How to Remove Windows XP Service Pack Uninstall Files

When you install a Service Pack on your Windows XP computer, the installation wizard automatically creates a set of uninstall files and places them in uninstall folders. Service Pack uninstall folder names begin and end with the "$" character and will have names such as $NtUninstallKBXXXX$. The uninstall files contain copies of system files that are modified by the Service Pack. Copies of the unmodified system files can be used to restore your computer to its pre-Service Pack condition. However, if you are certain you will not want to uninstall a Service Pack, you can remove Windows XP Service Pack uninstall files from your computer.

Instructions

1. Click the "Start" button; then click the "My Computer" icon on the Start menu. This opens the My Computer window.

2. Click the "Show the contents of this folder" link if the right-side details pane shows a blue pane with the title "These files are hidden." This will display the contents in the details pane.

3. Type "c:\windows" in the address bar of the My Computer window; then press the "Enter" key. This opens the Windows folder.

4. Click the "View" link in the My Computer menu bar; then select "Details" from the drop-down menu. Click the "Date Modified" column header to sort the list of files by date.

5. Select the Service Pack Uninstall folders you want to delete based on the date when you applied a particular Service Pack. For example, if you applied a Service Pack on May 9 of a certain year, you can delete all the Service Pack Uninstall folders modified on that date.

6. Press the "Delete" key to delete the Service Pack Uninstall folder and the files they contain. This completes the process.

References

• TechRepublic article on removing Service Pack uninstall files from Windows XP