Cant Remove MSP files

[MBRman]

HI

I believe I have a ton of MSP files hogging my hard drive. I have just the basics on loaded on my computer and I have only 3g open. I have moved all photos etc to my D drive. When I defrag it cant do a complete frag because I only have approx 11-12% free. I defrag anyway, when it is complete and you can view files that did not defrag, I literally have over 75,000 in frags belonging to files such as : Windows/installer/ao2edc7.msp. all are windows/installer/ just have different numbers, but have the MSP ending. (Usually each has between 4000-6000 frags) When I do a file search or any search for them, I can not find them to delete them. How can I get rid of those files?? If I go to the windows folder in windows explorer, there is no "installer" file.

Any help would be GREAT

Thanks

 

[scooter]

.msp are ms paint files...

but the windows installer msp is a self-contained package that contains the updates/patch to an application and describes which versions of the application can receive the patch. Patches contain at a minimum, two database transforms and can contain patch files that are stored in the cabinet file stream of the patch package...

if any piece of these files is missing, changed..etc.. it will obviously cause issues including but not limited to..difficulty in uninstalling files.

There is a scan tool someplace but...I cant find it yet,..it can identify what if anything is missing..

Hopefully someone else has some input...I'm not having luck finding this thing..

Although. given the shear volume of crap on your hdd...you might just bite the bullet and reformat. Start clean cause if you have that many msp patchs that are mucked up...it might be quicker to do a full reformat..

 

[EvilCheeseGrater]

Gotta agree with scooter there. Backing up any really important files that you really need, and reformatting, might be the best way forward.

But assuming for a moment that you go about trying to remove these files - don't. They are protected operating system files (which is why you can't see them). Deleting, moving, or modifying these files might mess up your operating system in some way, and then you might not be able to use it at all.

It doesn't sound like they are messed up, it just sounds like they are incredibly fragmented (even if they are messed up, deleting them most likely won't help, and might even make things worse). The trouble with windows defragmenter is that it can't defragment operating system files, because the operating system is running during the defrag.

There are programs, such as Raxco PerfectDisk (although unfortunately that isn't free ), which will allow you to defragment these operating system files by rebooting your machine, and defragmenting the disk before these files start to be used.

However, if you don't want to spend money, then a complete reformat might be the best option.

 

[scooter]

..However, if you don't want to spend money, then a complete reformat might be the best option.

Yeh, I know everyone is quick to say REFORMAT..

but in this case, I really believe that is your best option to start fresh again...because it will be so difficult/impossible/frustrating to try to wade through all those things.