Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder

[Kate]

I think I asked this question a long time ago and thought that I had saved
the replies, but, apparently not. So, with apologies...

The above folder is getting larger and larger and presently stands at 476MB.
IIRC, I can rename it to, say, SDold and Windows will create a new folder to
fill up. I have just sent my previous SDold (in fact, "SDancient" would be
more accurate) to the Recycle Bin. Is it OK to repeat this procedure again
with Windows XP Home SP3, please, and should it be done in Safe Mode,
selecting the Administrator account?

Also, the Reporting Events.log gets very long. Currently, it goes back to
February 2006. I tried deleting everything up to the beginning of this
year, but a message popped up saying "Cannot create the
F:/WINDOWS/SoftwareDistribution/ReportingEvents.log. Make sure the path and
filename are correct". I click OK and a Save As window appears with Save In
showing "SoftwareDistribution". I click OK again and am told that this file
already exists, do I want to replace it? Select Yes and "Cannot create..."
message pops up again. Click OK and another box appears saying "The text in
.... /ReportingEvents.log file has changed. Do you want to save the
changes?" Click Yes and the circle closes with "Cannot create..." Is it
not possible to modify this file, please, or can it be done in Safe Mode?

Many thanks
Kate

 

[Kate]

I think I asked this question a long time ago and thought that I had saved
the replies, but, apparently not. So, with apologies...

The above folder is getting larger and larger and presently stands at
476MB. IIRC, I can rename it to, say, SDold and Windows will create a new
folder to fill up. I have just sent my previous SDold (in fact,
"SDancient" would be more accurate) to the Recycle Bin. Is it OK to
repeat this procedure again with Windows XP Home SP3, please, and should
it be done in Safe Mode, selecting the Administrator account?

Also, the Reporting Events.log gets very long. Currently, it goes back to
February 2006. I tried deleting everything up to the beginning of this
year, but a message popped up saying "Cannot create the
F:/WINDOWS/SoftwareDistribution/ReportingEvents.log. Make sure the path
and filename are correct". I click OK and a Save As window appears with
Save In showing "SoftwareDistribution". I click OK again and am told that
this file already exists, do I want to replace it? Select Yes and "Cannot
create..." message pops up again. Click OK and another box appears saying
"The text in ... /ReportingEvents.log file has changed. Do you want to
save the changes?" Click Yes and the circle closes with "Cannot
create..." Is it not possible to modify this file, please, or can it be
done in Safe Mode?

Many thanks
Kate

error : 8th line in last para. "Click OK and another box appears..."
should read "Click Cancel etc".

Sorry about that.
Kate