Can I delete files from C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download?

Question

I need to free space on Windows XP SP3.

Q1) What system folders can be safely delete in case I don't need to have restore points etc?

Q2) Can I delete content from C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Answer 1

Q1: That’s a complex and messy question. If you just want to strip XP down to the minimal size, your best bet is to look at what others have done. nLite is a great resource for this.

Q2: Yes, assuming that you have not recently installed any Windows Updates (or made sure to reboot afterwards), then it is safe to delete SoftwareDistribution\Download.

Answer 2

Disclaimer: I'm using Windows 7.

Personally, I wouldn't be touching any system folders. Some tips to free space:

1. From My Computer, right-click the hard drive and select Properties and press Disk Cleanup. I recommend selecting all options except "Downloaded Program Files".
2. In C:\ delete any folders that are just a string of hex-digits. These are old installers.
3. In C:\ delete all files. Any files that were there were from old installers. Note: may not be the case in Windows XP.
4. Clean out your documents and media files. Are you ever really going to open that file again? Move your media to a secondary or external drive.

Quite frankly, if you're that tight for disk space it's time to invest in a new drive.