SQL temp file is gigantic

the easiest option to shrink will be to restart the sql server service if possible

By the way I am assuming that you have already discovered why it increased in size and have corrected that process.

Hi,

Do you have rowversioning turned on, or similar new features? Some of these new features do hammer the tempdb.

Regards
  David

check what process(s) is (are)
running and using tempdb

by stopping it(them)  - you may resolve this problems without downtime
try sp_who /sp_wh2


also check

How to shrink the tempdb database in SQL Server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307487

Optimizing tempdb Performance
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175527(v=sql.105).aspx

also

<You can use the sys.dm_db_file_space_usage dynamic management view to monitor the disk space used by the user objects, internal objects, and version stores in the tempdb files. Additionally, to monitor the page allocation or deallocation activity in tempdb at the session or task level, you can use the sys.dm_db_session_space_usage and sys.dm_db_task_space_usage dynamic management views. These views can be used to identify large queries, temporary tables, or table variables that are using a large amount of tempdb disk space.>

more:
Troubleshooting Insufficient Disk Space in tempdb
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176029(v=sql.105).aspx

sorry for the delay, gentlemen - got sidetracked yesterday, and am getting back to this now.  I don't know what is causing it to grow, but will try and find out.  I have rebooted and restarted the service several times, with no change to the size, so there's something else going on.  Standby for more on this...

I've noticed the Initial Size parameter on the "tempdev.mdf" file is 207,000 MB.  Is this why restarting SQL isn't helping? it's simply resetting it back to that size?

yes, that will be the initial size of your tempdb file when the service starts

You need to use Method 1 from the link I posted in the first comment.

Thanks for your help. Just needed to adjust the initial size, and restart SQL.  thanks

Don't forget to find out the cause, otherwise you may be back to where you started from here very soon.

yes - thanks.  appreciate it.