Strange folder & can they be deleted?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

I've noticed a large number of strange subfolders in my Windows directory
such as:

$hf_mig$

this folder has about a dozen or so subfolders itself starting with KB834707
thru Kb891781

What are these? I've also found the following in my Windows directory:

$NtServcePackUninstall$ (highlighted in blue)
$NtUninstallKB81217$ thru
$NtUninstallQ828026$ (also highlighted in blue)

Are these automatic updates? Can they be removed? If so, can they simply be
deleted or is there a specific procedure for removing them?

I've got quite a few of them (around 70 so far) and would like to get rid of
them if they're no longer needed and are just taking up space on my hard
drive for no good reason (they also make scrolling through my Windows
directory rather tedious!).

Thanks for the help!

 

[Heather]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Just generally interested here........I have the same files and folders
since my upgrade install and subsequent uninstall of XP......I deleted
"$hf_mig$ and no problem and do have the KB ones as well.

I am slowly ridding myself of the XP folders and files that were not removed
by the uninstall.....but it is a tedious business of removing one or two and
then waiting a few days to see if they might affect my WinME.

Did you upgrade over WinME to XP and then uninstall????

Heather

"Scott Miller" <Scott Miller@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:137FF548-F67D-471C-BF8A-4D41476EB7E9@microsoft.com...
> I've noticed a large number of strange subfolders in my Windows directory
> such as:
>
> $hf_mig$
>
> this folder has about a dozen or so subfolders itself starting with
KB834707
> thru Kb891781
>
> What are these? I've also found the following in my Windows directory:
>
> $NtServcePackUninstall$ (highlighted in blue)
> $NtUninstallKB81217$ thru
> $NtUninstallQ828026$ (also highlighted in blue)
>
> Are these automatic updates? Can they be removed? If so, can they simply
be
> deleted or is there a specific procedure for removing them?
>
> I've got quite a few of them (around 70 so far) and would like to get rid
of
> them if they're no longer needed and are just taking up space on my hard
> drive for no good reason (they also make scrolling through my Windows
> directory rather tedious!).
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

You would be much better posting queries relating to the XP operating
system to a newsgroup supporting XP rather than this one which supports
users of the Win Me operating system.

As for the folders you are asking about, one of these is created each time
you install a hotfix since the last service pack that you installed.
Since these are already compressed (which is why they show in blue in
Explorer) you won't really be saving that much space whilst removing the
possibility of uninstalling the patch in the event of problems.
--
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx
In memory of a very dear friend, Windows MVP Alex Nichol

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


Scott Miller <Scott Miller@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> I've noticed a large number of strange subfolders in my Windows
> directory such as:
>
> $hf_mig$
>
> this folder has about a dozen or so subfolders itself starting with
> KB834707 thru Kb891781
>
> What are these? I've also found the following in my Windows
> directory:
>
> $NtServcePackUninstall$ (highlighted in blue)
> $NtUninstallKB81217$ thru
> $NtUninstallQ828026$ (also highlighted in blue)
>
> Are these automatic updates? Can they be removed? If so, can they
> simply be deleted or is there a specific procedure for removing them?
>
> I've got quite a few of them (around 70 so far) and would like to get
> rid of them if they're no longer needed and are just taking up space
> on my hard drive for no good reason (they also make scrolling through
> my Windows directory rather tedious!).
>
> Thanks for the help!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Well, excuse me, Mike! I thought I had posted my message to the XP general
discussion newsgroup. Obviously, I clicked on the wrong one by mistake (this
one is listed just above the XP newsgroup0. I'll repost it in the correct
newsgroup.

Incidentally, removing these files may not free up all that much disk space,
but as I said, it'll spare me from the tedious process of having to scroll
through all of them to get where I want to be. As for not being able to
uninstall them in case of trouble, it probably would be a good idea to hang
onto the most recent of the hotfixes for that very reason, but surely the
older ones can be given the boot since, if they were going to cause problems,
they would have so by now.

