Is it safe to delete C:WindowsInstaller on Windows 10? [duplicate]
This question already has an answer here:
Is it safe to delete from C:WindowsInstaller?
8 answers
Is it safe to delete C:WindowsInstaller on Windows 10?
windows-10
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
marked as duplicate by PeterH, Dmitry Grigoryev, Moab, Run5k, RedGrittyBrick Jan 9 at 16:15
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
|
show 1 more comment
This question already has an answer here:
Is it safe to delete from C:WindowsInstaller?
8 answers
Is it safe to delete C:WindowsInstaller on Windows 10?
windows-10
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
marked as duplicate by PeterH, Dmitry Grigoryev, Moab, Run5k, RedGrittyBrick Jan 9 at 16:15
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
6
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
1
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
1
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
1
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48
|
show 1 more comment
This question already has an answer here:
Is it safe to delete from C:WindowsInstaller?
8 answers
Is it safe to delete C:WindowsInstaller on Windows 10?
windows-10
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
This question already has an answer here:
Is it safe to delete from C:WindowsInstaller?
8 answers
Is it safe to delete C:WindowsInstaller on Windows 10?
This question already has an answer here:
Is it safe to delete from C:WindowsInstaller?
8 answers
windows-10
windows-10
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
edited Jan 9 at 5:13
Community♦
1
1
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
asked Jan 9 at 1:05
Christian BurgosChristian Burgos
1625
1625
marked as duplicate by PeterH, Dmitry Grigoryev, Moab, Run5k, RedGrittyBrick Jan 9 at 16:15
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
marked as duplicate by PeterH, Dmitry Grigoryev, Moab, Run5k, RedGrittyBrick Jan 9 at 16:15
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
6
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
1
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
1
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
1
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48
|
show 1 more comment
6
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
1
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
1
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
1
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48
6
6
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
1
1
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
1
1
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
1
1
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48
|
show 1 more comment
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
According to Microsoft employee joscon in the Microsoft Technet post "Can you safely delete files in the %windir%Installer directory?", it is not safe to delete C:windowsinstall or any files within it, and the post explains why as well.
I've referenced and quoted the portions of the post that relate to your question and helped make it more clear and concise for the specific subject matter of your inquiry.
Can you safely delete files in the
%windir%Installerdirectory?
The answer is flatly: "No".
Let's talk about why this is a bad idea:
First, it is not supported. If you remove files from this directory
and have issues, you may need to reinstall the application to get
back to a good state.
This particular directory's job is to act as a cache location for Windows installer based applications. It holds stripped down versions
of the Windows installer data files. During application install,
update of the application or application removal, this directory is
used by the application to confirm the existence of previously
installed items to determine the next steps the installer needs to
take.
- The files are different from machine to machine, so if you
expect to delete the files in the directory and then copy them over
from another machine, that would be incorrect. Removing items from
here could cause you to have application crashes, or worse, require
the re-installation and patching of the application.
The overall idea that you really should not remove items in the
Windows directory. We build and test our software based on the
existence of specific files and directories. When those files and
directories don't exist, bad things can and will happen. However, that
is a generalization that usually upsets many people so let's be more
specific.
The proper way to alleviate space pressure in this directory is to uninstall any unneeded applications.
source
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
add a comment |
The C:WindowsInstaller folder is where some but not all applications uninstall files and folders are stored.
If you want to remove applications, use the Control Panel Programs and Features to uninstall them. It is also possible to run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) in elevated mode to help free up space.
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
According to Microsoft employee joscon in the Microsoft Technet post "Can you safely delete files in the %windir%Installer directory?", it is not safe to delete C:windowsinstall or any files within it, and the post explains why as well.
I've referenced and quoted the portions of the post that relate to your question and helped make it more clear and concise for the specific subject matter of your inquiry.
Can you safely delete files in the
%windir%Installerdirectory?
The answer is flatly: "No".
