Improper garbage collection in SquirrelTemp on Windows

[ashthespy]

Was looking at my SquirrelTemp folder on Windows, and was surprised to see ~900MB of files from leftover atom installations.

I see some other issues(#1195, #577) related to this but should it be Squirrel, the application's or the users's responsibility to clear out failed/old installations?

PS: Cross ref: atom/atom#16883

Additional Information

Contents of `AppData/Local/SquirrelTemp`

.
├── SquirrelSetup.log
├── tempa
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   └── lib
│       └── net45
│           ├── atom.exe.bsdiff
│           ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.diff
│           ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.shasum
│           ├── atom.exe.diff
│           ├── atom.exe.shasum
│           ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│           ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│           ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│           ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│           ├── content_shell.pak.diff
│           ├── content_shell.pak.shasum
│           ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.diff
│           ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.shasum
│           ├── ffmpeg.dll.diff
│           ├── ffmpeg.dll.shasum
│           ├── icudtl.dat.diff
│           ├── icudtl.dat.shasum
│           ├── libEGL.dll.diff
│           ├── libEGL.dll.shasum
│           ├── libGLESv2.dll.diff
│           ├── libGLESv2.dll.shasum
│           ├── LICENSE.diff
│           ├── LICENSE.shasum
│           ├── locales
│           ├── natives_blob.bin.diff
│           ├── natives_blob.bin.shasum
│           ├── node.dll.diff
│           ├── node.dll.shasum
│           ├── resources
│           ├── snapshot_blob.bin.diff
│           ├── snapshot_blob.bin.shasum
│           ├── squirrel.exe.diff
│           ├── squirrel.exe.shasum
│           ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│           ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│           ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│           ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│           ├── xinput1_3.dll.diff
│           └── xinput1_3.dll.shasum
├── tempb
├── tempc
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   ├── lib
│   │   └── net45
│   │       ├── atom.exe.bsdiff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── atom.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.diff
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.diff
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.diff
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.shasum
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── LICENSE.diff
│   │       ├── LICENSE.shasum
│   │       ├── locales
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── node.dll.diff
│   │       ├── node.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── resources
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.bsdiff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.diff
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── xinput1_3.dll.diff
│   │       └── xinput1_3.dll.shasum
│   ├── package
│   │   └── services
│   │       └── metadata
│   └── _rels
├── tempd
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   └── lib
│       └── net45
│           ├── atom.exe
│           ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe
│           ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── content_shell.pak
│           ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll
│           ├── ffmpeg.dll
│           ├── icudtl.dat
│           ├── libEGL.dll
│           ├── libGLESv2.dll
│           ├── LICENSE
│           ├── locales
│           ├── natives_blob.bin
│           ├── node.dll
│           ├── resources
│           ├── snapshot_blob.bin
│           ├── squirrel.exe
│           ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak
│           └── xinput1_3.dll
├── tempe
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   ├── lib
│   │   └── net45
│   │       ├── atom.exe.bsdiff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── atom.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.diff
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.diff
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.diff
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.shasum
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── LICENSE.diff
│   │       ├── LICENSE.shasum
│   │       ├── locales
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── node.dll.diff
│   │       ├── node.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── resources
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.bsdiff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.diff
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── xinput1_3.dll.diff
│   │       └── xinput1_3.dll.shasum
│   ├── package
│   │   └── services
│   │       └── metadata
│   └── _rels
├── tempf
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   └── lib
│       └── net45
│           ├── atom.exe
│           ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe
│           ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── content_shell.pak
│           ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll
│           ├── ffmpeg.dll
│           ├── icudtl.dat
│           ├── libEGL.dll
│           ├── libGLESv2.dll
│           ├── LICENSE
│           ├── locales
│           ├── natives_blob.bin
│           ├── node.dll
│           ├── resources
│           ├── snapshot_blob.bin
│           ├── squirrel.exe
│           ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak
│           ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak
│           └── xinput1_3.dll
├── tempg
│   ├── atom.nuspec
│   ├── [Content_Types].xml
│   ├── lib
│   │   └── net45
│   │       ├── atom.exe.bsdiff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── atom.exe.diff
│   │       ├── atom.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.diff
│   │       ├── content_shell.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.diff
│   │       ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.diff
│   │       ├── ffmpeg.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.diff
│   │       ├── icudtl.dat.shasum
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libEGL.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.diff
│   │       ├── libGLESv2.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── LICENSE.diff
│   │       ├── LICENSE.shasum
│   │       ├── locales
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── natives_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── node.dll.diff
│   │       ├── node.dll.shasum
│   │       ├── resources
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.bsdiff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.diff
│   │       ├── snapshot_blob.bin.shasum
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.diff
│   │       ├── squirrel.exe.shasum
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.diff
│   │       ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak.shasum
│   │       ├── xinput1_3.dll.diff
│   │       └── xinput1_3.dll.shasum
│   ├── package
│   │   └── services
│   │       └── metadata
│   └── _rels
└── temph
    ├── atom.nuspec
    ├── [Content_Types].xml
    └── lib
        └── net45
            ├── atom.exe
            ├── atom_ExecutionStub.exe
            ├── blink_image_resources_200_percent.pak
            ├── content_resources_200_percent.pak
            ├── content_shell.pak
            ├── d3dcompiler_47.dll
            ├── ffmpeg.dll
            ├── icudtl.dat
            ├── libEGL.dll
            ├── libGLESv2.dll
            ├── LICENSE
            ├── locales
            ├── natives_blob.bin
            ├── node.dll
            ├── resources
            ├── snapshot_blob.bin
            ├── squirrel.exe
            ├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak
            ├── views_resources_200_percent.pak
            └── xinput1_3.dll

48 directories, 220 files

[anaisbetts]

This probably means Squirrel crashed or was killed halfway through updates, you can clean this manually.

[lainverse]

Shouldn't it clean that folder up after itself on the next run? I just found ~2 Gb there when were looking for a free space on my system drive.

[igitthatalot]

Hi can you please fix your installer? i dont know exactly why you need to create so many temp files, but if i have a machine with 43 users logged into it and they each have 2gb temp files, well now the disk is full. I am seeing this all over the company lately. I see references to slack, microsoft teams, etc.

Not sure what exactly squirreltemp is, but it obviously has a bug. i have the same problem that i have tempa tempb etc... I would disagree that the folder "cleans itself up" but can you tell me how to trigger that please?
I am attaching an example logfile.

SquirrelSetup.log

[denised]

I was just looking for stuff to delete on my full C: drive and discovered 4.6 GB in the SquirrelTemp folder, with creation dates spanning years. I am an end user, I'd never even heard of SquirrelTemp --- I don't consider this an acceptable situation. The very least you could do would be to put a file at the top level of the folder informing people who stumble across it that they can safely delete everything within. But really there should be some sort of automatic cleanup.

[anaisbetts]

@denised SquirrelTemp is cleaned by default, if you're seeing things accumulate there it's because Something Went Wrong.

Squirrel can't automatically delete this folder because Squirrel is a library and more than one app on your computer uses Squirrel - they don't know about each other. If you have both Slack and Teams, and Slack is busy updating and Teams decided to say "Oh time to blindly clean up SquirrelTemp!", it would be Bad

Putting a "README.txt" file in the root isn't a bad idea though, you should submit a PR to do something to this effect.

[denised]

@anaisbetts Thanks for the quick reply! OK, too bad I didn't save some of the files to see what went wrong --- if more accumulate, I'll take a look. Then I can go pester the offending software package instead :-)
I will take you up on the PR.