What are folders called $NtUninstallKB917734_WMP10$ and similar ?

I have just noticed I have 143 folders in Windows all called something
similar to:

$NtUninstallKB893086$
$NtUninstallKB911280$
$NtUninstallKB917734_WMP10$
$NtUninstallMSCompPackV1$

What are they and do I just leave them well alone ?

Running Windows XP Home SP2

They are Rollback or Uninstaller for Microsoft Hotfixes applied to the
machine either manually or by Microsoft Update or Windows Update.

Unless you feel you'll never need to remove a Hotfix, you should leave
them in place. One warning, the folder $hf_mig$ is a "Master" folder
for these uninstallers - DO NOT remove this folder.


"Richard" <Richard@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AA7502AD-27E0-4F93-B076-1C5E875FE51F@microsoft.com...
>I have just noticed I have 143 folders in Windows all called something
> similar to:
>
> $NtUninstallKB893086$
> $NtUninstallKB911280$
> $NtUninstallKB917734_WMP10$
> $NtUninstallMSCompPackV1$
>
> What are they and do I just leave them well alone ?
>
> Running Windows XP Home SP2

"Richard" <Richard@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> I have just noticed I have 143 folders in Windows all called something
> similar to:
>
> $NtUninstallKB893086$
> $NtUninstallKB911280$
> $NtUninstallKB917734_WMP10$
> $NtUninstallMSCompPackV1$
>
> What are they and do I just leave them well alone ?

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm (excerpt)

| When you install updates from Windows Update, backup folders are
| created for the files that were replaced during the update. These are
| created so that you can easily uninstall a particular Hotfix, if it
| causes problems with your system. If your system is running stable and
| you don't need to uninstall the hotfixes, then you can safely remove
| the backup files to free up disk space.

Note that this tool does not remove all of these folders.

--
d-d

Thanks very much both of you.

I'll leave be just now as I'm not short of disc space but now I know if I
have to, some of them can go.

Thanks again

"Detlev Dreyer" wrote:

> "Richard" <Richard@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > I have just noticed I have 143 folders in Windows all called something
> > similar to:
> >
> > $NtUninstallKB893086$
> > $NtUninstallKB911280$
> > $NtUninstallKB917734_WMP10$
> > $NtUninstallMSCompPackV1$
> >
> > What are they and do I just leave them well alone ?
>
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm (excerpt)
>
> | When you install updates from Windows Update, backup folders are
> | created for the files that were replaced during the update. These are
> | created so that you can easily uninstall a particular Hotfix, if it
> | causes problems with your system. If your system is running stable and
> | you don't need to uninstall the hotfixes, then you can safely remove
> | the backup files to free up disk space.
>
> Note that this tool does not remove all of these folders.
>
> --
> d-d
>

"Richard" <Richard@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Thanks very much both of you.
>
> I'll leave be just now as I'm not short of disc space but now I know if I
> have to, some of them can go.
>
> Thanks again

You're certainly welcome, Richard.

--
d-d