If you use any software to analyze the contents of the disk, it is possible that Windows 10 have a hidden system folder C: NWindowsNInstaller Takes a lot of space: sometimes hundreds of megabytes and, sometimes, gigabytes, hence the question: what is this folder and what can and cannot be done with it.
This tutorial is about whether you can delete the WindowsInstaller folder, the files it contains, what you can do and if there is a way to reduce the space this folder takes up on your hard drive or SSD. It may also be of interest to you: How to free up space on your C drive.
Is it feasible to delete files from C: Windows Installer in Windows 10?
If we look in the folder C: WindowsInstaller (the folder is hidden by default, but we can easily access it by typing the folder path in the browser address bar, o Enabling hidden and protected system files to be shown in Windows 10) , we will find a set of files with extensions .msi and .msp, and folders: composed of code and other independent files with a .tmp extension.
Is it feasible to delete all this? The short solution is don't., you should not. You can only delete .tmp folders safely, but they don't take up much space. Despite this, it is feasible to clean this folder to some extent, as explained in the next section.
And the first of what these files are in WindowsN Installer are the program installer files (those installed on the computer) who use the service “Windows Installer” to be installed and are used when updating a program or when, Conversely, is to uninstall via “PanelA panel is a group of experts that meets to discuss and analyze a specific topic. These forums are common at conferences, seminars and public debates, where participants share their knowledge and perspectives. Panels can address a variety of areas, from science to politics, and its objective is to encourage the exchange of ideas and critical reflection among the attendees.... Control” – “Programs and components”. They can also be used for the function “repair installation”. Consequently, uninstalling them may cause problems with these tasks.
How to delete the WindowsInstaller folder
Sometimes it happens that in this folder there are installers for .msi and .msp programs that are no longer used in other parts of the system and these files can be deleted, but this needs to determine which files are. Note: theoretically, the steps described below may have unintended consequences.
You can use the free utility PatchCleaner, the official web portal of the developer: https://www.homedev.com.au/Free/PatchCleaner (use the tab “downloads” at the top of the program description to download it).
After starting PatchCleaner, the utility will scan the contents of the specified folder and, if between the C files: WindowsInstaller there are files that are no longer used (will be displayed in the sections “Excluded by filters” Y “orphans”. Such files can be deleted immediately (Delete) or move to the specified folder (it's better to use the second option first to make sure everything works as before).
At the same time, if you click “Details” next to the number of files found, including those still in use, you will be able to see information about which programs the found .msi and .msp files belong to, how much disk space to occupy, and possibly choose to delete some of these programs if you no longer use them and they are not necessary for the proper functioning of other software.
Video-tutorial
I hope the information has been useful to you.. Speaking of large folders in Windows 10: you can delete the folder DriverStoreFileRepository.
