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Question

Cleaning C:\WINDOWS\Installer\ folder

Jun 24, 2011 1:02AM PDT

I am not seeing anything new on this. There was a MS utility for this but it looks like MS has taken it down.
I have looked online but don't see any answers.
Any way of cleaning uneeded space in this folder?
TY

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I would be cautious here.
Jun 24, 2011 4:39AM PDT

If you delete anything from this folder incorrectly, you may not see any immediate effect, but you may see problems later, especially if you want to uninstall some software or other through the normal Windows Add/Remove programs route.

Here's a couple of links that tell more about the C:\Windows|Installer folder. One talks about Vista, but the general information is the same;

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/safe-deleted-files-c-windows-installer-t211705.html
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-security/windows-installer-folder/75f9c395-9e7f-469e-bcb1-73ab68948b8e

I look at this folder much like the Program Files folder. I might not know what every sub-folder is, but unless I am sure I want to uninstall some specific application, I leave it alone. That is doubly true for any Windows folder siles and sub-folders.

Mark

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Answer
If You're Referring To The Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
Jun 24, 2011 11:07AM PDT

...it's been removed by Microsoft because they weren't able to keep it current with the new operating systems and new programs on old operating systems.

If you'd still like to use it and you've got Windows XP or older, here's a link:

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4459

Remember though, only select those items you want to remove from the registry/installer list.. If you select them all, they ALL will removed.. Be careful

Hope this helps.

Grif

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><
Jun 24, 2011 1:25PM PDT

So there's is that little app.
It opens up with a few douzen lines for me to choose from (to uninstall or not).
It wouldn't let me target the C:\WINDOWS\Installer\ folder.

O.K. Thx I'll be carefull guys.

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Not sure I understand
Jun 24, 2011 9:17PM PDT

What little app is this?

What are these few dozen lines?

Why are you intent on deleting the Installer folder?

Mark

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><
Jun 24, 2011 10:48PM PDT

The little app is msicuu2.exe.
Recently I discovered the installer folder and noticed it was just over a Gig so I wanted to see if there was any cluther in there I could cleaned up.
Searching I learned that Microsoft made an 'Install clean up utile' I think initialy intended for Office suite - for when someone aborted an install and wanted to clean up and start again.
It found a new purpose in the C:\WINDOWS\Installer\ folder. In some the installer folder got very big for some users so it proved very useful.

It certainly is a 'user beware app' so i guess when too many catastrophes were occuring Microsoft pulled it.
But here Grif has fished one out for me. So It lives!

But when i open it - it has a list of the apps I can select with the possibility of removing them should i want to. But there are no other fonctions or 'buttons'.
What it sees, 'the lines' as i put it, are the apps, updates, pluggins and service packs.
But It all looks necessary to me so I'll just leave well enough alone and leave that folder undisturbed.

Dan

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Yep, It's Best To Leave The C:\WINDOWS\Installer\ folder...
Jun 25, 2011 10:11AM PDT

..alone.. That is, if you don't want to have uninstall problems in the future.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Use msizap, not the GUI
Nov 25, 2012 3:26PM PST

After installing that utility, don't bother running it. You need to run msizap.exe G (found in that folder) from the command line. Don't try selecting from the list; that's not really the best solution.

(Clarifying because this was one of the top Google hits for my search.)

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Or even better
Nov 25, 2012 10:56PM PST

Or even better, take the sage advice above, and don't mess with anything inside the Windows folder. To do so is to invite trouble unless you know what you're doing, and people who know what they're doing tend to steer clear.

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Curiously ...
Nov 28, 2012 6:48AM PST

the c:\windows\temp folder can be cleaned without any issues occurring. And the same goes for the logfiles the Zonealarm firewall puts in c:\windows\Internet logs.

But that's all I do in the Windows folder myself.

Kees

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But what if we do?
Dec 8, 2012 8:43AM PST

But what if we DO know what we're doing? Thanks for the warning, but don't say things like "or even better". You don't know what everyone's unique situations are. I am nigh 100% sure that I do indeed want to mess around with my Windows folder. I have CompTIA A+-cert training and blah blah blah, and yet, here I am, wanting to mess around in Windows.

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Be sure you have good backup
Dec 8, 2012 9:22AM PST

I don't know why you'd want to fool around with it unless you're just looking for something to tinker with and don't have anything better to do. When you can buy a 1 TB hard drive these days for as little as $70, why spend a lot of time chasing a relatively few bytes? It's your time and your computer, but if you have anything on it you don't want to lose, I sure hope you have a good backup for it.

Good luck.