Yet another person confused about $hf_mig$

[mpysr]

I have an old laptop with limited disk. Microsoft persuaded me to
upgrade to Service Pack 2, but the process aborted with the message
that there wasn't enough disk. (Started with 700 MG free, but that's
not enough, apparently.)

Here's the problem. I now have 150 MG less free space, and that
appears to be due to growth in:

C:/Windows/$hf_mig$/

I've looked around for information about this folder, but haven't
gotten a clear answer.

My understanding is that $hf_mig$ is for Service Pack 2 use. But I'm
content to live, and take my chances, with the existing Service Pack
1.

Can I remove all the folders inside $hf_mig$ ?

That's the big question.

Here is the little question. What is a Service Pack? Is it *only* a
collection of patches, or something more? If I have *some* components
of Service Pack 2, but it aborted before completion, am I running with
a degraded Service Pack 2, or what?

 

[TaurArian [MS-MVP]]

Description of the contents of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 software
update packages
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824994
%windir%\$hf_mig$ folder


From the above article:-

When a security update, critical update, update, update rollup, driver, or feature pack
installs GDR version files, the hotfix files are also copied to the %windir%\$hf_mig$
folder. This supports migration to the appropriate files if you later install a hotfix or
service pack that includes earlier versions of these files. For example, consider the
following scenario:

1. You apply a security update that installs a GDR version of File.dll with a version
number of 5.2.3790.1000 and copies a hotfix version of File.dll with a version number of
5.2.3790.1000 to the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder.

2. You apply a hotfix that includes a hotfix version of File.dll with a version number
of 5.2.3790.0000.

In this scenario the hotfix installation in step 2 installs the hotfix version of File.dll
(version number 5.2.3790.1000) from the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder instead of the hotfix
version of File.dll (version number 5.2.3790.0000) from the hotfix package.

So leave that folder alone.

You can however tidy up other areas -
Tidying up after installing SP2
http://aumha.org/win5/a/sp2faq.php#after

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

About SP2 -

List of fixes included in Windows XP Service Pack 2:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=811113

WinXP SP2: What's New for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/ieoeoverview.mspx


--
====================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to make a good post: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
Defending your machine: http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm

Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.


|I have an old laptop with limited disk. Microsoft persuaded me to
| upgrade to Service Pack 2, but the process aborted with the message
| that there wasn't enough disk. (Started with 700 MG free, but that's
| not enough, apparently.)
|
| Here's the problem. I now have 150 MG less free space, and that
| appears to be due to growth in:
|
| C:/Windows/$hf_mig$/
|
| I've looked around for information about this folder, but haven't
| gotten a clear answer.
|
| My understanding is that $hf_mig$ is for Service Pack 2 use. But I'm
| content to live, and take my chances, with the existing Service Pack
| 1.
|
| Can I remove all the folders inside $hf_mig$ ?
|
| That's the big question.
|
| Here is the little question. What is a Service Pack? Is it *only* a
| collection of patches, or something more? If I have *some* components
| of Service Pack 2, but it aborted before completion, am I running with
| a degraded Service Pack 2, or what?
|

 

[mpysr]

TaurArian: Thank you for your informative reply! (and the many links)

I'll opine here a little about the issue. This is not to be critical
of your help, but to say a few things about MS in general.

In the link provided (and qoted in the reply), I read:

(Files are copied to the $hf_mig$ area.) "This supports migration to
the appropriate files if you later install a hotfix or service
pack ..."

What is meant by "migration to the appropriate files"? I've heard of
migration to an appropriate *place*, but not migration to a *file*.

What is a hotfix?

From the same link: "When a security update, critical update, update,

update rollup, driver, or feature pack installs GDR version files, the
hotfix files are also copied to the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder."

Which reads as if hotfixes are a superset that include security
updates, general updates, etc.

But when you go to Add/Remove programs, there are at least three
species:

Windows XP Hotfix
Windows Security Update
Update for Windows

Which would imply that a Security Update is *not* a hotfix. Or is it?

I'll close with a puzzle. If a subsequent update is requested and
would noirmally use the contents of a now-deleted folder, why can't
the old folder and contents be brought in again? (Especially these
days with high-speed connections.) If I can, say, write all the
$hf_mig$ folders to a CD, remove them and then copy them back, isn't
that something that the OS could do as well? In fact, wouldn't that
make it a more robust OS?

Is $hf_mig$ something that was developed for the old days when D/Ls
took forever?