How to delete the uninstall information for hotfixes in Vista?

Hi,

My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
where to find it... Does anybody know?

Thanks a lot!

Bogdan.

LOCAL DISC (C >WINDOWS
--
WT


"Bogdan" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> where to find it... Does anybody know?
>
> Thanks a lot!
>
> Bogdan.
>

Sorry, LOCAL DISK
--
WT


"williamtell" wrote:

> LOCAL DISC (C >WINDOWS
> --
> WT
>
>
> "Bogdan" wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> > this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> > hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> > am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> > want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> > where to find it... Does anybody know?
> >
> > Thanks a lot!
> >
> > Bogdan.
> >

The update uninstall method in Windows Vista is quite different than that in
Windows XP.

The uninstall folder for each individual update no longer exists in Vista
and the uninstall information is stored by Volume Shadow Copy service.

After every update, Volume Shadow Copy service only backs up the updated
files.

So with Vista, it is a differential backup rather than a full backup of the
uninstall files in Windows XP.

This backup mechanism is used to save disk space.

So basically, you cannot manually remove the uninstall files from the
computer.


--

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


"Bogdan" <bfarcasanu@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:51e1d493-244b-4730-9b2f-7de72259e3c9@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> where to find it... Does anybody know?
>
> Thanks a lot!
>
> Bogdan.

Thanks a lot, TaurArian!!! Is there a way to programatically (C++,C#)
delete the uninstall information? Is there an accessible & documented
API?

Thanks,

Bogdan.

On Sep 5, 1:48*am, "TaurArian" <taurar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The update uninstall method in Windows Vista is quite different than thatin
> Windows XP.
>
> The uninstall folder for each individual update no longer exists in Vista
> and the uninstall information is stored by Volume Shadow Copy service.
>
> After every update, Volume Shadow Copy service only backs up the updated
> files.
>
> So with Vista, it is a differential backup rather than a full backup of the
> uninstall files in Windows XP.
>
> This backup mechanism is used to save disk space.
>
> So basically, you cannot manually remove the uninstall files from the
> computer.
>
> --
>
> TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Serviceshttp://taurarian.mvps.org
> ======================================
> How to ask a question:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
>
> "Bogdan" <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:51e1d493-244b-4730-9b2f-7de72259e3c9@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > Hi,
>
> > My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> > this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> > hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> > am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> > want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> > where to find it... Does anybody know?
>
> > Thanks a lot!
>
> > Bogdan.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

On Sep 8, 1:18*pm, Bogdan <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks a lot, TaurArian!!! Is there a way to programatically (C++,C#)
> delete the uninstall information? Is there an accessible & documented
> API?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bogdan.
>
> On Sep 5, 1:48*am, "TaurArian" <taurar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > The update uninstall method in Windows Vista is quite different than that in
> > Windows XP.
>
> > The uninstall folder for each individual update no longer exists in Vista
> > and the uninstall information is stored by Volume Shadow Copy service.
>
> > After every update, Volume Shadow Copy service only backs up the updated
> > files.
>
> > So with Vista, it is a differential backup rather than a full backup ofthe
> > uninstall files in Windows XP.
>
> > This backup mechanism is used to save disk space.
>
> > So basically, you cannot manually remove the uninstall files from the
> > computer.
>
> > --
>
> > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Serviceshttp://taurarian.mvps.org
> > ======================================
> > How to ask a question:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
>
> > "Bogdan" <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:51e1d493-244b-4730-9b2f-7de72259e3c9@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com....
>
> > > Hi,
>
> > > My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> > > this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> > > hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> > > am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> > > want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> > > where to find it... Does anybody know?
>
> > > Thanks a lot!
>
> > > Bogdan.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Volume Shadow Copy is documented in the MSDN. What I meant to ask was
how can I find & delete that data through VSS. Is there a quick
tutorial somewhere, or I'll have to start digging?

Thanks,

Bogdan.

Bogdan wrote:

> Volume Shadow Copy is documented in the MSDN. What I meant to ask was
> how can I find & delete that data through VSS. Is there a quick
> tutorial somewhere, or I'll have to start digging?

I wouldn't recommend attempting this, unless you can find a Microsoft document
explaining how to do it. As far as I know this isn't a supported operation, so
it might break your system in unexpected ways - for example, it might prevent a
related update, or the next service pack, from installing properly. (Note that
I have no particular reason to think it will, but also no reason to think it won't.)

Harry.

