Help an old man

Here is where I show my windows ignorance. When I view my Add or Remove Programs there is a number of entries in "Windows XP - Software Updates". Most of these are Security Updates. Also included are Windows Genuine Advantage and Hot Fix updates. My question is this: Now that they are installed is it safe to remove them. When I run my Windows Washer program no mention of them is made. However, I recently installed and ran CCleaner and here they are mentioned along with the option of deleting them. As I have said many times before I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. As always any replies I receive will be very much appreciated and I thank you in advance for your reply.

 

CCleaner offers the option to remove the Hotfix uninstallers, not
the Hotfixes themselves, which are shown in Add/Remove programs. I
leave them both alone if it ain't broken.

 

I would just leave them alone. You have to beware of the cleaners at times as some of them can be a little overzealous and want to remove things that are perhaps best left alone. There's no real need to mess with the update related stuff...

 

I suggest leave well enough alone updates can be critical security patches and fixes for past reported problems.I had a registry clean in the past that had a good reputation from users and one day it started to delete important DLLs thanks to the regisrty backup all is fine. suggestion would be if ts not broke dont fix It. Good luck

 

If you need the space, deleting the hotfix uninstallers helps.

 

...If it ain't broke, leave it alone. It won't do you any harm. k? The advices posted above are true. Therefore, you won't get problems following them... Sr. Honcho!

On CCleaner, it's a niece piece of util BUT a bit 'tricky' too, at times. The trickey part was in the "Issues" pane within CCleaner and if you don't understand them lines.... just fergetaboutit!

For an easier and more "fool-proof" (fool-proof coz they got buttons for harmless operands instead) identical of CCleaner... take a peek at "EasyCleaner" by ToniArts (mine was v2.0); Here is the link~ http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm


note: But still, understand what you are doing before you attempt it.

 

I just manually delete the installers/uninstallers from the \WINDOWS folder.

 

Hello,
I leave this alone on my desktop where I have plenty of space. On my laptop where space is limited, I just burn those files to a DVD and then delete them from the disk. So far, no adverse consequences, but if there were, I know where to go to undo. Hope that helps.

 

I delete any and everything that's not needed in XP including the 3,000 odd files in the system 32 dllcache.

Why - well your poor old defragger ain't lumping all those useless files around and if you use an AV/AS then a lot less to scan.

Ghost images are much smaller and faster to create/restore as well.
Bold Fortune's Slimming XP guide

 

If it ain't broke don't fix it.
And be careful of CCleaner.
It's very good software in the right hands.
But not mine.
I've managed to chew up XP with CC right out of the box.
My fault-not their's.
I've read posts here at Wilder's stating that these cleaners aren't even needed.
Regards.
Hugger

 

I have been using CCleaner for years on XP with no problems at all. Its a great program. My whole family uses it and work.