C:/Windows/Installer
 

I have 12 gigs of files in this folder, and I downloaded the WICleanup tool to remove unused ones. Except after scanning, it pretty much listed all of the files in the folder as "unused".

I'm reluctant to delete it because I know it's not actually that safe to remove MSI files lol but it's taking up so much room...! I don't have a lot of space on my SSD and I have already uninstalled / removed as much unnecessary files as I can off that drive...

It's kind of annoying because I don't install a lot on my SSD drive yet the drive tends to run out of space often... I already did a disc clean up etc, and TreeSize is telling me that the Installer folder is the real culprit.

Anyone tried to clean up their Installer folder before?

TL;DR version: No. Don't touch unless you know what you're doing. :cutielove:

As for details, I will take Triumph's approach here and hit you with research:

Source

In this case, the emphasis is on storage and removal. That folder contains files necessary for program updates and clean uninstalls. If you happen to delete something, a program may not work properly. Especially if it's a program you don't use very often, since you'll only notice the results some time later.

Here's another post which goes into a little more detail about %windir%\Installer directory: Details

EDIT:

Have you tried using Windows Disk CleanUp Tool?

Ah ok, guess I'll leave it then. 10 gigs =( why take up sooo much spaceee!

Yeah I have used that. I ended up managing to clear a bit more after cleaning up system files via disk clean up, and also using ccleaner. At least the drive space is not in red anymore LOL

10 Gigs 'so much'? Since when? You can get sales on Terabyte HDD drives for less than $60 CAD (CAD/AUD currency rates are almost the same, though I may be off for a dollar).

Not talking about HDDs, referring to my SSD which only has 55 gigs of space.

So upgrading capacity with extra 1+ Terabyte HDDs is a problem? I don't understand you.

How many storage drives do you have overall inside the case?

Aren't SSD more expensive than HDDs? for $60+ I can prob get a 120GB SSD... but for the amount of effort I'd need to go to do upgrade that... I'll just keep clearing a gigabyte at a time every now and then lol.

I have a terabyte HDD already so that's not my problem....

Based on the above posts you have a 55 GBs SSD for your disk C, and a terabyte HDD for another disk, maybe D.

For a Home Computer 55 Gigs for disk C and system partition should be sufficient. That leads me to question: What exactly are you doing on your SSD?

That's exactly what I want to know.. most of my big programs are installed on my D drive, all my files are on my D drive.... only smaller programs I install on the C drive...

Which was why I used treesize to find out what's taking up so much space and it's the Installer folder.

I hate to disappoint but ALL program uninstall information is stored in that particular place. No matter where some particular program is installed. :sad:

EDIT: Actually I'm curious now. I have ~5GBs with of files in that particular folder on my system, and you have ~10GBs. Exactly how many programs do you have installed?

I've got the adobe master collection installed on my computer and that's a pretty big set of files. LoL and lots of Steam games. I also have a tendency to install and uninstall a lot of small programs. Maybe it's a built up of that.

Sounds like a Windows 8/8.1 problem. I have no such folder on my Windows 7 machine.

This folder is not directly visible, you have to manually specify the path in the address bar in order to see it. But it's there, and I believe it's been that way ever since Win95.

Though Windows 2K and NT use C:\WINNT\Installer path instead.

Yeah I'm on windows 7

I guess you will have to manually go through all the folders if your not sure which one you want to delete.

Wait, the ENTIRE thing? Are you sure you need all that? Because unless you are a professional designer who does design for a living, I doubt you use even half of the whole suite. :nahnah:

Not to mention that the license for 1 machine costs around $1k USD, and that seems like a frivolous spend of money. Even if YOU ARE a designer. :goaway:

No not the entire collection... maybe 3-4 programs? But even if I uninstall it, doesn't it keep the MSI files anyway? =/

But I did get the whole set legally for $98 only =P /gloat

$98? Whut. :urweird: :cries:

... is that place still open?

On-topic: Technically if you uninstall the suite, the good programs should ALWAYS clean up after themselves. Question as to which programs are 'good' is of course open to debate. :uhoh:

ohh maybe I'll uninstall the ones I rarely use then.

Personally, I think you spend more time cleaning the drive to recuperate the space every time it slightly clogs up, e.g. looking for what to delete. Windows updates will keep coming and take up space. Assuming all of your Steam games, programs, Home folders (Desktop, Music, Downloads, Pictures, Videos) are configured to be placed on the 1TB HDD, the Windows and Office updates alone will fill up the drive eventually.

If the items in bold aren't configured as such, it's a good time to go back to do so.

The main solution is getting a 120+ GB SSD. You only install it once, use the data migration software to move the OS once and you're good to go for the next few years. I mean, I'd prefer a day of hassle and not worry about the same problem over and over.

Just had a look at my own computer for comparison... I've installed a couple of Adobe Programs (maybe 3?), I haven't even got a single game on here yet.. and my C Drive is already 72GB used on a 120GB SSD.

My C:/Windows/Installer folder is only 830MB... but I do use Window 8. Perhaps windows nowadays is taking up lots of space...

On which drive are your songs, videos, documents, etc. stored?

separate drive.. I've got like.. 6 other hard drives LOL

Only 49GB here. Those Adobe programs seem to take up a lot of space...