What are temporary files and why should I delete them?

Prism, like many other programs, creates some temporary files while it works. When Prism quits, it deletes any temporary files it created. But if Prism does not quit properly, those files may remain on your hard disk. Over time, many hundreds of files, created by many programs, can accumulate. When this happens, Windows acts strangely and programs can behave in unusual ways, and can even crash. To avoid this, you should periodically delete temporary files from your computer. Follow these steps:

The location of temporary files depends on which version of Windows you use:

• Windows 95 and 98 use C:\Windows\Temp
• NT4 uses C:\WinNT\Temp
• Windowx XP uses C:\Documents and settings\[user]\Local Settings\Temp

1. Close all the applications that you can.
2. Using the Windows Explorer or My Computer, delete all files in the temporary folder. The files created by Prism include the letters "pzt" in the file name, and end with the extension ".tmp". Don't confuse these with Prism templates which have the extension .pzt and are located outside the temporary folder. It is probably best to delete tempororary files created by other programs, too. It is best to not delete any temporary files created today. But if any files are currently in use by a program, Windows shouldn't (and usually doesn't) let you delete them.
3. When exporting graphs or layouts, Prism creates the temporary file tmpexprt.$$$ Search for this file and delete it.