files safe to delete..help please

[TERRY]

Hello Group

Sorry if this is a repeat, but unable to prove it.

On "cleaning out" my laptop of unwanted programs/files etc. I discovered
over 100 very similar folders in "C:\windows" folder which name begins and
ends with the dollar sign. An example is "$uninstallKBxxxxxx$"
The folders contents mostly contain 3 or 4 files as follows:
a) spuninst... program
b) spuninst... info file.
c) spuninst.....text file
d) updspapi.dll

TIA

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Hello Group

Sorry if this is a repeat, but unable to prove it.

On "cleaning out" my laptop of unwanted programs/files etc. I discovered
over 100 very similar folders in "C:\windows" folder which name begins and
ends with the dollar sign. An example is "$uninstallKBxxxxxx$"
The folders contents mostly contain 3 or 4 files as follows:
a) spuninst... program
b) spuninst... info file.
c) spuninst.....text file
d) updspapi.dll

You can safely blow away the folders with $KB in the C:\Windows folder
but as a safe practice, keep folders that are at least 2-3 months old
in case there is a bug and it requires uninstalling a patch.
Additionally, you can perform a clean up in Add/Remove programs of KB
patches listed there after you've deleted the folders from C:\Windows.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[JS]

These folders and associated files in these folders are safe to remove,
however once deleted you will no longer be able to un-install a patch or
update that was associated with the deleted folder/files.
I would keep the most recent set (last two months just in case) of folders
and delete the older updates.
As a safety net I burned these folders to a CD before deleting them.

Warning: One folder you should not delete is: $hf_mig$

Also See Doug Knox's page on this issue:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

JS

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Clean your desk instead.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Sorry if this is a repeat, but unable to prove it.

On "cleaning out" my laptop of unwanted programs/files etc. I discovered
over 100 very similar folders in "C:\windows" folder which name begins and
ends with the dollar sign. An example is "$uninstallKBxxxxxx$"
The folders contents mostly contain 3 or 4 files as follows:
a) spuninst... program
b) spuninst... info file.
c) spuninst.....text file
d) updspapi.dll

These are the uninstall files for hotfixes you've installed. They can
be safely removed, although if you do, you will never be able to
remove the associated hotfix.

My personal practice is never to remove them. Although I've never
needed one, I am more comfortable having them there, just in case.

If you are short of disk space and removing these (which aren't
terribly large) helps, my guess is that it will just turn out to be a
stopgap measure. Sooner or later (probably sooner than later) you will
need to bite the bullet and buy a bigger drive.