$NtUninstall Cleanup

[Mant]

Hello,

I am XP Pro SP2. The Remove Hotfix Backup still left me some folders, please see screenshot:

I know $hf_mig$ is not safe to delete, how about those others $ folders? Is it ok to delete?

[Jeremy]

I would delete all of them. They are just backups. The important files for Windows Updates are C:\WINDOWS\system32\Catroot and Catroot2.

If you intend to install Windows generic drivers in the future without the CD, you will want to keep the ServicePack folder. But those I would delete.

[bledd]

what does $hf_mig$ do? i always delete it..

[Andromeda43]

what does $hf_mig$ do? i always delete it..

At the risk of being flamed (again) let me state that I still use "Deltree.exe" from Windows ME.

It's one DOS command that was left out in Windows XP.

With that command tucked away in my C:\windows\system32 folder, I can run this single command in a batch file to clean up those uninstall files on any computer.

deltree /y "C:\windows\$Nt*$\"

There is also a log file for each one of those uninstall files.

It uses this format, "KB32968.log"

Just look in your windows folder and you'll find them.

This line takes care of those too:

deltree /y "C:\windows\KB*.log"

I've removed both groups of files, hundreds of them, that have been on peoples computers since the day it was first installed. Like the restore files in Windows ME, they just never go away.

Cheers Mates!

B)

[eidenk]

Like the restore files in Windows ME, they just never go away.

Ur sure ?

[cluberti]

what does $hf_mig$ do? i always delete it..

From the horse's mouth:

When a security update, critical update, update, update rollup, driver, or feature pack installs GDR version files, the hotfix files are also copied to the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder. This supports migration to the appropriate files if you later install a hotfix or service pack that includes earlier versions of these files. For example, consider the following scenario:

1. You apply a security update that installs a GDR version of File.dll with a version number of 5.2.3790.1000 and copies a hotfix version of File.dll with a version number of 5.2.3790.1000 to the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder.

2. You apply a hotfix that includes a hotfix version of File.dll with a version number of 5.2.3790.0000.

In this scenario the hotfix installation in step 2 installs the hotfix version of File.dll (version number 5.2.3790.1000) from the %windir%\$hf_mig$ folder instead of the hotfix version of File.dll (version number 5.2.3790.0000) from the hotfix package.

In short, I would say this is one hotfix folder you should NOT delete.

[FrankE9999]

The Removes Hotfix Backup files web site states "NOTE: This utility does NOT remove application specific hotfix backups (Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Media player and etc.). It will only remove hotfix backups that are specific to the Windows XP operating system". CCleaner may remove some of these hot fixes (You need to selest Hot Fix Uninstallers). However I haven't found any programs that clean out the $hf_mig$ folder and you can't just delete it.

Note: rmdir is included with Windows XP and does the same thing as deltree.

[Mant]

Ok then, maybe i'll keep those $hf_mig$ folders until XP SP3 released in 2008.

So the reason why Remove Hotfix Backup not delete them all, but leave some kind of those $ folders is because Remove Hotfix Backup is missed some Hotfix likes Windows Live Messenger, IE 7, Office 2007, or .NET Framework.

Ok, i'll try CCleaner for seeking another garbage files in my C:\ drive to make more space. Thanks in advance.

Edited September 23, 2007 by Mant

[Jeremy]

Well, I delete it because I usually don't bother with Windows Updates. I find them unnecessary.

"This security update addresses an issue that if <this> happens, your computer could be compromised."

Well, I haven't been hacked in 6 years and I have a hardware firewall. If you're some stranger who thinks you can convince me to click on "this cool link", give it your best shot.

But when SP3 comes out, sure I'll install it. I just don't like downloading 50 separate updates.

[DizzyDen]

At the risk of being flamed (again) let me state that I still use "Deltree.exe" from Windows ME.

It's one DOS command that was left out in Windows XP.

With that command tucked away in my C:\windows\system32 folder, I can run this single command in a batch file to clean up those uninstall files on any computer.

deltree /y "C:\windows\$Nt*$\"

There is also a log file for each one of those uninstall files.

It uses this format, "KB32968.log"

Just look in your windows folder and you'll find them.

This line takes care of those too:

deltree /y "C:\windows\KB*.log"

I use the deltree.exe from Windows98 still, and have it, along with 3 cmd files tucked in my system32 folder:

clrups.cmd:

@echo off
deltree /Y %systemroot%\$*.* > nul
deltree /Y %systemroot%\KB*.* > nul

clrtmp.cmd:

@echo off
deltree /Y %temp%\*.* > nul

and

clrall.cmd

@echo off
deltree /Y %temp%\*.* > nul
deltree /Y %systemroot%\$*.* > nul
deltree /Y %systemroot%\KB*.* > nul

Every Win CD I make have these with use of $OEM and I can choose to clear the temp folders, the updates, or all of them. If you'd prefer to keep the $hf_mig$ folder, simply change the $*.* to $NT*.*

Edited September 24, 2007 by DizzyDen

[Arie]

To repeat what has been said before, why would you want to use DELTREE which is not included in Windows XP, when you can simply use RD or RMDIR instead, which does the same?

[Andromeda43]

To repeat what has been said before, why would you want to use DELTREE which is not included in Windows XP, when you can simply use RD or RMDIR instead, which does the same?

That's as ridiculous as saying that a pickup truck can do the same job as a 10 ton dump truck.

There are similarities yes, but they certainly are NOT the same.

RMDIR is a remove directory command. NOT a command that can selectively remove just one file in a busy subdirectory.

Anyway, for us old time DOS users, why should we even try to use something different when we've already got the answer in a very Powerful command such as Deltree?

I've done whole tutorials on Deltree and I'm certainly not going to repeat it here.

Maybe it's just too complex a command for some folks to grasp.

I rest my case. Use any dang'd thing you want but don't flame me for using what I want! OK?

Because there are thousands of us old DOS users that just don't want to hear it.

B)

[DL.]

Here is my script to remove all of those folders, the .log files and the hotfixes uninstall info:

attrib -r -h -s -a /S /D "%systemroot%\$*"
 attrib -r -h -s -a /S /D "%systemroot%\$hf_mig$\K*"
 FOR /D %%K IN (%systemroot%\$hf_mig$\K*) DO (
 reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\%%~nxK" /f & (
 DEL /f /q "%systemroot%\%%~nxK.log" ))
 FOR /D %%$ IN (%systemroot%\$*) DO rmdir /s /q "%%$"

Edited September 25, 2007 by DL.

[eidenk]

I've done whole tutorials on Deltree and I'm certainly not going to repeat it here.

Maybe it's just too complex a command for some folks to grasp.

I've just read a whole deltree tutorial on the lockegnome forum by a certain TheShadow

What I have read is someone making mountains out of nothing, someone pompeously calling a ridiculously simple batch file a program, etc...

As far as I am concerned, if I have flamed you already here, it is because whenever you wrote about something that was even loosely within the scope of my field of knowledge, you were nearly systematically inaccurate or misleading as well as self congratulating.

After a while you get fed up with it you know.

[cluberti]

Everyone, keep this conversation on point and take your tool comparisons and flamed rantings elsewhere, or I'll shut this down. Thank you.