Websites Can't Save To Content.IE5 Folder

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

OS: XP SP2, all updates installed successfully through and including
11-Aug-2005

On 10-Aug-2005, I suddenly started having problems with the Content.IE5
folder.
This showed itself via certain IE sites and download attempts (e.g.,
downloading Community pictures from Webshots -- although this is only one
example) are unsuccessful. Every time an IE site tries to download to that
folder now, I receive an error similiar to this (actual) one that came from
Webshots:

"The data file could not be processed because of this error:
c:\documents and settings\bill\local settings\temporary internet
files\content.ie5\8p61s2v\photodownload[1].wbz
was not found."

Actions I have taken to attempt to figure out what is wrong and/or resolve
this include:

* Logged in as another user to see if Content.IE5 was even there. It is, but
it is completely empty.
* Logged in as user (w/admin rights) and checked Content.IE5 of all other
users. The folder is empty in all cases.
* Ran the following registry check/fix utilities: Ace Utilities and
Regseeker. Neither found anything unusual.
* Ran Ad-Aware. While it did find 5 tracking cookies, removal of them did
not resolve the issue.
* Ran Spybot. It found nothing.
* Ran Symantec Antivirus check. It found nothing.
* Started machine in Safe Mode, cleared out the TIF and Temporary folders,
then went to Control Panels | Internet Options | General | Delete Files and
checked the Delete all offline content box. Restarted, same problem.
* Performed a System Restore to a point about a week ago when I know this
problem did not exist. Problem not solved.
* I read in one thread in a forum that moving the TIF folder to another
location, then moving it back to the appropriate Local Settings folder would
cause Windows to recreate the folder and its required entries. I performed
the move out of the Local Settings folder and back into it, but I have had no
success with that, either.
* Just to be on the safe side, I uninstalled and reinstalled the Webshots
software. It did not resolve the problem. (Reminder: Webshots is an example
only; it is non-exclusive.)

I am completely baffled about what is going on and how to correct it. I
regularly (virtually every day) bathe my system, as it were, by running the
various clean-up tools of Ace Utilities and Regseeker, as well as by running
full scans with Ad-Aware and running Spybot -- something I have been doing
now for a couple of years without incident. In fact, today's running of
Ad-Aware -- which as mentioned earlier found 5 tracking cookies -- represnted
the first time it has ever found ANY problems since I started using it. (The
only thing I can think of is that I was Googling all over the internet last
night trying to find something ... anything ... that might help me with this
problem, and must have picked up these wayward tracking cookies somehow along
the way.) Anyhow, they're gone now.

Does anybody have any thoughts on what is going on and how to correct it? I
have been unable to find anything helpful scouring the KBs, and a search
through all the Windows forums here on "Content.IE5" found quite a few
postings, but none that indicated the poster was having the problem I am
having.

--
Bill F
Dont believe everything you think.