I am running low on diskspace and noticed that there are 135 subfolders in my
WinNT folder all starting with $ and ending in a KB number. These appear to
be related to automatic/manual updates. Many (but not all) of them also
appear in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.

I suspect these folders are related to updates/hotfixes/servicepacks/etc.
that are no longer needed (and I have no interest in reverting to earlier
versions of the files they replaced).

But what is the best way to remove these setup files from my system to free
up the diskspace? Should I:

- simply delete the subfolders from the WinNT folder? or
- run the Change/Remove in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel?
(But wouldn't doing so revert to the previous version?)

Help!

Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

Those folders contain the files that are required to uninstall the
particular Service Pack or Hotfix that is referenced, by MSKB article
number, in the folder name. If you are confident that the updates were
successful and that you won't be wanting to uninstall them, then yes, you
can safely delete the folders.

If you also would like to remove the lines, in Add/Remove Programs that
relate to each of the updates for which you have deleted the $NTUninstall
folder select the reference to the item and then click on the Remove button.
XP will attempt to locate the uninstall file and, when the file cannot be
found, it will return an "error" message and ask you if you wish to remove
the entry from Add/Remove Programs.

If you simply run the Change/Remove in the Add/Remove Programs applet you
will be uninstalling the Service Pack or Hotfix.



Regards,

--
Patti MacLeod
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

"Bill" <Bill@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F150C4E8-A4ED-4363-B673-31C24B383F8E@microsoft.com...
> I am running low on diskspace and noticed that there are 135 subfolders in
my
> WinNT folder all starting with $ and ending in a KB number. These appear
to
> be related to automatic/manual updates. Many (but not all) of them also
> appear in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.
>
> I suspect these folders are related to updates/hotfixes/servicepacks/etc.
> that are no longer needed (and I have no interest in reverting to earlier
> versions of the files they replaced).
>
> But what is the best way to remove these setup files from my system to
free
> up the diskspace? Should I:
>
> - simply delete the subfolders from the WinNT folder? or
> - run the Change/Remove in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control
Panel?
> (But wouldn't doing so revert to the previous version?)
>
> Help!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
>

Bill;
This should answer your questions:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"Bill" <Bill@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F150C4E8-A4ED-4363-B673-31C24B383F8E@microsoft.com...
>I am running low on diskspace and noticed that there are 135 subfolders in
>my
> WinNT folder all starting with $ and ending in a KB number. These appear
> to
> be related to automatic/manual updates. Many (but not all) of them also
> appear in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.
>
> I suspect these folders are related to updates/hotfixes/servicepacks/etc.
> that are no longer needed (and I have no interest in reverting to earlier
> versions of the files they replaced).
>
> But what is the best way to remove these setup files from my system to
> free
> up the diskspace? Should I:
>
> - simply delete the subfolders from the WinNT folder? or
> - run the Change/Remove in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control
> Panel?
> (But wouldn't doing so revert to the previous version?)
>
> Help!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 17:55:02 -0800, "Bill" <Bill@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I am running low on diskspace and noticed that there are 135 subfolders in my
>WinNT folder all starting with $ and ending in a KB number. These appear to
>be related to automatic/manual updates. Many (but not all) of them also
>appear in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.
>
>I suspect these folders are related to updates/hotfixes/servicepacks/etc.
>that are no longer needed (and I have no interest in reverting to earlier
>versions of the files they replaced).
>
>But what is the best way to remove these setup files from my system to free
>up the diskspace? Should I:
>
>- simply delete the subfolders from the WinNT folder? or
>- run the Change/Remove in the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel?
>(But wouldn't doing so revert to the previous version?)
>
>Help!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Bill

Here's a utility to delete those backup files for you...

Removes Hotfix Backup files and the Add/Remove Programs Registry entries
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm