deletion of windows hotfixes

[ypx]

I now have this huge long list of Windos hotfixes when i
open Control Panel/Add Remove programs. Is it safe to
uninstall the old ones and just keep the newest?

 

[Cris]

Hi:

Is it safe to

uninstall the old ones and just keep the newest?

Is there any real need to do so? What for?

I wouldn't delate them...

Regards

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Those Hotfixes include Security/Critical ones which if deleted may make your
system open to intrusions. May I suggest that you leave them where they
are. You can check what each is for by entering the Hotfix number into an
MS search box.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups


| I now have this huge long list of Windos hotfixes when i
| open Control Panel/Add Remove programs. Is it safe to
| uninstall the old ones and just keep the newest?

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

No, it isn't. The hotfixes in the Control Panel are a method of uninstalling
incompatible updates. Do not uninstall them unless you are having problems
with a particular update. Just because newer ones are installed does not
mean you should uninstall older ones. You can remove the listings themselves
if you wish (see next paragraph), by do not uninstall them.

If you set folder options/view tab to see hidden and operating system files,
you will find corresponding $NtUninstallQxxxxxx$ folders in the \Windows
folder for each update. They hold the uninstall information for each hotfix.
If you are not going to uninstall any particular update, you can safely
delete the uninstall folder. Then go to Add & Remove and select the hotfix
for removal. You will get an error message followed by an offer to remove
the hotfix from the listings. It is not necessary to do this, I mention it
only as an option. I usually leave each hotfix alone for at least a month.

MVP Doug Knox has developed an easy method to automate this series of steps.
See WinXP Utilities on www.dougknox.com "Remove hotfix backup files".

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

I now have this huge long list of Windos hotfixes when i
open Control Panel/Add Remove programs. Is it safe to
uninstall the old ones and just keep the newest?

No. These are the critical updates (mostly security-oriented)
that you've been downloading all along. Do not remove these, or
you will put back the security exposures they were designed to
fix. You can however delete their backup
files. See http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

 

[Alex Nichol]

I now have this huge long list of Windos hotfixes when i
open Control Panel/Add Remove programs. Is it safe to
uninstall the old ones and just keep the newest?

If they are shown individually you ought to be able to uninstall any of
them, but should not want to. They will be independent fixes for
different purposes.. Better is to check on KBnnnnnn or Qnnnnnn by
looking at the related page
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;nnnnnn

If you do not want to uninstall, and if all is working you probably
don't, then remove the hidden folder Windows\$NTUninstallQnnnnnn$ of
related files. If you then try that uninstall it will fail and offer to
remove the entry