Guest Dolce Posted July 14, 2008 Posted July 14, 2008 I just ran a scan using WinDirStat and found that my windows\installer is holding 7.4 gigs of hard drive space. 62 of the files all have different names but occupy the same amount of space (16.1 MB), were created at exactly the same time and have the same "last accessed" date/time. The same is true for the following: 51 files (11.3 MB) same creation date; 38 (11.3 MB) same creation date; 52 (11.3) same date; 8 (11 MB) same date and on and on for hundreds of files. Some of the files are blue, what does that mean? Can I delete any of these to make space on my hard drive? My c drive is 12 gigs and only holds my os and some software...all music/picture files are on a different hard drive and I am down to around 82 MB of available HD space no matter what I do. Help!
Guest Kelly Posted July 15, 2008 Posted July 15, 2008 Re: .msp files ..msp files: http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/msp WinDirStat Support: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=WinDirStat+support -- All the Best, Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm SupportSpace http://www.supportspace.com/pages?aiu=kellyskorner "Dolce" <Dolce@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:8A9986CD-B5DD-4D95-9A04-09D52D76533D@microsoft.com... >I just ran a scan using WinDirStat and found that my windows\installer is > holding 7.4 gigs of hard drive space. 62 of the files all have different > names but occupy the same amount of space (16.1 MB), were created at > exactly > the same time and have the same "last accessed" date/time. The same is > true > for the following: 51 files (11.3 MB) same creation date; 38 (11.3 MB) > same > creation date; 52 (11.3) same date; 8 (11 MB) same date and on and on for > hundreds of files. Some of the files are blue, what does that mean? Can > I > delete any of these to make space on my hard drive? My c drive is 12 gigs > and only holds my os and some software...all music/picture files are on a > different hard drive and I am down to around 82 MB of available HD space > no > matter what I do. Help!
Guest Dolce Posted July 15, 2008 Posted July 15, 2008 Re: .msp files Hi Kelly and thanks for taking the time to refer me to the links. Unfortunately neither of the links really help me solve the problem. I understand what the files basically are, I just don't understand which I can delete, if any. My first search for answers to this problem revealed that the files are cumulative patches. So I would think I could safely delete previous installed patches....but then I found sources that say you need them all and don't delete them because it will harm the system. I can't imagine that I need almost 8 gigs of msp files. I have run ccleaner, adaware, spybot, reg mechanic, Paretologic privacy controls and my avast virus scanner. Nothing helps and I am dangerously low on hd space. I do have another hard drive installed, would it be safe to move some of these files to a different hard drive? "Kelly" wrote: > ..msp files: http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/msp > WinDirStat Support: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=WinDirStat+support > > -- > > All the Best, > Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) > > Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! > http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm > > SupportSpace > http://www.supportspace.com/pages?aiu=kellyskorner > > "Dolce" <Dolce@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:8A9986CD-B5DD-4D95-9A04-09D52D76533D@microsoft.com... > >I just ran a scan using WinDirStat and found that my windows\installer is > > holding 7.4 gigs of hard drive space. 62 of the files all have different > > names but occupy the same amount of space (16.1 MB), were created at > > exactly > > the same time and have the same "last accessed" date/time. The same is > > true > > for the following: 51 files (11.3 MB) same creation date; 38 (11.3 MB) > > same > > creation date; 52 (11.3) same date; 8 (11 MB) same date and on and on for > > hundreds of files. Some of the files are blue, what does that mean? Can > > I > > delete any of these to make space on my hard drive? My c drive is 12 gigs > > and only holds my os and some software...all music/picture files are on a > > different hard drive and I am down to around 82 MB of available HD space > > no > > matter what I do. Help! > >
Guest MowGreen [MVP] Posted July 15, 2008 Posted July 15, 2008 Re: .msp files You *could temporarily* move all of the data contained in WINDOWS\Installer to another HD but you will need to move it all back again when installing anything related to what's stored there. To save disk space suggest you store *your* data on the other HD ... pictures, songs, etc and leave the OS data intact. Then remove all Windows Update and Service Pack uninstall data for the updates/SPs that are not or have not caused any issues - I want to Save Space and delete unnecessary files after installing a Windows Update patch or Service Pack. http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm That being said ... almost 8 GBs of files in the Installer folder is rather huge. Someone must have been installing/uninstalling tons of software to reach that size. The Installer folder here is under 300 MBs and the system has been up since December, 2004. MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008] =============== *-343-* FDNY Never Forgotten =============== Dolce wrote: > Hi Kelly and thanks for taking the time to refer me to the links. > Unfortunately neither of the links really help me solve the problem. I > understand what the files basically are, I just don't understand which I can > delete, if any. My first search for answers to this problem revealed that > the files are cumulative patches. So I would think I could safely delete > previous installed patches....but then I found sources that say you need them > all and don't delete them because it will harm the system. I can't imagine > that I need almost 8 gigs of msp files. I have run ccleaner, adaware, > spybot, reg mechanic, Paretologic privacy controls and my avast virus > scanner. Nothing helps and I am dangerously low on hd space. I do have > another hard drive installed, would it be safe to move some of these files to > a different hard drive? > > "Kelly" wrote: > > >>..msp files: http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/msp >>WinDirStat Support: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=WinDirStat+support >> >>-- >> >>All the Best, >>Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) >> >>Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! >>http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm >> >>SupportSpace >>http://www.supportspace.com/pages?aiu=kellyskorner >> >>"Dolce" <Dolce@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >>news:8A9986CD-B5DD-4D95-9A04-09D52D76533D@microsoft.com... >> >>>I just ran a scan using WinDirStat and found that my windows\installer is >>>holding 7.4 gigs of hard drive space. 