you're done analyzing them, any of these .blf or .regtrans-ms files that were created prior to the last system boot can be safely deleted. There's no way they will (or should) be written to the registry, so they're junk.
Source: NTUSER.DAT and UsrClass.dat files building up by the thousands, why and can I delete?
Eventually, these files might be created again, if everything works right, they are deleted after the changes are applied and verified. Any number of things could have caused the cleanup to fail, you likely will have to use your favorite third-party program, to kill the handle so you can delete the files.
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file, and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago.
The *.regtrans-ms contains write and read transactions changes made to NTUSER.DAT. Since those changes have already been applied to the registry these files can be safely removed.
The *.LOG2 file was created due to *.LOG1 already existing more than likely. The *.blf file contains metadata that is used to manage access to the log data contained within *.Log1. The other files are logs of changes, they can be removed, but will be created again if they are needed.
They're not backups of registry changes, actually, they're what changes to the registry are before they become changes to the registry.
As a protection against registry corruption, which used to be a fairly common, and very nasty problem in Windows, what newer versions of Windows do when a change to the registry is requested, is write the requested change to a file before doing anything.
Once Windows has determined that it's "safe" to write the change to registry, it does so, and following that, it will then verify that the change has been made, at which time it will delete the file and move onto other OS tasks. When something in this process fails, you end up amassing these files.
Once you're done analyzing them, any of these .blf or .regtrans-ms files that were created prior to the last system boot can be safely deleted. There's no way they will (or should) be written to the registry, so they're junk.
Source: NTUSER.DAT and UsrClass.dat files building up by the thousands, why and can I delete?
Eventually, these files might be created again, if everything works right, they are deleted after the changes are applied and verified. Any number of things could have caused the cleanup to fail, you likely will have to use your favorite third-party program, to kill the handle so you can delete the files.
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
up vote
6
down vote
However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file, and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago.
The *.regtrans-ms contains write and read transactions changes made to NTUSER.DAT. Since those changes have already been applied to the registry these files can be safely removed.
The *.LOG2 file was created due to *.LOG1 already existing more than likely. The *.blf file contains metadata that is used to manage access to the log data contained within *.Log1. The other files are logs of changes, they can be removed, but will be created again if they are needed.
They're not backups of registry changes, actually, they're what changes to the registry are before they become changes to the registry.
As a protection against registry corruption, which used to be a fairly common, and very nasty problem in Windows, what newer versions of Windows do when a change to the registry is requested, is write the requested change to a file before doing anything.
Once Windows has determined that it's "safe" to write the change to registry, it does so, and following that, it will then verify that the change has been made, at which time it will delete the file and move onto other OS tasks. When something in this process fails, you end up amassing these files.
Once you're done analyzing them, any of these .blf or .regtrans-ms files that were created prior to the last system boot can be safely deleted. There's no way they will (or should) be written to the registry, so they're junk.
Source: NTUSER.DAT and UsrClass.dat files building up by the thousands, why and can I delete?
Eventually, these files might be created again, if everything works right, they are deleted after the changes are applied and verified. Any number of things could have caused the cleanup to fail, you likely will have to use your favorite third-party program, to kill the handle so you can delete the files.
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
However, the other four files in the folder (two .regtrans-ms files, one .blf file, and one .LOG2 file) were all last modified over 6 months ago.
The *.regtrans-ms contains write and read transactions changes made to NTUSER.DAT. Since those changes have already been applied to the registry these files can be safely removed.
The *.LOG2 file was created due to *.LOG1 already existing more than likely. The *.blf file contains metadata that is used to manage access to the log data contained within *.Log1. The other files are logs of changes, they can be removed, but will be created again if they are needed.
They're not backups of registry changes, actually, they're what changes to the registry are before they become changes to the registry.
As a protection against registry corruption, which used to be a fairly common, and very nasty problem in Windows, what newer versions of Windows do when a change to the registry is requested, is write the requested change to a file before doing anything.
Once Windows has determined that it's "safe" to write the change to registry, it does so, and following that, it will then verify that the change has been made, at which time it will delete the file and move onto other OS tasks. When something in this process fails, you end up amassing these files.
Once you're done analyzing them, any of these .blf or .regtrans-ms files that were created prior to the last system boot can be safely deleted. There's no way they will (or should) be written to the registry, so they're junk.
Source: NTUSER.DAT and UsrClass.dat files building up by the thousands, why and can I delete?
Eventually, these files might be created again, if everything works right, they are deleted after the changes are applied and verified. Any number of things could have caused the cleanup to fail, you likely will have to use your favorite third-party program, to kill the handle so you can delete the files.
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
edited 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,52662751
2,52662751
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
answered 3 hours ago
Ramhound
18.4k155978
18.4k155978
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
Just tried to delete these. See update in question.
– Hashim
27 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
@Hashim - My answer already explains that they could come back. I honestly feel I have answered your question as it was originally written. The contents of the logs files likely will explain what is going on.
– Ramhound
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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