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How to make Firefox internet temp files write to second HD only

  • 5 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

Duckman
Duckman
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Hi there,

My new PC has a SSD as the primary HD and a conventional HDD drive as the secondary HD, what I need to know is how do you set up Firefox so that all the internet temp files write to the secondary HD only, I don't want temp files to be written to the primary SSD at all, I just want that drive for the Windows 7 operation system + programs and nothing else, by doing this I hope to extend the life of the SSD as well.

Can you please help with any information to help me do this.

Thanks, Stuart

Hi there, My new PC has a SSD as the primary HD and a conventional HDD drive as the secondary HD, what I need to know is how do you set up Firefox so that all the internet temp files write to the secondary HD only, I don't want temp files to be written to the primary SSD at all, I just want that drive for the Windows 7 operation system + programs and nothing else, by doing this I hope to extend the life of the SSD as well. Can you please help with any information to help me do this. Thanks, Stuart

All Replies (5)

cor-el
cor-el
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  • Top 10 Contributor
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You need to set the %TMP% and %TEMP% environment variables to that folder on the second HD drive.

  • Control Panel > System > Advanced > Environment variables
  • Right-click My Computer > Properties > Advanced > Environment variables
Duckman
Duckman Question owner
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Hi again,

There were no TMP or TEMP folders on my second HDD, so I created them and edited the settings in My Computer > Properties > Advanced > Environment variables to point to the new folder, but I don't think it worked, after browsing in Firefox for a while there are no new files going into this new folder that I created.

Please see the attached screen dump jpeg

Any ideas?

Stuart

cor-el
cor-el
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I see two sets (system and user) that have the TMP and TEMP environment variables.

Which one should Firefox use?

You will have to remove the other set and make sure that the specified folder exists.

Modified by cor-el

Duckman
Duckman Question owner
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Why are you asking me Which one should Firefox use? how would I know? that's why I'm asking these questions in the first place, Also, I think your answers are a little bit over simplified, you say what to do, but not really how to actually do it. can you dumb in down a bit more and explain in much more detail how to do it, I'm sure I couldn't be the only person asking this sort of question with a lot more people using SSD as primary HD these days. I originally thought that you would have to change something in the Firefox folder or in the Firefox browser settings.

cor-el
cor-el
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You obviously want to have the temp folder on a specific drive.

Is that the one that you created as S:\Windows\TEMP or is this your SSD system drive?

If you have created a folder for the TEMP files on another drive then modify both sets and set all TMP an TEMP variables to this second drive.

Firefox will only use the environment variable to check where to store those files.