How To Save C Drive Space After Installing Updates on Windows XP ?

If you are thinking to delete the Hot-fixes from Add Remove Programs to save space on C Drive after you install windows updates or Service Pack on Windows XP, than listed down are files and folders which you can safely delete from your system drive in order to get more free space.

1. You do not want to delete/uninstall the Hotfixes, if they are still listed, they are most likely current and valid. If you delete the Hotfixes you also remove the protection/enhancement they provide. However you can safely delete the uninstall files. Once you are sure you will keep the Windows XP Service Pack, it is safe to delete the uninstall files.

2. The files may be hidden, to show the file:

Go to C:\WINDOWS

Click the top TOOLS, click FOLDER OPTIONS, click VIEW

Check the radio button. "Show hidden files and folders"

Click OK and you should now see more files.

3. Go to C:\WINDOWS and delete "$NTServicePackUinistall$" about 240 mb.

Then go to Add/Remove Programs.

Click "Service Pack 1"(2), there will be an error since you just deleted the file.

Click YES to delete the shortcut.

4. Use similar procedure to delete uninstall files for the updates. The updates will be in this format "$NTUninstall********"

Do NOT delete "$hf_mig$"

5. The file "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" may also be safely deleted. Depending on installation method of the service Pack, this file may not be present.

6. Do NOT delete "C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles". That file may be needed if you have problems later and sometimes for hardware installations.

It is used by Windows File Protection as a backup for system files. Some who really need the space burn this file to CD, or compress the file but if space is that important a larger or second hard drive is the better fix.