system32 file clean up?

[Blithe]

Re: W2k (SP4)
Issue:
My winnt/system32 files (excluding folders) consume 380 MB - about 2200
files.
The properties - randomly - for most of files I checked indicate they have
been inactive for years & post "unknown application"

My Google search indicates other Win users (not all W2K) asking related
various forum questions - basically - is it safe to delete these files? Many
forum answers say live with the trash & it's safer than risking the
collateral damage from an untidy attempt to clean up system32.

Advice greatly appreciated - Blithe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: W2k (SP4)
Issue:
My winnt/system32 files (excluding folders) consume 380 MB - about 2200
files.
The properties - randomly - for most of files I checked indicate they have
been inactive for years & post "unknown application"

My Google search indicates other Win users (not all W2K) asking related
various forum questions - basically - is it safe to delete these files?
Many
forum answers say live with the trash & it's safer than risking the
collateral damage from an untidy attempt to clean up system32.

Advice greatly appreciated - Blithe

Deleting these files is asking for trouble, quite apart from the fact that
the inbuilt file integrity mechanism will replace them immediately. If 400
MBytes makes a noticeable difference to the amount of free space on your
disk then you should get a larger disk. There are several reasons for this:
a) Disks cost very little these days.
b) A larger disk will give you lots of headroom, not just 400 MBytes.
b) You would fill up the 400 MBytes in no time at all - back to Square 1!

 

[Blithe]

Thanks Pegasus - I suspected as much. It's hard to stop being a
clean-up-aholic. I owe it to getting my 1st PC - 1990 - when a 600 MB
harddrive was close to the largest capacity available - & for big bucks.

Blithe

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks Pegasus - I suspected as much. It's hard to stop being a
clean-up-aholic. I owe it to getting my 1st PC - 1990 - when a 600 MB
harddrive was close to the largest capacity available - & for big bucks.

Blithe

I know what you mean. A few years ago I bought a 170 MByte 3.5" disk for
around $700.00. Yesterday I purchased a 160 GByte 2.5" disk for $90.00.
That's one thousand times more capacity for around one tenth of the price,
taking inflation into account.