How do you find a specific file on computer.

[styley]

This is following on from another post. Can anyone tell me how to find the specific file which is temporarily holding a video which I am viewing by streaming?

[Buenchico]

Run a search for *.* (which finds every file on your hard drive). Click on the 'modified' column heading until the most recent files are shown first. Look for a suitably large file in your browser's cache.

Here's how I save downloaded videos (from YouTube, etc) to my hard drive:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Inte rnet/Question452861.html

Chris

[gen2]

Are you using Windows Vista?


If so then you will first have to go into the menu Tools/Folder Options/View
Click on Show hidden files and folders
ALSO uncheck Hide protected Operating System Files


Now on your C: Drive you should go to


C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Low\Content.IE5
(insert your own username)


You won't be able to navigate there - you will have to type (or paste) it into top of the window yourself.


When you get there, sort the contents by date and open the folders (it calls them 'files') one at a time, sort by size and your file should be at the top in one of those folders,


I think the file will probably have the suffix .FLV (U-Tube Videos do). Copy it to a regular folder.


You can download free FLV players from the Internet.

[gen2]

Hi Chris,
Searching for *.* won't find these temp files in Vista which protects them and hides them away so the user thinks they don't exist. If you are using Vista, you should follow my method.

styley, If you are using an older version of Windows, then the method outlined by Chris/Buenchico, will work.

[Buenchico]

Perhaps a combination of approaches might help?

i.e. first uncheck 'Hide protected Operating System Files', then search for *.*

I'd be surprised if you find that the files have already got the FLV extension. They certainly don't appear with any extension on my PC and the instructions on Keepvid.com require you to add the extension when saving files via their site.

Chris

[styley]

Using XP. I'll try those suggestions thanks. Still, I'm not sure what I'll be looking for as in what will the name look like. If any of yous look back here any other details would be appreciated, thanks again.

[Buenchico]

My example, in the post I've linked to, isn't fictitious. I actually downloaded a file from Youtube to ensure that I gave a realistic example. (Not that it really helps much). So you're looking for something with a 'random' string of characters, such as 494FFDADd01.

Chris

[Buenchico]

PS: Keepvid automatically finds the file and enables you to rename it. (Remember to add the flv file extension as you do so):
http://keepvid.com/
(There's no software to download, so it's a very easy service to use).

If you're saving FLV files, remember that you can't play them in Windows Media Player. You need something like VLC or GOM:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

http://www.gomplayer.com/

Chris

[ACtheTROLL]

This definately works .... and may also help Palustris

download http://www.freecommander.com/fc_u3_en.htm

stick it in a folder and run
file | search ... you can enter date/time
on most systems C:\
or more specifically
C:\Documents and Settings\<yourname>
sort the results (I used size)
and find the file (mpg, avi, swf or whatever)

[ACtheTROLL]

that one's just for you heathcliffe ;-)

[gen2]

Buenchico, All I can say is that on my laptop running Windows Vista I have to do as I described to access video files in my Temporary Files Folder. The ones I recovered already had the .FLV suffix.

I think this is the site that gave me the info (about a month ago) to access these files:
http://www.pcmesh.com/windows-vista-index.dat- 1.htm