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What are these files?

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In my Windows directory I have about 150 files with names similar to this: $NtUninstallKB886185$.

Can someone explain what they are, and whether I can safely delete them?
"The trouble with quotations on the Internet is that you never know whether they are genuine" - Charles Dickens

Comments

  • Riq
    Riq Posts: 10,430 Forumite
    What type of files are they?
    "I'm not from around here, I have my own customs"
    For confirmation: No, I'm not a 40 year old woman, I'm a 26 year old bloke!
  • fwor
    fwor Posts: 6,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They are the backup/uninstall files for Windows updates, and they take up a ~lot~ of space!

    If you think you may need to uninstall a previously installed Windows update, keep them.

    I delete them regularly, but then I no longer use Windows on any system that I care much about...
  • Quasar
    Quasar Posts: 121,720 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I have never had to uninstal any windows update files and have deleted lots of those space grabbing entries.
    Be careful who you open up to. Today it's ears, tomorrow it's mouth.
  • BritBrat
    BritBrat Posts: 3,764 Forumite
    As said they are windows updates.

    If you installed SP3 from a CD you would not have those temp/backup files.

    "KB886185" is the ref No. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185
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