Why does my Temp folder keep filling with WAV files from ZIP archives?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
My Windows Temp folder has filled up with more than 100 GB of seemingly random WAV files several times over the past four months. The files appear inside directories with names similar to `ea085d49-f20f-49c3-a3f4-eee6d75f05a9_FOLDER.zip.5a9`, and each directory usually contains one WAV file. Most of the source ZIP archives seem to be stored in my music folder, although that folder is located on a different drive. I also have a backup of the music files on an external hard drive, which might be involved. Sorting Temp by modification date shows the files being created sequentially from the same groups of ZIP archives. I can delete them manually, but they eventually return and fill my system drive. What application or process could be extracting these archives, and how can I identify and stop it?
Answers
Opening or scanning a ZIP archive can create temporary extraction folders, and those files are not always removed if the application crashes or treats the archive as a playable library item. Windows cleanup tools can remove leftover files, but they will not prevent the responsible program from creating them again. After cleaning up, restart Windows and check which applications have access to the music and external-backup locations.
Reply to this answer
You can identify the process instead of guessing. Use Windows Resource Monitor or Microsoft Sysinternals Process Monitor and filter file activity for the Temp directory, especially operations that create or write `.wav` files. The process name and command line should reveal which application is unpacking the archives. Once identified, change its library settings, exclude the archive folder, or uninstall it if necessary.
Reply to this answer
A music-related application is the most likely cause. A media player, library manager, indexing tool, backup utility, or audio-analysis program may be scanning the music folder and extracting WAV files from ZIP archives so it can inspect or play them. Check recently updated music and backup software, and temporarily disable automatic library scanning to see whether the behavior stops.
Reply to this answer
Add your answer
Answers are reviewed before publication.
MellowCedar42: That sounds more useful than repeatedly cleaning the folder. I’ll monitor the Temp directory while the files are being created so I can catch the responsible process.