Delete WindowsUpdate uninstall files?

[David Arnstein]

I recently upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Windows XP, I

used to delete all files named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall* . These files

are created by Windows Update. They contain information that makes it

possible to undo operations performed by Windows Update.



I cannot find any similar files in Windows 7. Do they exist? How to

find them?

--

David Arnstein (00)

arnstein+usenet@pobox.com {{ }}

^^

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

David Arnstein wrote:

> I recently upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Windows XP, I

> used to delete all files named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall* . These files

> are created by Windows Update. They contain information that makes

> it possible to undo operations performed by Windows Update.

>

> I cannot find any similar files in Windows 7. Do they exist? How to

> find them?



I used to do that in W2k. The uninstall files may not exist in Windows 7

because "uninstalling" updates is done with restore points.



--

Crash



Life is short. Eat dessert first.

 

[Jeff Layman]

"Dave "Crash" Dummy" wrote in message

news:Tj3yn.76203$u62.28591@newsfe10.iad...

> David Arnstein wrote:

>> I recently upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Windows XP, I used

>> to delete all files named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall* . These files

>> are created by Windows Update. They contain information that makes

>> it possible to undo operations performed by Windows Update.

>>

>> I cannot find any similar files in Windows 7. Do they exist? How to find

>> them?

>

> I used to do that in W2k. The uninstall files may not exist in Windows 7

> because "uninstalling" updates is done with restore points.

>



But wouldn't that make uninstalling updates a simple chronological reversal

process? In other words, if I wanted to uninstall the fourth most recent

update only, wouldn't W7 have to go back to that restore point and

effectively uninstall the three updates after that (plus any other similar

later changes affected by the restore process)?



I didn't think it worked that way - it looks like you can uninstall any

update using the normal Control Panel uninstall mechanism. IME, after

several early W7 updates failed to install correctly, I uninstalled and

reinstalled them (although they still failed to install correctly!!!), but

it didn't affect any later updates or programs I had installed.



--



Jeff

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Jeff Layman wrote:

> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" wrote in message

> news:Tj3yn.76203$u62.28591@newsfe10.iad...

>> David Arnstein wrote:

>>> I recently upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Windows XP,

>>> I used to delete all files named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall* . These

>>> files are created by Windows Update. They contain information

>>> that makes it possible to undo operations performed by Windows

>>> Update.

>>>

>>> I cannot find any similar files in Windows 7. Do they exist? How

>>> to find them?

>>

>> I used to do that in W2k. The uninstall files may not exist in

>> Windows 7 because "uninstalling" updates is done with restore

>> points.

>>

>

> But wouldn't that make uninstalling updates a simple chronological

> reversal process? In other words, if I wanted to uninstall the

> fourth most recent update only, wouldn't W7 have to go back to that

> restore point and effectively uninstall the three updates after that

> (plus any other similar later changes affected by the restore

> process)?

>

> I didn't think it worked that way - it looks like you can uninstall

> any update using the normal Control Panel uninstall mechanism. IME,

> after several early W7 updates failed to install correctly, I

> uninstalled and reinstalled them (although they still failed to

> install correctly!!!), but it didn't affect any later updates or

> programs I had installed.

>

You are probably right, but I don't know where any "uninstall" folders

are. I'm a newbie to Windows 7 and a slow learner. I ran Windows 2000

for ten years and still didn't know everything.



--

Crash



"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."

~ Grace Hopper (RADM, USNR) ~

 

[Jeff Layman]

"Dave "Crash" Dummy" wrote in message

news:Z2jyn.225652$K81.101061@newsfe18.iad...

> Jeff Layman wrote:

>> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" wrote in message

>> news:Tj3yn.76203$u62.28591@newsfe10.iad...

>>> David Arnstein wrote:

>>>> I recently upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Windows XP,

>>>> I used to delete all files named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstall* . These

>>>> files are created by Windows Update. They contain information

>>>> that makes it possible to undo operations performed by Windows

>>>> Update.

>>>>

>>>> I cannot find any similar files in Windows 7. Do they exist? How

>>>> to find them?

>>>

>>> I used to do that in W2k. The uninstall files may not exist in

>>> Windows 7 because "uninstalling" updates is done with restore

>>> points.

>>>

>>

>> But wouldn't that make uninstalling updates a simple chronological

>> reversal process? In other words, if I wanted to uninstall the

>> fourth most recent update only, wouldn't W7 have to go back to that

>> restore point and effectively uninstall the three updates after that

>> (plus any other similar later changes affected by the restore

>> process)?

>>

>> I didn't think it worked that way - it looks like you can uninstall

>> any update using the normal Control Panel uninstall mechanism. IME,

>> after several early W7 updates failed to install correctly, I

>> uninstalled and reinstalled them (although they still failed to

>> install correctly!!!), but it didn't affect any later updates or

>> programs I had installed.

>>

> You are probably right, but I don't know where any "uninstall" folders

> are. I'm a newbie to Windows 7 and a slow learner. I ran Windows 2000

> for ten years and still didn't know everything.

>



You aren't the only one slow at learning Win 7! I ran XP for 8 years (still

run it on a desktop) and went straight from that to Win 7. I avoided Vista

(I thought - but if you ask your PC what version of Windows it is now

running, it won't say 7, but 6.1...) as I didn't want all the problems. But

Win 7 is a whole new learning process, not helped by Microsoft's inability

to stop fiddling with things that don't need to be fiddled with, and their

insistence on doing things their way (for example, why make the new desktop

icon immovable?).



But to go back to the OP's original question, the update files are probably

somewhere in c:/windows/winsxs. It seems best not to play with that folder.

More info here: http://www.winvistaclub.com/f16.html



--



Jeff