"update folders" automatically created in my external hard disk. what are these?

[crescent_au]

I have an external hard disk. For the last few weeks I've been noticing
some folders being created on my hard disk automatically by the system.
I normally use my hard disk at home using XP Professional and sometimes
use it at work also using XP Professional.

The folders have a very long name such as
"17c362e648ec4aa3e30187024666a5c3" and under that folder there is
another folder called "update". Inside "update folder", there is a file
called "update". The update file looks like an executable file. The
file description says:
"Windows Service Pack Setup
Microsoft Corporation
File Version: 6.2.29.0
Size: 699 KB"

I haven't tried running these files. There are about 5 folders like
these in my external drive's root. Does anyone know what are these and
why they are there?

Thanks

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Windows Service Pack Setup installer (Update.exe) is used to install Windows
Updates; critical updates, security patches or hotfixes. Some of these use
Update.exe and some use Hotfix.exe and some use other methods to install the
updates.

I have no idea why the folders are not created on your main hard drive.

What are the $NTUninstall folders
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Hotfix_backup.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Rock]

I also have these same folders (with different names, such as:
069b4988fd5670caa2c4439dcf5f37, 514709bf8d3b8d79f7e4, etc.). There are
4 of them on the root of my C: drive. Inside of them, I find:
update.exe, msxml6-KB927977-enu-x86.log, wudfcustom.dll.

*Wesley*, Can I delete them?

Yes these can be deleted. They are left over from a windows update. WU
uses the paritition with the greatest amount of free space for it's temp
files. For some reason it did not clean up after itself.

Also, how about the Config.Msi folder on the C:\ root, as well? It has
only a single file within it: 58e5e3.rbf It is annoying to see these
every time to go into Windows Explorer...

I don't know about this one.

 

[Zytan]

Rock,

Thanks for your reply. It is appreciated.

I just realized that the C:\Config.Msi folder has the hidden and
system attributes. So, I doubt I should delete it. But, I don't
recall ever having seen this folder before... strange.

Zytan.

 

[Rock]

Rock,

Thanks for your reply. It is appreciated.

I just realized that the C:\Config.Msi folder has the hidden and
system attributes. So, I doubt I should delete it. But, I don't
recall ever having seen this folder before... strange.

I believe that folder is associated with the installation office products.
Normally after the installation is completed that folder is deleted. .rbf
stands for roll back file. See this link:

http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=rbf

You could rename it, and wait for a week or two to see if anything
complains. If not delete it.

 

[Zytan]

I believe that folder is associated with the installation office products.

Normally after the installation is completed that folder is deleted. .rbf
stands for roll back file. See this link:

http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=rbf

Yes, this link explain a lot. Thank you. I'll take your advice.

Thanks for your time, Rock.

Zytan

 

[Rock]

You're welcome, thanks for posting back.

Yes, this link explain a lot. Thank you. I'll take your advice.

 

[yallrob]

We are getting the same thing. These folders are showing up on the
root of the C: drive.

Apparently they are supposed to be deleted after the updates complete,
but this isn't the case. We have multipe users that have tons of
these folders showing up on their c: drive, and after rebooting they
do not go away.

This just recently started happening.

Just as a side note...most users are "Users" and not PowerUsers or
Admins on their box. As such, they cannot write directly to the root
of C:, but can create/delete folders. Not sure that this has anything
to do with it...

Any ideas as too why this just started happening?

 

[Rock]

We are getting the same thing. These folders are showing up on the
root of the C: drive.

Apparently they are supposed to be deleted after the updates complete,
but this isn't the case. We have multipe users that have tons of
these folders showing up on their c: drive, and after rebooting they
do not go away.

This just recently started happening.

Just as a side note...most users are "Users" and not PowerUsers or
Admins on their box. As such, they cannot write directly to the root
of C:, but can create/delete folders. Not sure that this has anything
to do with it...

I have only seen that folder staying after the MSXML updates. You might
want to look through the posts in the windows update newsgroup. That's were
the WU experts are.
microsoft.public.windowsupdate