My Windows XP OS Addons and Update Pack (2023)

[Zorba the Geek]

Can anyone suggest a solution to the problem of orphan folders left behind when using the addons to remove Windows Components.  I have empty folders in my system including Outlook Express, netmeeting, msagent, and usmt.  These folders are locked by either Winlogon.exe or Explorer, or both, and if you use a utility like Unlocker to remove the handle to them and delete them they are recreated during boot time.  Ideally one would be able to hack a Windows DLL that maps the paths to these protected folders, but I am not expert enough to do this.  The only other solution I can think of is to execute an unlocking utility using the registry Run key so that the folders are deleted at each boot time.  I know of three of these utilities that support commandline usage.  Iobit Unlocker deletes files and folders fully, but shows a dialogue box saying "The operation completed successfully", because it does not have a silent switch.  Unlocker moves deleted files to the Recycle Bin which rapidly fills up with empty folders.  Lockhunter will delete files and folders fully, but it will not execute from the HKLM or HKCU Run key for some reason.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

2 hours ago, Zorba the Geek said:

These folders are locked by either Winlogon.exe or Explorer, or both, and if you use a utility like Unlocker to remove the handle to them and delete them they are recreated during boot time.

Easiest would be that if you unlocked/deleted a FOLDER by the name of FOLDER, then *before* you reboot you would create a FILE *without any dot-extension* by the name of FOLDER.

ie, replace the FOLDER with a FILE of the same exact name.