Let's talk about why this is a bad idea:
First, it is not supported. If you remove files from this directory
and have issues, you may need to reinstall the application to get
back to a good state.
This particular directory's job is to act as a cache location for Windows installer based applications. It holds stripped down versions
of the Windows installer data files. During application install,
update of the application or application removal, this directory is
used by the application to confirm the existence of previously
installed items to determine the next steps the installer needs to
take.
- The files are different from machine to machine, so if you
expect to delete the files in the directory and then copy them over
from another machine, that would be incorrect. Removing items from
here could cause you to have application crashes, or worse, require
the re-installation and patching of the application.
The overall idea that you really should not remove items in the
Windows directory. We build and test our software based on the
existence of specific files and directories. When those files and
directories don't exist, bad things can and will happen. However, that
is a generalization that usually upsets many people so let's be more
specific.
The proper way to alleviate space pressure in this directory is to uninstall any unneeded applications.
source
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
add a comment |
According to Microsoft employee joscon in the Microsoft Technet post "Can you safely delete files in the %windir%Installer directory?", it is not safe to delete C:windowsinstall or any files within it, and the post explains why as well.
I've referenced and quoted the portions of the post that relate to your question and helped make it more clear and concise for the specific subject matter of your inquiry.
Can you safely delete files in the
%windir%Installerdirectory?
The answer is flatly: "No".
Let's talk about why this is a bad idea:
First, it is not supported. If you remove files from this directory
and have issues, you may need to reinstall the application to get
back to a good state.
This particular directory's job is to act as a cache location for Windows installer based applications. It holds stripped down versions
of the Windows installer data files. During application install,
update of the application or application removal, this directory is
used by the application to confirm the existence of previously
installed items to determine the next steps the installer needs to
take.
- The files are different from machine to machine, so if you
expect to delete the files in the directory and then copy them over
from another machine, that would be incorrect. Removing items from
here could cause you to have application crashes, or worse, require
the re-installation and patching of the application.
The overall idea that you really should not remove items in the
Windows directory. We build and test our software based on the
existence of specific files and directories. When those files and
directories don't exist, bad things can and will happen. However, that
is a generalization that usually upsets many people so let's be more
specific.
The proper way to alleviate space pressure in this directory is to uninstall any unneeded applications.
source
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
add a comment |
According to Microsoft employee joscon in the Microsoft Technet post "Can you safely delete files in the %windir%Installer directory?", it is not safe to delete C:windowsinstall or any files within it, and the post explains why as well.
I've referenced and quoted the portions of the post that relate to your question and helped make it more clear and concise for the specific subject matter of your inquiry.
Can you safely delete files in the
%windir%Installerdirectory?
The answer is flatly: "No".
Let's talk about why this is a bad idea:
First, it is not supported. If you remove files from this directory
and have issues, you may need to reinstall the application to get
back to a good state.
This particular directory's job is to act as a cache location for Windows installer based applications. It holds stripped down versions
of the Windows installer data files. During application install,
update of the application or application removal, this directory is
used by the application to confirm the existence of previously
installed items to determine the next steps the installer needs to
take.
- The files are different from machine to machine, so if you
expect to delete the files in the directory and then copy them over
from another machine, that would be incorrect. Removing items from
here could cause you to have application crashes, or worse, require
the re-installation and patching of the application.
The overall idea that you really should not remove items in the
Windows directory. We build and test our software based on the
existence of specific files and directories. When those files and
directories don't exist, bad things can and will happen. However, that
is a generalization that usually upsets many people so let's be more
specific.
The proper way to alleviate space pressure in this directory is to uninstall any unneeded applications.
source
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
According to Microsoft employee joscon in the Microsoft Technet post "Can you safely delete files in the %windir%Installer directory?", it is not safe to delete C:windowsinstall or any files within it, and the post explains why as well.
I've referenced and quoted the portions of the post that relate to your question and helped make it more clear and concise for the specific subject matter of your inquiry.
