Hotfixes Inquiries [RESOLVED]

[Chim]

I didn't want to hijack a certain thread elsewhere, so I decided to start my own topic.

So what exactly are Hotfixes?  Are they all or most of the Windows Updates?
I checked with CCleaner and if I let it remove ALL of the Hotfix Uninstallers in my Hard Drive, I would regain 593.915 Meg of Free Space.
Now THAT is Drool-worthy! 

Are Hotfix Uninstallers something that would be used only MANUALLY by a computer user?
To the best of my knowledge, I don't believe I've ever used a Hotfix Uninstaller.
So, that means there are 593.915 Mega Bytes of worthless Info taking up precious potential FREE Space on my Hard Drive.

Let me put it this way.  As of about 2 months ago, I have already disabled the Automatic Windows Updates so that I wouldn't lose anymore Free Space on my Hard Drive cuz those monthly Windows Updates were Free Space Hogs.

So, since for 2 months my computer hasn't even taken on any NEW Windows Updates ... and it's working fine ... there shouldn't be anything in that 593.915 Mega Bytes mountain of Hotfix Uninstallers that I would need, would there?

Windows itself doesn't use any of those Hotfix Uninstallers on its own from time to time, does it?

COULD I therefore just simply let CCleaner remove all those 593.915 Mega Bytes of Hotfix Uninstallers?

[bob3160]

So, since for 2 months my computer hasn't even taken on any NEW Windows Updates ... and it's working fine

But unfortunately is now more unsecure than ever since the exploits that where fixed are still exploitable on your system.
Not updating security patches on any OS or program is never a good idea. Sorry. 

[Hardtek1976]

@chim
Can you post the location of these files.
Without the location I can't say yes or no. But if they are where I think they are you can delete them. The draw back is that you will not be able to uninstall any updates.

[Chim]

Bob, I'm aware that it's not a good idea to disable the Windows Updates.
But, if I didn't disable them, I was going to soon run out of Free Space as that guy has done on that other thread.

[Chim]

Hardtek, there were around 2007 Files, so I don't know that it can be said that they were at ______ location.

[Hardtek1976]

Hi chim,

 First, I don't use CC. I do mine manually  . The folder I was referencing is C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ for XP. If these have names like $NtUninstallKB810217$ it is safe to delete. From what I've read it is ok to have CC delete them. More google results on here http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_nf=3&pq=hotfix%20uninstallers%20location%20in%20win%20xp&cp=18&gs_id=3&xhr=t&q=Hotfix%20Uninstaller%20location%20in%20win%20xp&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=Hotfix+Uninstaller+location+in+win+xp&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=581053e234362904&bpcl=35277026&biw=1347&bih=619. See my previos comment about being unable to remove updates.

[Chim]

Yeah, that's the type of File Names the Files had.
As of last night, it's done.
I had CCleaner remove them ... I believe around 580 Meg.

[CharleyO]

***

And now, Chim, it's time to turn on Windows Update so that your computer can get all those secuity updates it desperately needs. You may need to manually activate the Update program.


***

[Chim]

I thought of that and it's very tempting, Charley.
But, I am too aware of how quickly those monthly Windows Updates devour Free Space.
If monthly Windows Updates were more along the size of a daily avast Virus Definitions Update, it'd be easy to pull the trigger.
But, monthly Windows Updates are more along the size of King Kong buffets.

[bob3160]

I thought of that and it's very tempting, Charley.
But, I am too aware of how quickly those monthly Windows Updates devour Free Space.
If monthly Windows Updates were more along the size of a daily avast Virus Definitions Update, it'd be easy to pull the trigger.
But, monthly Windows Updates are more along the size of King Kong buffets.

Would another HD help I have an older IDE not doing anything. (Not sure of the size at the moment.)

[Hardtek1976]

Then it begs the next question. Why not hav CC delete the backups after you have installed the updates?

[Chim]

Thanks, Bob!  But, while a bigger Hard Drive would of course solve the problem, Ehhh, I really don't need to go that route of having you send over one of your Drives.

FYI, from what some guy told me, because of my REALLY OLD computer ... HP Pavilion 6730, any Hard Drive Upgrade could be no bigger than a 40 Gig Hard Drive.  Yeah, a couple of months back I pondered the possibility of taking the Hard Drive from my destroyed Dell GX270 and putting it in my HP Pavilion.  I was drooling at the possibility.  But, I also kept thinking, "It's probably too good to be true.  It can't possibly be possible to take that huge 400 Gig Hard Drive and install it in my HP Pavilion and have it work?  Can it?"

So, one of my Online friends asked her brother, who works in IT and he said that NO ... that Hard Drive cannot be installed on my HP Pavilion 6730.  He said that the biggest Hard Drive that my HP Pavilion could take would be a 40 Gig Hard Drive.

With the Free Space that was created by removing the Hotfix Uninstallers, my HP Pavilion now has plenty of breathing room for quite a while now ... now that really the only thing that keeps getting added to it are avast daily Virus Definitions Updates.  I was even able to bring back SAS now after I had removed it back when Free Space was getting lower.

[Chim]

Then it begs the next question. Why not hav CC delete the backups after you have installed the updates?

Believe me, that too entered my mind.
But, I did the quick mental calculations and came to the conclusion that that would just be a Band-Aid.
Probably come January or February 2013, after that month's Windows Update Tuesday, my Hard Drive would probably be back to the same amount of Free Space as before I removed the Hotfix Uninstallers.

[CharleyO]

***

You surely need a bigger hard drive but I understand you are limited in that respect.
Maybe you could transfer photos, etc. to SD cards or USB drives to free up some space?
You should be able to find those at reasonable prices these days.

***

[bob3160]

Thanks, Bob!  But, while a bigger Hard Drive would of course solve the problem, Ehhh, I really don't need to go that route of having you send over one of your Drives.

FYI, from what some guy told me, because of my REALLY OLD computer ... HP Pavilion 6730, any Hard Drive Upgrade could be no bigger than a 40 Gig Hard Drive.  Yeah, a couple of months back I pondered the possibility of taking the Hard Drive from my destroyed Dell GX270 and putting it in my HP Pavilion.  I was drooling at the possibility.  But, I also kept thinking, "It's probably too good to be true.  It can't possibly be possible to take that huge 400 Gig Hard Drive and install it in my HP Pavilion and have it work?  Can it?"

So, one of my Online friends asked her brother, who works in IT and he said that NO ... that Hard Drive cannot be installed on my HP Pavilion 6730.  He said that the biggest Hard Drive that my HP Pavilion could take would be a 40 Gig Hard Drive.

With the Free Space that was created by removing the Hotfix Uninstallers, my HP Pavilion now has plenty of breathing room for quite a while now ... now that really the only thing that keeps getting added to it are avast daily Virus Definitions Updates.  I was even able to bring back SAS now after I had removed it back when Free Space was getting lower.

Since it has a USB port, and the IDE Drive I'm using has an IDE to USB converter, that limit shouldn't make any difference.