Temporary file
From Free net encyclopedia
A temporary file is a computer file used to store information for a short time; the file is then deleted after its use. They are often stored in a temporary folder and/or with the .TMP file extension.
Temporary files are usually created by applications that need to store information that is either too big for storage in RAM or that needs to be saved in non-volatile memory (such as a hard drive). An example of data requiring non-volatile storage would be any data needed after a computer reboots, since after this data would be lost if it were stored in the RAM memory.
Microsoft Windows - Windows uses many temp files to store data about the history of users internet and settings. The most common files associated with Windows temporary files are index.dat and the entire Cookies folder under "Documents and Settings" that stores HTTP cookies.
