my temp directory is not C:\TEMP , i changed it long ago, but after installing avast! more than a few times daily its recreated… i’m pretty sure its avast! creating it, i forget how to tell what app has created what directory (that would be helpful as well)
regardless, how can i make sure avast uses the proper temp directory?
I thought avast used the Temp folder that is in your system variables ???
it should, how can i tell what program might be creating it, if its not avast? 
i just noticed it started to appear after avast install, and avast is basically the only thing running, yes even in the background
Well even if avast uses the Windows\Temp folder it creates its own sub-folder, avast4 so if that is present, again it only uses it to extract files from archives to be scanned and once complete it should clears up after itself, removing the unpacked scanned files (named unp99999999.tmp, the 9999 bit represents a sequence of numeric characters).
So where is the avast4 folder located on your system ?
If it isn’t avast I have no idea what might be using it.
yeah, it looks like “avast4” is in the right spot, i guess its not avast.
have any idea of a program that monitors directory creation?
(update: later discovered to actually be avast causing the issue)
What files/folders are in the TEMP folder?
probably its something common for a special program…
empty, every time i check, i have it set to view hidden files as well… nothing ever in there
Difficult to find if the program concerned just dumps the files in the root of the Temp folder and doesn’t create its own sub-folder.
The only clue you might have is if you google some of the file names or the file type being associate with a particular program. It is I would say highly unusual to have to set it to view hidden files as the Temp folder in Windows isn’t/shouldn’t be a hidden folder. Once you set view hidden files and folders (see image), etc. you shouldn’t have to subsequently keep setting it so there is something else going on.
You can Edit you Topic title now that we have established that avast isn’t the culprit ;D
Click the Modify button in your first post and change the Title to better reflect the problem, now we know it isn’t avast at fault.
no no, i’ve set it in Explorer to view hidden files/folders/protected system files etc … the TEMP folder being created is not hidden (not marked hidden) and there seems to be nothing created inside when it is created
so, nothing out of the ordinary going on, just C:\TEMP being created for a reason i can’t see yet
Why don’t you leave it there but set it to write protected, e.g. Read only.
See if that doesn’t trip up what is creating it and have it throw up an error.
not sure if that will work actually… its already set read only, for the files in the folder, don’t see an option to set the folder itself as read only
Then al I can suggest is see if you can bump up the security settings, (file Properties, Security tab, Advanced button) and either edit the User permissions, or set a Specific Owner, which ‘may’ block writing/adding to that folder. There is also the Effective Permissions, which can be further tweaked. Unfortunately I have never tried any of this, so I don’t know if it would work.
Unfortunately I don’t have any other ideas to track down what may be creating this folder, why it isn’t subsequently removed and why there are no files in it when you check…
Well, I’m not that self-confident… avast uses the system temporary folder.
trying to track it down now with Process Monitor 
Good luck.
looks like avast was the issue, any idea why its doing that when C:TEMP is not my temp dir?
right click view image to see full size
Do you have the %TEMP% / %TMP% environment variables set correctly? (i.e. set, and pointing to an existing folder)
see above Files/Garbage/TEMP
and TMP is there too
all seems correct under system enviroment settings
its where i found the folder mentioned earlier C:\Files\Garbage_avast4_ … and some files outside that folder for avast
The avast team generously allowed an override for the use of temporary space some years ago and have maintained it.
If you wish avast to use something other than the default temporary Windows disk space assignment (and yes, there are very good reasons for some of us to do so) then you may create the the registry key highlighted in the image below (click on the image to expand it). If you choose to do so please take care in creating the registry key.
thanks 