Random pix in my computer files

[omni550]

I am running "Windows 7 Home Premium" on my desktop PC.

As I was searching for a certain digital photo in my files this morning, I noticed that there are TONS of all sorts of random images in "Pictures" on my computer. Many of these look like avatars or pix from facebook or some other random image that may have been on a site that I read. Some, when I click on them, don't even exhibit as images...just a lot of jumbled "geek speak" (alphanumeric commands and descriptions).

I certainly did not intentionally save these nor do I want them residing on my computer taking up space. Further, I'm perplexed as to how they got there in the first place.

I am wondering if there's some setting I need to change to get these images to not download onto my computer. Any ideas?

omni

 

[W2R]

I am not geeky enough to know why this happened, but if it was me the first thing I would do is download and run the free version of Malwarebytes.

 

[ChiliPepr]

what directory are they in? When browsers read a page they store all the images in a cache on your local disk so the next time you go to the page it loads faster. if the files are in a "system" directory, that is probably the case.

 

[omni550]

what directory are they in? When browsers read a page they store all the images in a cache on your local disk so the next time you go to the page it loads faster. if the files are in a "system" directory, that is probably the case.

C: --> Users --> (omni's computer) --> My Pictures

 

[ChiliPepr]

those are not system cache file...I am assuming you did not change your cache directory, so you should feel free to delete all you want. If they should up again, let me know what browser you are using and I will see if I can come up with any other ideas.

 

[Lsbcal]

You might look at the dates on these to get a hint as to their source. Perhaps you have an application that is saving these to that folder?

If they are recent, you might monitor when another shows up and the timing relative to your PC activities.

 

[omni550]

those are not system cache file...I am assuming you did not change your cache directory, so you should feel free to delete all you want. If they should up again, let me know what browser you are using and I will see if I can come up with any other ideas.

In true LBYM style, I purchased this PC as a "floor model" from Costco. I later added Windows 7.

I never (knowingly) changed any cache directories.

I am using Firefox.

omni

 

[target2019]

If you sort by date, files from a certain date group together. If they are saved seconds apart, it seems possible you saved a web page, and associated images are found there.

 

[target2019]

In true LBYM style, I purchased this PC as a "floor model" from Costco. I later added Windows 7.

I never (knowingly) changed any cache directories.

I am using Firefox.

omni

Create a new user, and begin from there. Delete previous user accounts after you are sure.

 

[rbmrtn]

check the time stamp on files to see when they were created. If they are recent and you didn't do it then some process is doing it for you. Do you have any screen saver or theme installed. Are you plugging in a usb device like a camera or something with pics on it ?

Monitor the folder with some software to check on new files created and try to correlate it something you are running. FolderChangesView - Monitor folder/drive/files changes on Windows

 

[omni550]

check the time stamp on files to see when they were created. If they are recent and you didn't do it then some process is doing it for you. Do you have any screen saver or theme installed. Are you plugging in a usb device like a camera or something with pics on it ?

Monitor the folder with some software to check on new files created and try to correlate it something you are running. FolderChangesView - Monitor folder/drive/files changes on Windows

I checked several random pix and they seem to have a very similar time "Tuesday, ‎September ‎03, ‎2013, ‏‎2:11:32 PM"...some had 2:11:33 or 2:11:34. Several pix had 2 or 3 copies. These are random avatars from facebook, the "a with a smiley" (3 copies thereof!) from amazon, etc.

I am not plugging in any usb with pics on it into the computer.

I will run the software at link you provided and see what happens. Thx.

omni

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I had a thought.

Do you have an Android phone? Do you 'synch' it with your PC?

I did that once. I got bits and pieces of images I had never seen before, both in the PC Pictures file and on the Galaxy 2s Gallery. Hard to get rid of on the phone.

 

[omni550]

I had a thought.

Do you have an Android phone? Do you 'synch' it with your PC?

I did that once. I got bits and pieces of images I had never seen before, both in the PC Pictures file and on the Galaxy 2s Gallery. Hard to get rid of on the phone.

I do have an Android phone.

I have my gmail account set up to sync with PC and smartphone.

I don't think I have anything else set up to sync. (I do email (to my gmail account) certain pix from my phone to get them into my PC.)

I'll poke around a bit on my phone and see if there are any random images there.

omni