Can I remove patch download files and uninstall files?

[Guest]

I have reinstalled Windows XP Pro on an old laptop and it used about 4 GBytes
of space by the time I installed Service Pack 2 and all of the other
downloads. I figured out that well over a GByte of disk space is being used
in to store the downloads in the Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder
with directory names that are filled with numbers and letters like
f79a-abf54df8cb* and in the many Windows\$NtUninstall* folders. The two
folders that match up with the Service Pack 2 package take up almost a GByte
all by themselves.

I once spent a huge amount of time debugging a system that had trouble
installing the .Net Framework 1.1 service pack because I think somehow some
files from a previous .Net Framework 1.1 installation or patch had been
deleted. I don’t want to repeat this experience so I am asking if I delete
either or both these folders?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[TaurArian [MS-MVP]]

By deleting the contents of the Download folder - you have removed any
downloaded updates - it would normally clear itself after about 10 days anyway
so you can delete the files in there.

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


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===========================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2006
===========================
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[Guest]

Thanks for the help!
Michael

 

[frodo]

in addition, this makes it easy to get rid of the hotfix uninstaller
directories:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm