Deleting Old Windows Update Uninstall Files?

Frozen-Solid asks: "With the release of Windows XP SP2, I got to thinking about how all of these windows updates leave their uninstall information 'just in case' you need to uninstall them for some random reason. However, after you've had them up and running for a few weeks/months/years and no longer need that backup information, is it safe to just delete those ugly hidden directories from the Windows directory or is there a 'safer' way to free up that wasted space? My current update backup collection is totaling over half a gig which could easily be better spent elsewhere."

safest way....

[stonebeat.org]

Copy the backup the files on CD (700 MB) and delete them.

Re:Ask Slashdot? How about asking Google first..

[gl4ss]

but then you lose your 5 minutes of slashdot fame! where's the fun in that.

(seriously, a lot of these on slashdot seems just like the product of thinkin up a problem - then not trying to solve it - and posting to slashdot)

seriously, if something would get solved with google, and if not with it then faster on some irc channel or smaller forum than slashdot why waste slashdots bandwith and readers time about reading flamy comments spurring from simple answers.

fresh install

[SanityInAnarchy]

Face it, Windows is at its best with a fresh install. You know you'll have to sooner or later. So do it now -- back up critical things (burn them, email them, whatever) and wipe your hard drive. Install everything from scratch, update windows to latest SP, and get rid of all Windows Update files -- if something breaks in the next 5 minutes and you wished you could "restore" a previous SP -- just reinstall!

Re:Ask Slashdot? How about asking Google first..

[Anonymous Coward]

not everyone thinks about issues like this one (i hadn't), but thanks to this being here, i now know its cool to remove those files, so i can download 120 more megabytes of pr0n. thank you frozen-solid!

if you don't like a blurb, read the summary and move on. why bitch about it? this is a free site, its not like you're paying them to provide you with relevant breaking news, are you?