Delete "old update" files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ralph Adams
  • Start date Start date
R

Ralph Adams

After installing the XP updates and SP1 update, I found I have quite a few
'new'
files in my C:\windows directory such as $NtUninstallKB8-----$ and
$NtServicePackUninstall$ which I believe come from installing the updates.
Is it safe to delete these files? I could gain back several hundred megs of
disk space if I can do this safely.
I'm running XP Pro with 256 Meg of Ram.

Thanks for the help

Ralph
(e-mail address removed)
 
Hi Ralph,

They are backup files for a WindowsUpdate (hotfix) and yes you can delete
them as long as you do not plan to uninstall any of the Windows Update
files. You will also find a listing for each under Add & Remove in the
Control Panel. Once you have deleted the backup, you can select the hotfix
for removal. You will get an error message followed by an option to remove
the listing. You can automate this task using a tool from the Utilties
section of www.dougknox.com

The backups are there for hotfixes that are uninstallable. This is an option
only for some updates, and it is there in case the update causes issues for
you (so you can uninstall it if necessary). If you don't plan on
uninstalling it and want to conserve drive space, there is nothing wrong
with removing them. I keep each backup for about a month before removing it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
 
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