Deleting install directory after SP2 install?

[news.microsoft.com]

I have just noticed that SP2 which installed from a directory the CD ROM
wrote to my hard drive called c:\585f1c53d86c0a4ccb left that directory in
place after install. It takes up a huge amount of space on my drive.

It said that it was making a back up of the prior config in some
sub-directory off the Windows directory so I wonder if I need this directory
any longer after a successful install? Are there any other directories it
should have cleaned up but which it might not have?

On a related point, has anyone any opinion on when to decide whether to
delete the back out directory itself and how to do this if one is reasonably
sure that the install went successfully?

 

[Rich Barry]

You can delete these as long as your certain you don't want to Uninstall
SP2. If all works well with your system and programs then it would be Ok.
But, you will have to make the call.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Sorry to ask this question again but which are the backup configuration
directories for SP2, - are they in the ServicePackFiles directory or in the
$uninstall$ directory or are they in the c:\585f1c53d86c0a4ccb directory?

You suggest that they are in all these and I cant delete any until I am sure
that SP2 is working OK?

Is it normal practice amongst techies to delete all the $uninstallhotfix$
directories when they are used for a few weeks and everything seems OK? (I
once tried uninstalling a few hotfixes and after the eighth or ninth, my PC
cards stopped working and NOTHING I could do could get them to start again.
So it is doubtful that I would ever use one of them again or try
uninstalling any security patch)

You can delete these as long as your certain you don't want to Uninstall

 

[TaurArian]

http://aumha.org/win5/a/sp2faq.php#after
Tidying up after installing SP2
and/or
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Removing_the_uninstall_information
Removing the uninstall information

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm
Save Space After Installing Updates

 

[Rich Barry]

Personally, I delete them very quickly since I have not had any problems
with Windows Updates. To be certain look in
each directory for the .txt file or for info on the contents. When you
are satisfied then just delete. I would definitely delete
c:\585f1c53d86c0a4ccb and any $Uninstall$ directories.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Yes, there are a gigantic number of $ntuninstall$ directories which I can't
see myself ever using, especailly after installing SP2 and then deleting the
SP2 backup files! I suppose if Microsoft in its wisdom does decide one day
that some hotfix was wrongly written and needs uninstalling, they will
provide a patch for people who were running out of space on their drives and
deleted these useless directories.


I would definitely delete