62 of the files all have different >>>names but occupy the same amount of space (16.1 MB), were created at >>>exactly >>>the same time and have the same "last accessed" date/time. The same is >>>true >>>for the following: 51 files (11.3 MB) same creation date; 38 (11.3 MB) >>>same >>>creation date; 52 (11.3) same date; 8 (11 MB) same date and on and on for >>>hundreds of files. Some of the files are blue, what does that mean? Can >>>I >>>delete any of these to make space on my hard drive? My c drive is 12 gigs >>>and only holds my os and some software...all music/picture files are on a >>>different hard drive and I am down to around 82 MB of available HD space >>>no >>>matter what I do. Help! >> >>
Guest Dolce Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 Re: .msp files Thanks MowGreen. Just to update my situation for anyone else having the same problem. Out of frustration I started slowly deleting older patch files that looked like duplicates (I left one of each group "just in case") and so far have not had any problems. It is painstaking as I take a few at a time and check each time to make sure my office products still open as ALL of these files seem to relate to Office 2003. I have already moved "my" stuff (media files mostly) to the other hard drive to free space. As it stands I have over 950 more files to go. I did finally bite and pay my $30 for regcure (which I really didn't want to do as I already use Registry Mechanic and like it - but I was desperate and kept being referred to it) and it didn't do a thing to relieve the problem so I wouldn't recommend it for those with the same problem. Althought after deletion the msp file leaves an empty key which regcure easily removes. I never tried it with Reg Mechanic as I am trying to get my money's worth from RegCure...LOL. Thanks again to those of you who responded. Dolce "MowGreen [MVP]" wrote: > You *could temporarily* move all of the data contained in > WINDOWS\Installer to another HD but you will need to move it all back > again when installing anything related to what's stored there. > > To save disk space suggest you store *your* data on the other HD ... > pictures, songs, etc and leave the OS data intact. > Then remove all Windows Update and Service Pack uninstall data for the > updates/SPs that are not or have not caused any issues - > > I want to Save Space and delete unnecessary files after installing a > Windows Update patch or Service Pack. > http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm > > That being said ... almost 8 GBs of files in the Installer folder is > rather huge. Someone must have been installing/uninstalling tons of > software to reach that size. The Installer folder here is under 300 MBs > and the system has been up since December, 2004. > > MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008] > =============== > *-343-* FDNY > Never Forgotten > =============== > > > > > Dolce wrote: > > > Hi Kelly and thanks for taking the time to refer me to the links. > > Unfortunately neither of the links really help me solve the problem. I > > understand what the files basically are, I just don't understand which I can > > delete, if any. My first search for answers to this problem revealed that > > the files are cumulative patches. So I would think I could safely delete > > previous installed patches....but then I found sources that say you need them > > all and don't delete them because it will harm the system. I can't imagine > > that I need almost 8 gigs of msp files. I have run ccleaner, adaware, > > spybot, reg mechanic, Paretologic privacy controls and my avast virus > > scanner. Nothing helps and I am dangerously low on hd space. I do have > > another hard drive installed, would it be safe to move some of these files to > > a different hard drive? > > > > "Kelly" wrote: > > > > > >>..msp files: http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/msp > >>WinDirStat Support: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=WinDirStat+support > >> > >>-- > >> > >>All the Best, > >>Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP) > >> > >>Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! > >>http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm > >> > >>SupportSpace > >>http://www.supportspace.com/pages?aiu=kellyskorner > >> > >>"Dolce" <Dolce@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > >>news:8A9986CD-B5DD-4D95-9A04-09D52D76533D@microsoft.com... > >> > >>>I just ran a scan using WinDirStat and found that my windows\installer is > >>>holding 7.4 gigs of hard drive space. 62 of the files all have different > >>>names but occupy the same amount of space (16.1 MB), were created at > >>>exactly > >>>the same time and have the same "last accessed" date/time. The same is > >>>true > >>>for the following: 51 files (11.3 MB) same creation date; 38 (11.3 MB) > >>>same > >>>creation date; 52 (11.3) same date; 8 (11 MB) same date and on and on for > >>>hundreds of files. Some of the files are blue, what does that mean? Can > >>>I > >>>delete any of these to make space on my hard drive? My c drive is 12 gigs > >>>and only holds my os and some software...all music/picture files are on a > >>>different hard drive and I am down to around 82 MB of available HD space > >>>no > >>>matter what I do. Help! > >> > >> >
Recommended Posts