Material in C drive--unsure I want it

Run Windows 98SE on Dell dimension, OE6 IE6. When I save a message on OE, the machine at first wants to put it in one of several files with all sorts of odd names. Recent example, Slebs5qn. I have no idea what these files are, but on them I often see items I recognize.
Recently sent a long list to Recycle bin, now labelled Norton protected bin. Nothing bad happened to any of my systems. There were some 4,000 items on that list.
What do you think about emptying recycle bin? It does make me nervous.

 

I think you probably have a virus.

 

With these machines anything is possible; however I have the full set of Norton programs plus personal firewall, and Norton regularly identifies viruses in incoming material. Last scanned entire disk 3 weeks or so ago; this problem dates before then. Anything you'd do other than scan again for viruses?

 

What is the location of these strangely named folders? I assume that this is happening when you try File - Save As from within OE?

 

This material was located in Temp Internet Files, as I said, in folders with strange labels, mixtures of characters and letters. I put a lot of it in recycle, and nothing bad happened. There is a lot more. I just wonder....
Thank you for your careful attention.
ALK

 

What size were the files? Zero byte, perchance? If so, they're almost certainly being created by Outlook Express and are nuttin' to worry about!

 

This is completely normal, OE shares quite a few things with IE, including the Temp IE folder.
Have you ever had a email in HTML format, delete the Temp IE files, and then look at the HTML format email, and notice some graphics are gone if offline, or are being reloaded if online? This is why.

 

Material in C Drive

Have looked more thoroughly at the Windows>Temporary Internet Files>Content.IE5. Do not know why it says IE5 because I have IE6. In any event, there are two such folders, and each is loaded with thousands of individual folders and files. When I try to delete them, many produce a box: "Running a system command on this might be unsafe. Do you wish to continue." Their titles are often obscure lists of numbers, letters or both, and those which are recognizable relate to recognizable past pages of no importance. I am not short of room on hard disk, but I tend to want all this stuff out of here, unless there is a good reason to keep it. Thank you for your comments.
ALK

 

I agree with Markp62...when you tell OE you want to do a "save as," it does the same thing every other program does...opens the folder in which the file is currently located and then you browse to the folder where you want to save.

Attachments are initially located in one of those strangely named folders, which is why it opens when you do a "save as. "

 

Material in C Drive-unsure I want it

Many thanks for all the supportive responses. I've done what PeteC suggested, and all seems to be going well. None of the hardware fell off the machine, and it is functioning as well or better than ever. I appreciate the increased understanding.
ALK