What is C:\WINDOWS\$hf_mig$

  • Thread starter Thread starter RJ
  • Start date Start date
R

RJ

Win XP Pro SP2:

It appears to be related to the never ending stream
of Windows patches. Can I delete it?
 
No, this is a very important folder for XP. For example, it stores the different branches of any update (GDR, or General Distribution Release and QFE, or Quick Fix Engineering) so, if you install any security update which modifies Mshtml.dll file, for example, and you've applied to that file a 'hotfix' provided by Microsoft, Windows silently installs the QFE version of the security update, therefore the hotfix code is mantained.

More information is available in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Description of the contents of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 software update packages
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824994
 
RJ said:
Win XP Pro SP2:

It appears to be related to the never ending stream
of Windows patches. Can I delete it?

Mine only contains 112 MB. If you need that space you might consider an
additional hard drive.
 
Thanks. I appreciate the info.


No, this is a very important folder for XP. For example, it stores the different branches of any
update (GDR, or General Distribution Release and QFE, or Quick Fix Engineering) so, if you install
any security update which modifies Mshtml.dll file, for example, and you've applied to that file a
'hotfix' provided by Microsoft, Windows silently installs the QFE version of the security update,
therefore the hotfix code is mantained.

More information is available in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Description of the contents of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 software update
packages
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824994
 
Thanks. I appreciate the info.

You can cut down on the folders/contents size by compressing it:

Right Click the $hf_mig$ Folder
Select Properties
Select the "General" Tab
Select "Advanced Attributes" under the General Tab
Check the "Compress Contents To Save Disk Space" option.

Regards,
Ed
 
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