Do you change the default temp folder location on your live servers?
Depending on which version of windows you are running the location of the default temp directory may vary e.g. for Vista and Windows 2008 it is Drive_Letter:\Users\AppData\Local\Temp where Drive_Letter is the drive on which you installed Windows i.e. the system disc. So why should you change this?
One reason is because if the system disc gets full, the server can become un-responsive and it can be difficult to logon to diagnose and correct the problem. If your temp directory is elsewhere the effects may still cause you problems, but should (hopefully) be less of an issue to correct!
Of course you may think that the controls on your production system(s) will mean this will never happen, but when does everyone always stick to the plan or even know it?
In my next article I show how a DBA can un-knowingly cause problems.