Can you safely delete files in the
%windir%Installerdirectory?
The answer is flatly: "No".
Let's talk about why this is a bad idea:
First, it is not supported. If you remove files from this directory
and have issues, you may need to reinstall the application to get
back to a good state.
This particular directory's job is to act as a cache location for Windows installer based applications. It holds stripped down versions
of the Windows installer data files. During application install,
update of the application or application removal, this directory is
used by the application to confirm the existence of previously
installed items to determine the next steps the installer needs to
take.
- The files are different from machine to machine, so if you
expect to delete the files in the directory and then copy them over
from another machine, that would be incorrect. Removing items from
here could cause you to have application crashes, or worse, require
the re-installation and patching of the application.
The overall idea that you really should not remove items in the
Windows directory. We build and test our software based on the
existence of specific files and directories. When those files and
directories don't exist, bad things can and will happen. However, that
is a generalization that usually upsets many people so let's be more
specific.
The proper way to alleviate space pressure in this directory is to uninstall any unneeded applications.
source
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
edited Jan 9 at 3:34
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
answered Jan 9 at 3:23
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT
23.9k113972
23.9k113972
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
add a comment |
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
6
6
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
More specifically, deleting these files could make it impossible to later update/uninstall some applications. Been there, done that, would not recommend.
– Bob
Jan 9 at 6:58
add a comment |
The C:WindowsInstaller folder is where some but not all applications uninstall files and folders are stored.
If you want to remove applications, use the Control Panel Programs and Features to uninstall them. It is also possible to run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) in elevated mode to help free up space.
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
add a comment |
The C:WindowsInstaller folder is where some but not all applications uninstall files and folders are stored.
If you want to remove applications, use the Control Panel Programs and Features to uninstall them. It is also possible to run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) in elevated mode to help free up space.
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
add a comment |
The C:WindowsInstaller folder is where some but not all applications uninstall files and folders are stored.
If you want to remove applications, use the Control Panel Programs and Features to uninstall them. It is also possible to run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) in elevated mode to help free up space.
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
The C:WindowsInstaller folder is where some but not all applications uninstall files and folders are stored.
If you want to remove applications, use the Control Panel Programs and Features to uninstall them. It is also possible to run Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) in elevated mode to help free up space.
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
answered Jan 9 at 3:01
qi SONGqi SONG
792
792
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
add a comment |
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
That is not the location OP is asking about.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 3:53
4
4
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
@music2myear Check the screenshot.
– CodeIt
Jan 9 at 4:39
1
1
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
You are correct, and I apologize.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:54
add a comment |
6
No; Those files should not be deleted
– Ramhound
Jan 9 at 1:10
1
Wordings such as "is it safe" are not too good, you may want to specify what's "safe" for you. As it stands, one could very well answer "Yes, sure" as it is perfectly safe to delete this folder. Only just, uninstalling some software (if that is needed) gets a bit tedious later. Updating, surprisingly, works fine for most programs, TortoiseSVN being one notable exception (ask how I know). If "WTF, I'll just delete stuff manually" which includes deleting a few reg keys is a workable approach for you, then there's absolutely no problem.
– Damon
Jan 9 at 10:07
The folder is the same and the answer is the same. However, the best answer here is better than the accepted answer there, though they do say the same thing.
– music2myear
Jan 9 at 17:59
1
@PimpJuiceIT, your answer is great, as usual. Obviously, I was the person who edited the canonical question tags, because when you cut through our mildly subjective interpretations it essentially is the same question, regardless of the specific OS version. In fairness, even your very high-quality answer is based upon a TechNet blog from 2012, which easily predates the existence of Windows 10.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:07
1
@PimpJuiceIT, no worries, good sir. If anything, I admire your enthusiasm and passion for doing what is best for the Super User community as a whole! Thanks for the feedback.
– Run5k
Jan 9 at 18:48