windows xp hot fix

[Gloria Hermann]

When I go into add/remove programs, I have several
"Windows xp hot fix" programs. I do not know what these
are. Can I safely delete them or are they necessary for
something?? thank you.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Gloria;
Those are the updates your computer downloaded from Windows Update.
If you uninstall them you also remove the applicable fix.
However you can safely delete the uninstall files:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

 

[Alex Nichol]

When I go into add/remove programs, I have several
"Windows xp hot fix" programs. I do not know what these
are. Can I safely delete them or are they necessary for
something?? thank you.

Those are there so you could *uninstall* the patches (Hotfixes) you
installed from Windows Update. Each corresponds to a hidden folder of
files needed for the purpose - Windows\$NTUninstallQnnnnnn$ for the fix
described at http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;nnnnnn

If you decide you will not want to uninstall a fix (and if all is
running smoothly you probably won't) then delete the folder. If you
then try in Add/remove, to Remove that one, it will fail, and you will
be offered the option of removing the entry there