temporary Internet files - technical definition

In a user's computer, a collection of the most recent Web pages and files downloaded from the Web. The files are stored in a folder that acts as a cache so that subsequent requests are retrieved from the local hard disk. When the user requests the same page again, a request is sent to the Web site for the date of the file. If the date is newer than the one stored locally, the page is downloaded. If it is the same, the page is read locally.

A storage setting determines how large the folder can grow. When the limit is reached, old files are discarded when new ones are added. In Windows Internet Explorer, the temporary files storage allocation can be found by going to the Tools menu and selecting Folder Options/Settings. See temporary file.