Hotfixes

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kristeen Boyd
  • Start date Start date
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Kristeen Boyd

I am trying to clean up my computer by removing
unnecessary programs. Is it safe to remove the hotfixes
that have been installed, from the add/remove software
listing? I certainly don't want to remove something I
need. Thanks Kristeen Boyd
 
If you remove the hotfixes you will be removing the updates you've been
installing.
 
If you click on the entry in Add and Remove Programs you will remove the
Hotfix and revert back to a pre-patched state. However if you have decided
that you do not want to keep the Hotfix you can delete the roll back files.
These are located in your C:\Windows directory. They are hidden folders so
you must first go to Explorer Window->Tools->Folder Options->View Tab and
select "Show hidden files and folder". The backs look like this
"$NtUninstallKB******$" or "$NtUninstallQ******$" where the "KB*****" or
"Q******" corresponds to a specific Hotfix. Once you have physically deleted
the folder you can then open Control Panel->Add and Remove Programs and
select the Hotfix and click the Remove button. This will give you an error
message and the item will be removed from the list.
 
Hi Kristeen,

Some of the Hotfixes (Mostly security updates) do not have an uninstall
feature, these will not appear in the Add and Remove list. If a Hotfix does
appear in the Add and Remove list then it can be uninstalled just like any
other program.

If you uninstall the Hotfix, you will lose the benefits of that patch. This
should only be done if you can determine that you are experiencing negative
effects from the particular Hotfix.

If you simply do not want them to appear in the Add and Remove list and you
are sure that you will not need the uninstall option, you can remove items
from that list by using a registry tweak.

Automated Edit:

Remove Hotfixes from Add or Remove (Line 193)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Manual Edit: Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Uninstall

Expand this branch and look at the list. The Hotfixes are all listed by a
"Q" number that corresponds to the entry in the Add and Remove list. Make
sure that you back up each Key before deleting it.

Select the key and then select File/Export and include the Q number in the
name of the file. Right click the entries you want to remove and select
Delete.

/top10faqs.htm
 
In
Kristeen Boyd said:
I am trying to clean up my computer by removing
unnecessary programs. Is it safe to remove the hotfixes
that have been installed, from the add/remove software
listing? I certainly don't want to remove something I
need.
Click to expand...


No, it's not safe. Don't delete them. Doing so would remove the
Windows updates you've installed.
 
If you uninstall the Hotfix, you will lose the benefits of that patch. This
should only be done if you can determine that you are experiencing negative
effects from the particular Hotfix.

If you simply do not want them to appear in the Add and Remove list and you
are sure that you will not need the uninstall option, you can remove items
from that list by using a registry tweak.
Click to expand...

The only thing wrong with this advice is that, while removing the entries
from the Add/Remove list, it does not remove the uninstall files (which can
take up a lot of room on your hard drive). To really do the job, you meed
something like
xp_remove_hotfix_backup.zip from Doug Knox, MVP. Find it at
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm
--
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Smiths Aerospace Addresses modified to prevent SPAM.
3290 Patterson Ave. SE, MS 1B3 Replace "at" with "@", "dot" with "."
Grand Rapids, MI 49512-1991
This opinion doesn't represent that of my company
 
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