Removing $NtUninstal directories and uneecessary .log files

[Howard Kaikow]

What are the implications of removing directories such as
$NtUninstallKB820888$?

How does one remove them?

KB article 290402 talks about removing the $NTServicePackUninstall$
directory, but I cannot find any such directory.

I can find J:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles, but I don't want to remove that, just
the $NtUninstal directories.

Also, there are many log files, such as KB820888.log.
What's the safe way to get rid of those?

 

[John John]

These $NTUninstall things are safe to delete. They are the uninstall
files and routines for hotfixes. If the hotfixes cause no problem no
need for them. Just delete them as you would other unwanted folders.
If you don't have an $NTServicePackUninstall$ folder it's because you
did a slipstream install and did not apply a newer service pack, don't
worry about that but do make sure you install SP4 on the machine. If
you aren't sure and if disk space isn't a problem just leave these
things there and ignore them.

DON'T delete the J:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles, these files may be needed if
you install new hardware or want to change/add Windows Components or
oddball specialized software. No big deal but you may have to
re-download 129 megs or more of Service Pack if an installer looks for
these.

John

 

[Howard Kaikow]

These $NTUninstall things are safe to delete. They are the uninstall
files and routines for hotfixes. If the hotfixes cause no problem no
need for them. Just delete them as you would other unwanted folders.
If you don't have an $NTServicePackUninstall$ folder it's because you
did a slipstream install and did not apply a newer service pack, don't
worry about that but do make sure you install SP4 on the machine. If
you aren't sure and if disk space isn't a problem just leave these
things there and ignore them.

DON'T delete the J:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles, these files may be needed if
you install new hardware or want to change/add Windows Components or
oddball specialized software. No big deal but you may have to
re-download 129 megs or more of Service Pack if an installer looks for
these.

After posting the message in this thread, I remembedred that I had previousl
y remomed the $NTServicePackUninstall$ directory for 2 of the 4 OS on my PC.

Alas, one of the OS is on a drive that has only 221MB left, after installing
a bumch of windoze 2000 updates the other day. I believe those updates
grabbed about 40MB. I had already removed $NTServicePackUninstall$ for that
OS, so I might not be able to apply too many more OS updates to that drive.
I only boot to that drive to test in Office 97 or to compile VB 6 using
Office 97.

 

[John John]

No, the service pack uninstall $NTServicePackUninstall$ is also a
useless appendage and completely safe to remove. It shouldn't prevent
you from applying new patches and hotfixes. But the new(er) i386
ServicePackFiles should be kept. But if you are really stressed for
space that too can be deleted and you should still be able to apply new
hotfixes and software for the most. But really then you should start to
consider a move to a bigger hard drive.

John