c:\windows\installer folder is 270GB's ...

[thecomputerguy]

Client is out of storage I log in and see this:



Tried

Disk Cleanup
CCleaner

The files appear to be manually delete able, but I am hesitant to do that. Researching the internet just turns up a bunch of tech support stuff with people asking the same question and other people telling them to not ever delete something in the Windows folder.

A few people have mentioned this tool: https://www.homedev.com.au/Free/PatchCleaner

But PatchCleaner also seems pretty sketchy.... any thoughts? The computer is barely operational with this little storage available.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I explained all this to the client and said to run the tool (PatchCleaner) and if the computer crashed or wouldn't boot then he's prepared to replace it since it's 4 years old and all of his stuff is in OneDrive.

I explained that this entirely a gamble on his end and I have no opinion other than this might fix it, and I am not responsible for it. He agreed and said dump it ... So I made him click the button.

Badabing badaboom ... all the storage returned.

So I guess the tool works.

 

[JoelM]

I've use the patch cleaner tool a couple of times when I could find no other solution and did not have any negative side effects.

 

[GTP]

Whenever I encounter this nonsense in Windoze I reach for Bleachbit.
Works like a charm and doesn't promote rust!

 

[Philippe]

Last week, I recovered 30Gb from a 128Gb drive, by emptying c:\users\xxxx\appdata\local\temp...
(Checking C:\Windows\Temp doesn't hurt either).

 

[Markverhyden]

Last week, I recovered 30Gb from a 128Gb drive, by emptying c:\users\xxxx\appdata\local\temp...
(Checking C:\Windows\Temp doesn't hurt either).

That's always my starting points. Have a customer who has a W7 VM running on iMacs. All they are using it for is TurboCad. Even that can generate multiple gigs of temp files over several months.

 

[britechguy]

Also, at least under Windows 11, this is why it's always good to have Storage Sense (under Settings, System, Storage) turned on:


and you may want to set the cleanup schedule to a regular cycle (daily, weekly, monthly) rather than using the default:

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

We have a remediation script that runs on all assets we manage when the drive hits 85% full...our RMM runs a script that runs a version of CCleaner that cleanses all user profiles of temp files and the usual stuff.

Also have a script when can run manually to do the native Windows disk cleanup with all advanced options.

 

[britechguy]

BTW, after playing with Storage Sense more on my own machine, I would definitely be changing away from a couple of the defaults, particularly on machines with large system drives. The most critical change, in my opinion, is changing Run Storage Sense away from its default of "During low free disk space," because so much crap can accrue that it has to deal with long before you get down to 10% (or less) remaining disk space, which is what most references I can find on Storage Space suggest is it's threshold.

I had about 15% left when I kicked it off last night, it's still working on cleaning up, and when I look at This PC now I've almost doubled the amount of free space left.

It makes sense to me that Storage Sense be run cyclically on a monthly basis so that the degree of "crud build-up" simply cannot occur in the first place.

It's been interesting to watch some of the OneDrive statuses change temporarily. Many folders that I have set to "Always keep on this device" have gone to "Cloud only" during the Storage Sense cleanup process, returning to being kept on the device again afterward. My guess, and that's all it is, is that this might not have happened had I been doing regular, cyclic cleanups. The screenshot I posted showed the last automatic run for User Content (as opposed to temp files) had been all the way back in 2023.

Addendum: Storage Sense completed while I was getting coffee, here's what it reports from this first monthly run:

 

[Philippe]

But PatchCleaner also seems pretty sketchy.... any thoughts?

It looks like a GUI version of Microsoft's msizap (with the "G" option -> msizap G)...

 

[Philippe]

BTW, after playing with Storage Sense

Can you confirm it * really * cleans the temp folders (mostly \users\xxxx\appdata\local\temp & \Windows\Temp).
In my experience, most other tools don't...

 

[britechguy]

@Philippe

I guess that depends on how you define "*really* cleans." It certainly doesn't completely empty either one out. There are certain files/folders in each of those locations that are in almost constant use by something. Also, stuff gets recreated at lightning speed in the temp directories, too. I have a number of folders in the Appdata folder you note above that were created on today's date with timestamps after the completion of the run of Storage Sense.

It reports having freed up 73.9GB from "all over" which is still a major reclaiming of what had otherwise been dead space.

Nothing's perfect, but it appears that Storage Sense is way better than nothing. The perfect is the enemy of the good, and this looks "good enough" for my purposes, anyway.

 

[fincoder]

if the computer crashed or wouldn't boot then he's prepared to replace it since it's 4 years old and all of his stuff is in OneDrive.

You would suggest binning the 4-year-old computer just because it needs a nuke & pave?

 

[thecomputerguy]

You would suggest binning the 4-year-old computer just because it needs a nuke & pave?

Sure ... Unless he wants to spend $600 on a 4-Year old computer for me to refurbish it, which typically includes a new SSD, then pre-configuring his services, delivering it, re-installing it, and assisting him in reinstalling all of his applications.

 

[frase]

What is the capacity of the current drive? I would reccomend a larger one if neccesary, save the hassle.

As others have stated I do the manual removal of "C:\Users\USER\AppData\Local\Temp".
As the user would not be aware that this location exists, a whole lot of junk is stored there. This is the first thing I do whether onsite or offsite.

Some as well within what you have posted would be .msi files. The .msp you have listed are used for installation of whatever patch/update was installed for an app/program.

I would not recommend delete those, as sometimes if they are required by an active installation or update deleting them might cause issues with future updates or repairs.