Windows XP

[Cat]

Can I remove some of the earlier XP installments without causing any major
problems to my computer?

 

[Mike Torello]

Can I remove some of the earlier XP installments without causing any major
problems to my computer?

If you would like to be more specific, maybe someone could answer your
question.

What's an "earlier XP installment"?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Can I remove some of the earlier XP installments without causing any major
problems to my computer?

"Installments"? Please clarify exactly what you mean by
"installments."


If you are referring to updates, removing updates would be a very bad
thing to do, and would expose you to all sorts of security issues.

Why do you want to do this?

 

[Cat]

For instance: Security Update for Windows XP KB893756, KB896358, Update for
Windows XP KB898461

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

For instance: Security Update for Windows XP KB893756, KB896358, Update
for
Windows XP KB898461

You really don't want to do that. Are you running short on space?

 

[Cat]

For instance: Security Update for Windows XP KB893756, Security Update
KB896358, Update for Windows XP KB898461.

 

[Cat]

I am having trouble with low disk space and with resolving this problem. When
I click on the box that is alerting me to this message, it comes back with
you now have 21MB for example. It then asks if I would like to go to Add or
Remove Programs to free more disks space. It also tells me I need at least
200MB to be safe. So, I don't know what to do or exactly how to fix my
problem.

 

[David B.]

The solution to that is a larger hard drive, not removal of Windows security
updates.

 

[Daave]

You should purchase a larger hard drive!

That being said, you can reclaim *some* hard drive space. One way is to
follow the directions here:

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

Note that rather than removing updates, you would be removing their
uninstall files.

To regain even more hard drive space, disable the hibernation feature if
it is enabled:

1. Right-click a blank area on your desktop and select Properties. Click
the Screen Saver tab. Then click the Power button. In the Power Options
Properties window, click the Hibernate tab. If "Enable hibernation" is
checked, uncheck it.

Also decrease the amount of space reserved for System Restore:

2. Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore.
Then click System Restore settings. Select your drive (probably C and
click the Settings button. If the slider is all the way to left at 12%,
slide it to the 6% midway point.

Finally, use Disk Cleanup to remove temp files:

Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup. Once
it's done calculating, I suggest you check only the boxes for Temporary
Internet Files, Recycle Bin, and Temporary Files. Note that you should
be regularly doing this anyway!

 

[Ron Badour]

As long as you are not having any problems (other than space) with your
operating system, you can remove the back up files and registry entries for
the updates you have installed. This will not uninstall your updates and
once removed, you will not be able to uninstall an update later. Go to MVP
Doug Knox' web site: www.dougknox.com and click on WinXP Util in the
left pane and in the right
pane, click Remove Hotfix Backup

With that said, you are still going to be running out of space so a bigger
hard drive may be the permanent solution. I assume you have looked through
the programs you have installed and have uninstalled any you no longer use.
--


--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am having trouble with low disk space and with resolving this problem. When
I click on the box that is alerting me to this message, it comes back with
you now have 21MB for example. It then asks if I would like to go to Add or
Remove Programs to free more disks space. It also tells me I need at least
200MB to be safe. So, I don't know what to do or exactly how to fix my
problem.

As I said, if you remove Windows Updates, you put yourself back in the
pre-update situation you were in, and expose your to all the problems
(often security issues) they were designed to correct. Doing this
would be a terrible mistake.

You *can* remove the backup files for those updates, but don't remove
the updates themselves. But bear in mind that if you have only 21MB of
free disk space, it's an absolutely tiny amount. Removing the backup
files will leave you with a slightly larger, but still tiny, amount,
and would be nothing but a stopgap measure.

The only real solution to your problem is getting a larger hard drive,
and that's what I strongly recommend.

 

[omnichord]

--
private

As I said, if you remove Windows Updates, you put yourself back in the
pre-update situation you were in, and expose your to all the problems
(often security issues) they were designed to correct. Doing this
would be a terrible mistake.

You *can* remove the backup files for those updates, but don't remove
the updates themselves. But bear in mind that if you have only 21MB of
free disk space, it's an absolutely tiny amount. Removing the backup
files will leave you with a slightly larger, but still tiny, amount,
and would be nothing but a stopgap measure.

The only real solution to your problem is getting a larger hard drive,
and that's what I strongly recommend.

 

[Cat]

--
Momma Cat

You really don't want to do that. Are you running short on space?


--
Mike Hall - MVP

Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

Yes, very much so. Just a little bit ago, it said I had 3MB space left. Now I am freaking out. I can't afford a hard drive at this time.
Thank you for the advise, I appreciate it very much.

 

[Cat]

I want to Thank all of you for the advise and knowledge that you have given
me. I am glad I found this web site. I now know where I will come whenever I
need advise or any other info.
Once again,
THANK YOU ALL.
Sincerely Cat