How to disable keeping "$NtUninstallKB999999$" and "Download Installations" folders?

[Shawn Fielding]

After applying new patches/updates onto my current WinXP system a new folder with the folder name pattern

$NtUninstallKB999999$

is created. Can I tell WinXP somehow in case of a successful patch (=after reboot) NOT to keep these updated
folders?

Similarly (or even more important) the directory

C:\Windows\Download Installations\....

contain dozends of sub-folders which in turn contain previously downloaded

*.msi installation packages (which are already installed successfully).

Can I somehow turn off permanent storing of these *.msi files?

Shawn

 

[Mark Adams]

After applying new patches/updates onto my current WinXP system a new folder with the folder name pattern

$NtUninstallKB999999$

is created. Can I tell WinXP somehow in case of a successful patch (=after reboot) NOT to keep these updated
folders?

Similarly (or even more important) the directory

C:\Windows\Download Installations\....

contain dozends of sub-folders which in turn contain previously downloaded

*.msi installation packages (which are already installed successfully).

Can I somehow turn off permanent storing of these *.msi files?

Shawn

I'm not sure if you can turn off automatically storing the files, but you
can delete them. Keep in mind that you will not be able to uninstall any
updates that you delete the uninstall folder for. I just ignore the files on
my computers and have never had any problems. Are you having some problem you
haven't told us about that you think is related to these files?

 

[Leonard Grey]

The $NtUninstaller folders contain the information needed to uninstall
updates you receive from Windows/Microsoft Update. You should leave
these on your computer for a while, because on occasion an update will
cause trouble down the road. No need to keep them forever, but you would
be well advised to wait a few weeks or a few months before removing them.

To answer your specific question: You cannot instruct Windows to remove
these after 'X' amount of time.

You should never delete the contents of the \Download Installations\
folder. Doing so can make it difficult or impossible to update or
cleanly remove software installed with Windows Installer.

For more information on the purpose of that folder, try a web search.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

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