"Bogdan" wrote:

> On Sep 8, 1:18 pm, Bogdan <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Thanks a lot, TaurArian!!! Is there a way to programatically (C++,C#)
> > delete the uninstall information? Is there an accessible & documented
> > API?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Bogdan.
> >
> > On Sep 5, 1:48 am, "TaurArian" <taurar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > The update uninstall method in Windows Vista is quite different than that in
> > > Windows XP.
> >
> > > The uninstall folder for each individual update no longer exists in Vista
> > > and the uninstall information is stored by Volume Shadow Copy service.
> >
> > > After every update, Volume Shadow Copy service only backs up the updated
> > > files.
> >
> > > So with Vista, it is a differential backup rather than a full backup of the
> > > uninstall files in Windows XP.
> >
> > > This backup mechanism is used to save disk space.
> >
> > > So basically, you cannot manually remove the uninstall files from the
> > > computer.
> >
> > > --
> >
> > > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Serviceshttp://taurarian.mvps.org
> > > ======================================
> > > How to ask a question:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> > > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
> >
> > > "Bogdan" <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >
> > >news:51e1d493-244b-4730-9b2f-7de72259e3c9@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com....
> >
> > > > Hi,
> >
> > > > My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> > > > this is happening because it stores uninstall information for all the
> > > > hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> > > > am sure I will never want to uninstall any of those hotfixes, so I
> > > > want to delete all that uninstall information, but I simply don't know
> > > > where to find it... Does anybody know?
> >
> > > > Thanks a lot!
> >
> > > > Bogdan.- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Volume Shadow Copy is documented in the MSDN. What I meant to ask was
> how can I find & delete that data through VSS. Is there a quick
> tutorial somewhere, or I'll have to start digging?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bogdan.

IMHO, I would just leave it as it is. It's the way the Vista is designed
regarding updates to save space. It's not like Windows XP. Just leave it and
forget it.

On Sep 9, 6:39*am, TaurArian <taurar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Bogdan" wrote:
> > On Sep 8, 1:18 pm, Bogdan <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Thanks a lot, TaurArian!!! Is there a way to programatically (C++,C#)
> > > delete theuninstallinformation? Is there an accessible & documented
> > > API?
>
> > > Thanks,
>
> > > Bogdan.
>
> > > On Sep 5, 1:48 am, "TaurArian" <taurar...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > The updateuninstallmethod in Windows Vista is quite different than that in
> > > > Windows XP.
>
> > > > Theuninstallfolder for each individual update no longer exists in Vista
> > > > and theuninstallinformation is stored by Volume Shadow Copy service..
>
> > > > After every update, Volume Shadow Copy service only backs up the updated
> > > > files.
>
> > > > So with Vista, it is a differential backup rather than a full backup of the
> > > >uninstallfiles in Windows XP.
>
> > > > This backup mechanism is used to save disk space.
>
> > > > So basically, you cannot manually remove theuninstallfiles from the
> > > > computer.
>
> > > > --
>
> > > > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Serviceshttp://taurarian.mvps.org
> > > > ======================================
> > > > How to ask a question:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> > > > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
>
> > > > "Bogdan" <bfarcas...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> > > >news:51e1d493-244b-4730-9b2f-7de72259e3c9@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com....
>
> > > > > Hi,
>
> > > > > My Windows Vista folder is growing bigger and bigger, and I believe
> > > > > this is happening because it storesuninstallinformation for all the
> > > > > hotfixes downloaded from the web (I installed the OS 18 months ago). I
> > > > > am sure I will never want touninstallany of those hotfixes, so I
> > > > > want to delete all thatuninstallinformation, but I simply don't know
> > > > > where to find it... Does anybody know?
>
> > > > > Thanks a lot!
>
> > > > > Bogdan.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > Volume Shadow Copy is documented in the MSDN. What I meant to ask was
> > how can I find & delete that data through VSS. Is there a quick
> > tutorial somewhere, or I'll have to start digging?
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > Bogdan.
>
> IMHO, I would just leave it as it is. It's the way the Vista is designed
> regarding updates to save space. It's not like Windows XP. Just leave it and
> forget it.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Unfortunately I'm REALLY running out of space on that disk, and I'll
have to re-install windows anyway...

Thanks for all the info.

Bogdan.

How about disabling System Restore/Shadow Copy off to remove all the backed up data and then re-enabling? Haven't tried it and it should be done with care as there's no going back. (Do a system backup first, if nothing else). For detailed steps see below.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/0...windows-vista/