Summary: Folders called $NtUninstall******$ can appear in your Windows directory. We'll look at what they are, and whether or not they can be safely deleted.
I have 75 files in my Windows Directory that look like $NtUninstallKB885836$. What are these files? Can they be safely deleted?
•
Well, first, those are folders - not files. Folders, also known as directories, contain files or other folders.
The clue is that KB part - that stands for KnowledgeBase, and the number that follows it is a Microsoft Knowledgebase article. The other clue is the word "Uninstall" in the folder name.
That will help us determine what they are. Whether or not you can delete them ... well, it turns out that's up to you, once you understand what they're for.
•
To use the example you've provided, Knowledgebase article number 885836 is a security bulletin: "MS04-041: A vulnerability in WordPad could allow code execution". The folder $NtUninstallKB885836$ is created when you download and install the patch for that vulnerability. That happens either via Automatic Updates, or by visiting the Windows Update web site and installing the patches yourself.
If you go to Control Panel, and look Add or Remove Programs, you'll find an entire section there labeled "Windows XP Software Updates". In that list you'll probably find an entry that references KB885836.
By now, you'll probably have gathered that the folder $NtUninstallKB885836$ contains the information necessary to uninstall that update. If you go looking in that folder, you'll probably find the previous versions of any files affected by the update, as well as an uninstall program and more than likely some additional support files.
Can you simply delete the folders?
Yes, if you are positive you'll never want to uninstall the associated patch.
A safer approach is the one I outlined in a earlier article Is it safe to delete this file? - back up the folders first. Burn them to CD, copy them to another machine, do something such that if you find out some time later that deleting them was a mistake you can get them back.
Then delete them. It's a fine way to free up some disk space - but probably not as much as you think. If they're a different color in Windows Explorer, ever wonder why? It's because Windows has compressed them for you. Since they are used so rarely, compressing the files makes a lot of sense. It does mean, though, that when you delete them you may not get back as much disk space as you thought.
Related:
-
Ask Leo! - Is it safe to delete this file?
-
Ask Leo! - Should I use Windows File Compression?
Article C2845 - November 19, 2006
Is there any good way to get updates out of the ADD/Remove list?
Posted by: Dan Ullman at November 21, 2006 1:48 PMlol...I just checked how much space is used on my computer for those folders....400 folders taking up 390 mb's, not enough too really worry about.
Posted by: Dave at November 25, 2006 11:50 AMWhen copying to a dvd several directories were excluded because the burner program complained files in those directories where in use. How come?
Posted by: Ben at December 12, 2006 1:02 PMWell... probably because they were in use by some other program and the burning software was unable to read them in order to write them to the DVD.
This article might help: http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_find_out_who_is_using_a_file_in_use.html
Posted by: Leo Notenboom at December 22, 2006 9:55 AMI backed up the NtUninstall files by year to 7zip compressed files in the Windows directory. The compressed files occupy less than 18% of the space and will be relatively easy to retrieve if needed. This probably isn't necessary because of the upgrade to SP3 but it is easy.
Posted by: Robert Syputa at August 2, 2008 10:40 AMI want to delete these, but not because of the space. I just don't want to have to scroll down five pages every time I look for something in the Windows directory. Is there a way to make them install themselves into a separate directory when they come in? Like put all the $ntunistall* folders in one "NtUninstall" folder?
-Leo