XP: Make IE8 permanent after use of IE7 Cleanup

[SoftwareRot]

This is for Windows XP users who have used IE7 and now have IE8.

If your system is stable and are not going to uninstall IE8 you can delete lots of junk left by IE7.

 

Delete folder C:\WINDOWS\IE7 (contains IE6 to IE7 update rollback files)

Delete folder C:\WINDOWS\IE8 (contains IE7 to IE8 update rollback files)

Delete folder C:\WINDOWS\IE7Updates (contains IE7 security patches rollback files)

Delete all folders from C:\WINDOWS\$hf_mig$ which include IE7 in their name

 

Registry: delete all keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP0 which include IE7 in their name. If you have had all IE7 patches installed these keys contains total of several thousand values and will free up more than 500kb data from registry.

 

This cleanup is also pretty easy to do manually if this doesn't make into CCleaner. CCLeaner philosophy seems to be more like that every patch/servicepack should be uninstallable forever instead of 'make all patches permanent after x-months of stable use'. But ill post this here anyway

[fireryone]

If this was to be included, it should be defiantly placed in the Advanced section

I havne't tested it myself but it might be useful info for all us advanced PC users in the forum, and may not be a good idea for ccleaner.

 

So you have any online references to others who have done the above to their system?

[ePost]

Microsoft can take the crap out if you use the link in my signature. It's the safe way.

[fireryone]

Microsoft can take the crap out if you use the link in my signature. It's the safe way.

ePost have you verified that the MS cleaner deletes those files or are you just plugging their software again?

[ePost]

I have done small scale checking, yes. More than once. It will take out a lot of left over crap files from old IE versions. But not the roll-back files. Of cause. Removing the uninstall options is silly. Malware can make a reinstall of IE necessary. You need IE for reinstalling IE.

 

Having said that I have IE8 installed directly over IE5 because I reformatted recently. To uninstall previous versions properly and then reinstall IE8 is a way of achieving the same. Just deleting IE program files is a bad idea. Frankly.

 

I like that online scanner very much. I have others that I like equally well but it's not allowed to recommend anti-malware programs inhere. But since the free OneCare online is an official Microsoft offer it's acceptable, mods have said.

[hazelnut]

To to clear this up, the mods suggested putting LiveOne care in your sig ePost and letting people decide for themselves if they want to use it.

 

They didn't say for you to mention it in nearly every post

[MikeW]

I have done small scale checking, yes. More than once. It will take out a lot of left over crap files from old IE versions. But not the roll-back files. Of cause. Removing the uninstall options is silly. Malware can make a reinstall of IE necessary. You need IE for reinstalling IE.

 

Having said that I have IE8 installed directly over IE5 because I reformatted recently. To uninstall previous versions properly and then reinstall IE8 is a way of achieving the same. Just deleting IE program files is a bad idea. Frankly.

 

I like that online scanner very much. I have others that I like equally well but it's not allowed to recommend anti-malware programs inhere. But since the free OneCare online is an official Microsoft offer it's acceptable, mods have said.

 

You are getting as bad as the spammers epost

[Andavari]

Microsoft can take the crap out if you use the link in my signature. It's the safe way.

The problem is the registry cleaner they use is overly aggressive and will tag some valid stuff as invalid, it's not the worst registry cleaner by far but still a little aggressive to say the least. Nothing sucks more than having to reinstall a working program because of registry cleaning, so using it you have to know what registry values it wants to remove - and since most end-users just click the clean all button they'll run into issues.