Removing $NTUNINSTALL Folders ??

[Robert Willis]

Is it safe to remove the $NTUNINSTAL folders that are located in C:\Windows?

I also noticed a folder named C:\Windows\Download Installations that has
some old installation files. Is it safe to remove these?

 

[Guest]

Robert,

The hidden $NTUNINSTALL folders can be deleted if you are sure you dont want
to roll back an installed automatic update (hotfix and that kind of things)

Do NOT delete the Download Installation folders. These folders may conatin
installations like MSI files which are needed for repair actions or changing
installed components of specific software packages.
You may view the content and see if there are any folders containing
installations which are not used anymore on the system, but be carefull,
deleting folders may result in the fact you cant uninstall an application
anymore using the Add/Remove programs control panel!

Greetz,
Mike Schmeitz

 

[TaurArian [MS-MVP]]

Folders that have uninstall as part of the name (for example $NtUninstallKB282010$
which reside in C:\windows (hidden folders) are Window Hot Fix Update folders/files)
can be safely deleted (providing you never wish to uninstall the updates). I would
recommend leaving these folders for a period of at least a month to make sure the
update is working correctly.

These updates can be deleted individually or in multiples. To find out more about the
update/s go to:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=XXXXXX
NB: XXXXXX = the actual number not including the "Q" or "KB"

Once you have deleted the uninstall folders/files, then go to Control Panel,
Add/Remove Programs. Select the matching Windows Hotfix Title relating the update
folder/file you have just deleted and select remove. You will get a Windows error.
This is because you have deleted the uninstall folder/files. Just choose OK and the
entry will be deleted from the Add/Remove Programs Listing.


--

==================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2007 - Australia
==================================
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Need more help? http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;6527
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| Is it safe to remove the $NTUNINSTAL folders that are located in C:\Windows?
|
| I also noticed a folder named C:\Windows\Download Installations that has
| some old installation files. Is it safe to remove these?
|
|
|
| --
| Regards
| Robert Willis
|
|

 

[Robert Willis]

Thanks to everyone that replied !!!! Have a Safe and Happy New Year ....

 

[Rock]

Is it safe to remove the $NTUNINSTAL folders that are located in
C:\Windows?

I also noticed a folder named C:\Windows\Download Installations that has
some old installation files. Is it safe to remove these?

To add to the other posts, Doug Knox has a utility that automates the
removal of these uninstall folders and their entry in Add/Remove Programs.

http://www.dougknox.com/
Win XP Utilities
Remove Hotfix Backup Files v2.1.6

Do not remove the $hf_mig$ folder or any of it's contents. That's needed
for future updates.

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

A good idea is to use NTFS and to compress al of these kind of
folders.

Is it safe to remove the $NTUNINSTAL folders that are located in C:\Windows?

I also noticed a folder named C:\Windows\Download Installations that has
some old installation files. Is it safe to remove these?

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Rock]

A good idea is to use NTFS and to compress al of these kind of
folders.

Is it safe to remove the $NTUNINSTAL folders that are located in
C:\Windows?

I also noticed a folder named C:\Windows\Download Installations that has
some old installation files. Is it safe to remove these?

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

They already are compressed. If you have the standard font colors enabled,
you should see these folders in blue font, meaning compressed.

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.

A good idea is to use NTFS and to compress al of these kind of
folders.


Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

They already are compressed. If you have the standard font colors enabled,
you should see these folders in blue font, meaning compressed.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Rock]

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.


Ok you didn't specify what folders you were talking about. Personally I
wouldn't compress those. If you are that tight on disk space get a bigger
or a second drive.

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

And that is not always possible on a Notebook!!!!

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.


Ok you didn't specify what folders you were talking about. Personally I
wouldn't compress those. If you are that tight on disk space get a bigger
or a second drive.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Rock]

And that is not always possible on a Notebook!!!!

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.


Ok you didn't specify what folders you were talking about. Personally I
wouldn't compress those. If you are that tight on disk space get a bigger
or a second drive.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

Again, you didn't qualify it with that. You just made a blanket statement.
Certainly in some cases upgrade paths are limited, but not for all, or even
for the majority. Besides there are other ways to trim the amount of disk
space used without resorting to compression.

 

[Juan I. Cahis]

That is an interesting issue. Why do you think that it is not
convenient to compress these folders?

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.


Ok you didn't specify what folders you were talking about. Personally I
wouldn't compress those. If you are that tight on disk space get a bigger
or a second drive.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

 

[Rock]

That is an interesting issue. Why do you think that it is not
convenient to compress these folders?

But "c:\windows\installer" and "c:\windows\Downloaded Installations"
are not. They are very big and, although important, they are seldom
used, so if you compress them, you will not have any performance
problem.


Ok you didn't specify what folders you were talking about. Personally I
wouldn't compress those. If you are that tight on disk space get a bigger
or a second drive.

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!


I think compression as a whole should be avoided. Although it is
transparent to the user, at least normally, it does take extra processing to
decompress the files. And this extra step is just another point along which
glitches can occur. If something goes wrong with compressing one of the
files in the Downloaded installation folders, it may cause problems if the
installer has to be accessed. With hard drive space so cheap these days, I
don't see any reason to use compression unless there are no other choices.