Windows updates and gibbirish folders

[Melissa]

I downloaded a bunch of updates for Windows XP and the next
day there were at least five folders under C:/ that were
named nothing but jibberish (they were just letters and
numbers like Q34G8RHGYBJ65JF8JFGUB7NFH, etc. This isn't one
of the names, it's just for example). Under each folder
there is a subfolder named download and then in that folder
one file (I think it is a .dll file, but there is other
extensions after the .dll, like _p). What can I do to get
rid of these folders and why did they appear like that? Is
there supposed to be a certain place and way to do updates
so this won't happen?

 

[Guest]

These folders are the back-up files incase you want to
UNDO the updates, I wouldn't recomend deleting them, you
can just hide them though to get them out of your way.

 

[Alex Nichol]

These folders are the back-up files incase you want to
UNDO the updates, I wouldn't recomend deleting them, you
can just hide them though to get them out of your way.

They aren't. The ones you are thinking of are the hidden $NTUninstall.
.. . folder in the Windows folder. The ones here are the folders made
to unpack the components in order to carry out the update. Once it
finishes *and you have rebooted* they should go of their own; if they do
not, they can be deleted