XP Home cleanup: delete uninstall directories after installing SP3 ?

Hello,

I originally had XP Home SP1 OEM (english) with a new PC several years ago.

Since then I installed all updates, fixes, service packs etc.

Now at SP3 level without any problems.

I noticed that all those years of updating the system resulted in lots of wasted
disk space due to a series of uninstall, hidden diretories under windows:

\$hf_mig$
\$MSI31Uninstall*
\$NtServicePackUninstall$*
\$NtUninstall*

All above directories total a whopping 1.41GB of disk space.

I also noticed some associated log files, even though wasted disk space is not as significant:

kb*.log
Q*.log

So, given that my system is currently working fine, and I don't want to uninstall anything,
can I safely "cleanup" my system by deleting all the above?

If not, is there some other way to accomplish the same thing, for example order a new CD at
SP3 level and run some "re-install/cleanup" procedure on top of my current installation?

Ideally, I would like my system to look as if it had been installed at the SP3 level from the start.

Thanks.


--
--------------------------------- --- -- -
Posted with NewsLeecher v3.7 Final
Web @ http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
------------------- ----- ---- -- -

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

The $NtUninstall* and associated files in these folders are safe to remove,
however once deleted you will no longer be able to un-install a patch or
update that was associated with the deleted folder/files.

Warning: One folder you should not delete is: $hf_mig$
Also See Doug Knox's page on this issue:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

As for the $NtServicePackUninstall$* associated with SP3,
if you delete this then you will not be able to uninstall SP3.
The $NtServicePackUninstall$* associated with SP2 can be safely removed.

In general the log files can also be deleted but I would hold on to the one
related
to the SP3 install just in case you need to review the results of the
install.

JS

"Mr Ekko" <Mr.Ekko@Lost.Island> wrote in message
news:617fc$4825d0e3$24215@news.teranews.com...
> Hello,
>
> I originally had XP Home SP1 OEM (english) with a new PC several years
> ago.
>
> Since then I installed all updates, fixes, service packs etc.
>
> Now at SP3 level without any problems.
>
> I noticed that all those years of updating the system resulted in lots of
> wasted
> disk space due to a series of uninstall, hidden diretories under windows:
>
> \$hf_mig$
> \$MSI31Uninstall*
> \$NtServicePackUninstall$*
> \$NtUninstall*
>
> All above directories total a whopping 1.41GB of disk space.
>
> I also noticed some associated log files, even though wasted disk space is
> not as significant:
>
> kb*.log
> Q*.log
>
> So, given that my system is currently working fine, and I don't want to
> uninstall anything,
> can I safely "cleanup" my system by deleting all the above?
>
> If not, is there some other way to accomplish the same thing, for example
> order a new CD at
> SP3 level and run some "re-install/cleanup" procedure on top of my current
> installation?
>
> Ideally, I would like my system to look as if it had been installed at the
> SP3 level from the start.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> --
> --------------------------------- --- -- -
> Posted with NewsLeecher v3.7 Final
> Web @ http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ------------------- ----- ---- -- -
>
> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Good post; What I do is copy them all off and burn them to a CD. I
never plan on needing them, but one never knows, so I don't throw them
away completely. I burn them to a CD and after the CD is burned, I
delete them from the computer.

HTH

Twayne

> The $NtUninstall* and associated files in these folders are safe to
> remove, however once deleted you will no longer be able to un-install
> a patch or update that was associated with the deleted folder/files.
>
> Warning: One folder you should not delete is: $hf_mig$
> Also See Doug Knox's page on this issue:
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm
>
> As for the $NtServicePackUninstall$* associated with SP3,
> if you delete this then you will not be able to uninstall SP3.
> The $NtServicePackUninstall$* associated with SP2 can be safely
> removed.
> In general the log files can also be deleted but I would hold on to
> the one related
> to the SP3 install just in case you need to review the results of the
> install.
>
> JS
>
> "Mr Ekko" <Mr.Ekko@Lost.Island> wrote in message
> news:617fc$4825d0e3$24215@news.teranews.com...
>> Hello,
>>
>> I originally had XP Home SP1 OEM (english) with a new PC several
>> years ago.
>>
>> Since then I installed all updates, fixes, service packs etc.
>>
>> Now at SP3 level without any problems.
>>
>> I noticed that all those years of updating the system resulted in
>> lots of wasted
>> disk space due to a series of uninstall, hidden diretories under
>> windows: \$hf_mig$
>> \$MSI31Uninstall*
>> \$NtServicePackUninstall$*
>> \$NtUninstall*
>>
>> All above directories total a whopping 1.41GB of disk space.
>>
>> I also noticed some associated log files, even though wasted disk
>> space is not as significant:
>>
>> kb*.log
>> Q*.log
>>
>> So, given that my system is currently working fine, and I don't want
>> to uninstall anything,
>> can I safely "cleanup" my system by deleting all the above?
>>
>> If not, is there some other way to accomplish the same thing, for
>> example order a new CD at
>> SP3 level and run some "re-install/cleanup" procedure on top of my
>> current installation?
>>
>> Ideally, I would like my system to look as if it had been installed
>> at the SP3 level from the start.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>> --
>> --------------------------------- --- -- -
>> Posted with NewsLeecher v3.7 Final
>> Web @ http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
>> ------------------- ----- ---- -- -
>>
>> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **