2 questions about WinXP

I have asked the following two questions at TechGuy & CastleCops forums, but no joy in either locale. That is, there were friendly replies, but no real answers or solutions.

I hesitated to ask the questions here because I am posting so dadgummed much stuff here nowadays that folks might start to regard me as a gadfly (which I am, but don't tell anyone).

But I really really want answers, so I turn to you folks here at Wilders -- & PLEASE bear with me for bringing up such trivial noobie doofus matters.
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Due to a hard drive disaster I recently started using XP (I lost my WinME recovery disk years ago).

Thus far, WinXP seems relatively easy to learn except for a few minor enigmas. The questions below address 2 of them...

Question #1- I have noticed a significant increase in the number of files located at C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download. (This folder is now over 70MB & I've only been using XP a few weeks)

==>Does Windows ever clean out this folder? If not, should I do so from time to time?

Question #2- I am the ONLY person who uses my computer. Thus, I am both administrator and user. That being the case, here are 3 of my computer's folders that form the basis for my second question...

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.WILLIAM-E869D16
C:\Documents and Settings\William

I *sorta* understand about the administrator folder (that's me) and the user folder for William (I'm William).

==>But what's the reason for having a SECOND administrator folder (the one for Administrator.WILLIAM-E869D16)?

BY THE WAY. . .
*The numbers on the second Administrator folder are the registration code for my copy of WinXP.

**I didn't add any of those accounts (Administrator, Administrator William-code, or user William.) When I first looked in the Documents & Settings folder, there they were. (Maybe my IT put them in. He installed XP for me. I can't ask him because he is on vacation & inaccessible.)

***Admin-William folder has exactly the same contents as the other Admin folder. Both Admin folders now stand at 1.8MB each. I want to delete one of the two Administrator folders but don't know if it's safe to do so, and also don't know which one (if either) is expendable.

Thanks for ANY help you can give me.

 

Ran across this not that long ago. Unless badly mistaken and hopefully corrected, yes it is safe to clear this file. It is a location Windows puts copies of any\all MS OS update files that are downloaded from the MS Updates site..

Concerning the above.....I`m still Googleing for a definitive answer.

 

Under Documents and Settings:

1.All users
2.Default user
3.Current user (logged in).

 

For my situation, do you mean the following?

1.All users = Administrator
2.Default user = Administrator.WILLIAM-E869D16
3.Current user (logged in) = William
?

 

Correct.

 

Hello,
I would not delete the files in download section.
First all of XP updates since 2 years ago till now take only about 400MB, so it's no big deal. Second, the downloaded files in that folder may contain .inf files which have a lot of useful information about the patches, so you might be able to debug problems if they ever occur. They might also be needed for uninstall, if you ever uninstall the patches.
As to the accounts, I have nothing smarter to say than what furballi said.
Mrk

 

ONLY 400MB? I can remember the days, not all that long ago, when the capacity of a "big" hard drive was less only about 500 MB. How times change!

Even so, thanks for the good advice Mrkvonic -- I shall leave the files untouched, as you suggest.

Live long & prosper

 

Are`t they more or less simply back-ups of $xxxxxx$ files that reside hidden in the C:\Winnt or C:\Windows folder. Just another example of Windows redundancy?

 

Hello,
Thunder, maybe they are - can't be sure. After all, with hard drives with 80, 160, 200 or even 400GB, 50-500MB is a small price to pay.
Mrk

 

Very true. Guess I can be a bit anal retentive when it comes to keeping un-needed(?) files & folders off my system. Then again I use Win 2k (no Sys. Restore) on my personal PC, and have System Restore turned off on the Mrs.`s PC. I will admit I have been lucky in not having had any hic-ups that have required a roll-back\uninstall of any of the MS updates. ThunderZ looking for a piece of wood to knock on.