Killing .dat files help

[Dead_Duck]

Yes, I am a Win user.  I hope not to be insulted on this basis alone, but if that is the way it will be, let it be.

Anyway, I read the excellant article on this sight about Windoze truly hidden files.  I was already aware of index.dat and seemingly devious function and this inspired me to do some digging.
In the process I also found user.dat which seems to do a lot of the same thing.  I didn't see it in the article so I wanted to ask if there is any harm in deleting it's contents.  Also are there any other files I should watch out for?

I would also like to ask what is considered the best free firewall.  If anyone has a logical opinion on this I would love to hear it.  I have used both Tiny Personal Firewall and Zonealarm.  Both seem to have leaks.

Thanks in advance for helpful replies.  For insulting ones I can only say "Oh well,".

(Please note my suspicion of being flamed is not based on this board but on the attitude over the internet in general.  Please, don't take offense.)

[Master of Reality]

Zone Alarm is the best firewall for windows.
There might be harm in deleting other .dat files other than the one specified because it might be used for legitimate purposes and would crash your poor lil winders box

[Zootopia3000]

ZoneAlarm is a hog. Kerio works for me... http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_home.html .  :cool:

[zooloo]

I use ZoneAlarm and like it.

...er does it leak?????   :confused:

[beltorak0]

it probably leaks; but it's good for personal home use.  i forced my wife to use it when we got a static internet connection.

If you have any doubts about a file; make a boot disk; then rename the file.  see if anything goes wrong.  If it does, reboot with the boot disk, and rename it back.

-t.

[mobrien_12]

System.dat and user.dat are registry files.  Don't kill them.

[TB]

Lovely........so IE's data collecting/blatant outright spying is tied into the system registry?

I'm so glad I used IEradicator and made the switch to mozilla.

[Calum]

might be because iexplore has already been automatically removed in your linux OS...

as for zonealarm, yes it leaks and there are other better free ones, but i don't know or care what they are!  

[Calum]

quote:Originally posted by Dead_Duck:
Yes, I am a Win user.  I hope not to be insulted on this basis alone, but if that is the way it will be, let it be.

YAH! BOO! YOU SUCK!            

sorry, i couldn't help myself!