Scott

"Mike M" wrote:

> You would be much better posting queries relating to the XP operating
> system to a newsgroup supporting XP rather than this one which supports
> users of the Win Me operating system.
>
> As for the folders you are asking about, one of these is created each time
> you install a hotfix since the last service pack that you installed.
> Since these are already compressed (which is why they show in blue in
> Explorer) you won't really be saving that much space whilst removing the
> possibility of uninstalling the patch in the event of problems.
> --
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx
> In memory of a very dear friend, Windows MVP Alex Nichol
>
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> Scott Miller <Scott Miller@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > I've noticed a large number of strange subfolders in my Windows
> > directory such as:
> >
> > $hf_mig$
> >
> > this folder has about a dozen or so subfolders itself starting with
> > KB834707 thru Kb891781
> >
> > What are these? I've also found the following in my Windows
> > directory:
> >
> > $NtServcePackUninstall$ (highlighted in blue)
> > $NtUninstallKB81217$ thru
> > $NtUninstallQ828026$ (also highlighted in blue)
> >
> > Are these automatic updates? Can they be removed? If so, can they
> > simply be deleted or is there a specific procedure for removing them?
> >
> > I've got quite a few of them (around 70 so far) and would like to get
> > rid of them if they're no longer needed and are just taking up space
> > on my hard drive for no good reason (they also make scrolling through
> > my Windows directory rather tedious!).
> >
> > Thanks for the help!
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

In your case Heather all of those folders can be safely deleted although
I'm surprised to read you have any since I didn't think you had XP up long
enough to download and install the hotfixes that have been released since
SP2.
--
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx
In memory of a very dear friend, Windows MVP Alex Nichol

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


Heather <figgs@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> Just generally interested here........I have the same files and
> folders since my upgrade install and subsequent uninstall of
> XP......I deleted "$hf_mig$ and no problem and do have the KB ones as
> well.
>
> I am slowly ridding myself of the XP folders and files that were not
> removed by the uninstall.....but it is a tedious business of removing
> one or two and then waiting a few days to see if they might affect my
> WinME.
>
> Did you upgrade over WinME to XP and then uninstall????

 

[Heather]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Hi Mike......

You have no idea how many XP folders and files were left on this O/S.
During one of my few 10 minute "up times", I let XP download the hotfixes.
That is the only thing I was able to do. I deleted the folders which were
under "CatRoot, Software Distribution" which were the hotfixes.....but there
are still the same numbered files as he is talking about (LOG files) in
C:\Windows which are all about 17 kb.

At the moment, I am holding onto a few XP folders in my Recycle Bin and will
slowly delete them. I have backed them up to CD as a safety measure. It
took me a long time to go thru my HD and figure out what didn't
belong....and more importantly, the dates were not changing. I look for
anything from Feb. 19th at 7 pm to Feb. 20th at 4 pm. And anything with the
XP Aug. 4, 2004 date.

I have the following yellow folders in my Recycle Bin.....

$WIN_NT$.~BT from C:\
CatRoot (Software Distribution) from C:\WINDOWS\System32
Documents & Settings from C:\ (the whole 'tree')
Error Reporting from C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth

I am watching to see if this computer hiccups. There are others, but I will
get to them once I make sure these are OK to delete. Some are rather large
and appear to be backups of WinME.

Heather

"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:uJLW%2320KFHA.688@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> In your case Heather all of those folders can be safely deleted although
> I'm surprised to read you have any since I didn't think you had XP up long
> enough to download and install the hotfixes that have been released since
> SP2.
> --
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/nichol.mspx
> In memory of a very dear friend, Windows MVP Alex Nichol
>
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> Heather <figgs@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
> > Just generally interested here........I have the same files and
> > folders since my upgrade install and subsequent uninstall of
> > XP......I deleted "$hf_mig$ and no problem and do have the KB ones as
> > well.
> >
> > I am slowly ridding myself of the XP folders and files that were not
> > removed by the uninstall.....but it is a tedious business of removing
> > one or two and then waiting a few days to see if they might affect my
> > WinME.
> >
> > Did you upgrade over WinME to XP and then uninstall????
>