Deleting of Windows Installer Cache (C:\Windows\Installer\) Files

Windows Installer Cache, the c:\windows\installer folder by default, is used to store important files for applications installed using the MSI Windows Installer technology and should not be deleted manually.

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Thanks Capt.Jack Sparrow

Thanks for that information.

I've never messed with that folder, but after reading the article, it makes me wonder about the validity of using Acronis's Universal Recovery procedure to use an image of one machine on another. I've never done that either, but that was the primary reason that I bought the latest version of True Image.

Hmmm, I don't seem to have that folder....

I found that folder and it has lots of things in it and I will leave it alone. Could something messing with this folder also stop Windows Updates?
Thanks for the information.

I once removed that folder ages ago (xp days) just to save some space but I knew it was important years later. Thanks for the information!

fseal said:

Hmmm, I don't seem to have that folder....

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You must untick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) to see it

A Guy

Hmm.. Usually if I see folders with lots of files I delete it immediately to save space. Tried deleting system32 once but it did not finish saying it's in use or something. So when I turned off my computer, Windows would not start anymore.

Man that error messed things up!

On a serious note, thank you for the information!

If people want to save space, turn off the Windows Update service, then go to the Windows folder and delete the contents and folders under the SoftwareDistribution folder, then turn Windows update back on. You can recover up to a couple GB of space that way. The only nuisance is that if you have hidden any updates, you will need to rehide them since it resets Windows update to its default.

I find my safest way is through disk cleanup and tick all offered file. And of course Office installation cache.

Layback Bear said:

I found that folder and it has lots of things in it and I will leave it alone. Could something messing with this folder also stop Windows Updates?
Thanks for the information.

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From a recent problem I had with Windows Updates, apparently it uses the following folder: \%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\ . As far as I can tell messing with it should be no problem as Windows will just re-download whatever failed.

Trucidation said:

Layback Bear said:

I found that folder and it has lots of things in it and I will leave it alone. Could something messing with this folder also stop Windows Updates?
Thanks for the information.

Click to expand...

From a recent problem I had with Windows Updates, apparently it uses the following folder: \%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\ . As far as I can tell messing with it should be no problem as Windows will just re-download whatever failed.

Click to expand...

Deleting the Windows installer cache is a bad idea but deleting the contents of the software distribution folder under Windows is harmless. Actually, it can help with some Windows Update issues since it completely resets the Windows Update system. In fact, the first time you go to Windows Update after deleting the contents of the folder, it will tell you that it has never been run. By purging it, that can help correct a variety of errors. In order to delete all of the contents though, one first does need to stop the Windows Update service since the folder is otherwise always in use. You then just turn it on afterwards. It really is completely harmless. The folders under software distribution just store old downloaded updates, history, and the basic settings. Personally, I think with the rise of things like ultrabooks that all have small SSDs for hard drives, there really should be a setting to allow the folder to be automatically purged to save space....

I would never mess with deleting folders in Windows dir, seems too risky to me.