funny directories

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I’m sure this is a simple problem that I’ve just not looked in the right place to solve, but: I have XP Pro w/SP3. On my external hard drive, there seem to be an extraordinary number of directories created, with long gibberish names (e.g. 033541c05472cb449e51c822); I find a few on my internal hard drive as well. when I look in them, they seem to contain various updates. Do I need to keep these, or can I safely delete them. Shouldn’t they clean themselves up?
Thanks in advance!

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Some programs create unique directories on the drive with the most available space to unpack the installation files. Once the installation is finished you can safely delete the directory.

cheers, Paul

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Hi Rob, and welcome to the Lounge!

Anything the operating system would write to your hard drive would normally be hidden unless your folder options have been changed to show hidden files, folders, or drives. So it should be safe to delete these files.

Many programs are not very good at housekeeping when their installer leaves the room.

If you find one on Drive C: called MSOCachexxxxx, and you use MS Office, don’t delete that one because MS Office left it there to help in case you need to make any changes or additions in your Office setup.

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Hi Rob, and welcome to the Lounge!

Anything the operating system would write to your hard drive would normally be hidden unless your folder options have been changed to show hidden files, folders, or drives. So it should be safe to delete these files.

Many programs are not very good at housekeeping when their installer leaves the room.

If you find one on Drive C: called MSOCachexxxxx, and you use MS Office, don’t delete that one because MS Office left it there to help in case you need to make any changes or additions in your Office setup.

What’s the name of the directories where files of this type reside. I don’t want to remove the wrong thing and get in trouble.

Gloria E

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Hi Rob, and welcome to the Lounge!

Anything the operating system would write to your hard drive would normally be hidden unless your folder options have been changed to show hidden files, folders, or drives. So it should be safe to delete these files.

Many programs are not very good at housekeeping when their installer leaves the room.

If you find one on Drive C: called MSOCachexxxxx, and you use MS Office, don’t delete that one because MS Office left it there to help in case you need to make any changes or additions in your Office setup.

Thanks! I appreciate everyone’s help. All better now….for now….(isn’t it always that way with windows….)

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I’m sure this is a simple problem that I’ve just not looked in the right place to solve, but: I have XP Pro w/SP3. On my external hard drive, there seem to be an extraordinary number of directories created, with long gibberish names (e.g. 033541c05472cb449e51c822); I find a few on my internal hard drive as well. when I look in them, they seem to contain various updates. Do I need to keep these, or can I safely delete them. Shouldn’t they clean themselves up?
Thanks in advance!

Not gibberish names, just the hexadecimal ones that Windows Update can occasionally leave lying around. As previously stated, they can be got rid of. In recent times there was one which was quite difficult to delete – and no, Windows Update wasn’t running at the time!

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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