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Author Topic: Can I safely delete all these drivers now?  (Read 3552 times)

Curt

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Can I safely delete all these drivers now?
« on: August 02, 2015, 06:10 PM »
In (C:) in my Win 10 there is a folder named dell, and it holds 19 folders like this one:

C:\dell\drivers\R227558

2015-08-03_005335.gif

Title      : Chip Set:Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility Driver
Version    : A01
OEM Name   : Intel
OEM Ver    : 9.1.1.1015

Computers  : Latitude - E6400, E6400 ATG, E6500, E4300, E4200, E5400, XT2, Z600, E5500, XFR E6400, 2100, E5400;
OptiPlex - 960, 360, 780, Optiplex 380, 760;
Precision - T7500, T5500, R5400, M6400, M4400, M2400, T3400, T7400, T5400, T3500, M6500

Oses       : Windows Vista 32-bit Business, Windows Vista 32-bit Home Basic, Windows Vista 32-bit Home Premium, Windows Vista 32-bit Starter, Windows Vista 32-bit Ultimate, Windows Vista 64-bit Business, Windows Vista 64-bit Home Basic, Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium, Windows Vista 64-bit UltimateWindows XP Home EditionWindows XP HOME ULCPCWindows XP Media Center EditionWindows XP ProfessionalWindows XP Tablet PC EditionWindows XP x64 Professional Client

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Created    : Thu Dec 10 21:07:30 CST 2009
-Version
folder130.gif


I am confused by the localisation; C:\dell\drivers... If all these drivers were Real Life today, they would be seen in _Installed Programs_ wouldn't they? They aren't.
I updated from Win 7. Windows Vista on this machine was at least 5 years ago. If the folder was almost empty, I wouldn't mind keeping it, but it takes up a full GIGAbytes! - and my old Solid State drive is only 119GB and has very little free space.

Can I safely delete this dell folder?  :tellme:

Shades

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Re: Can I safely delete all these drivers now?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2015, 10:44 PM »
It looks like a folder that contains DELL drivers. To be more precise, the installers for drivers. If you have room for these on a portable hard disk or something, I would move these to it. And if you do not have the room or a portable hard disk, you can throw them away. Driver installers are not necessary for the operation of your system.

What is smarter and much more efficient use of storage space is to use a piece of software called: DoubleDriver
(or look for substitutes on the Alternative-To website)
This software makes a backup of the drivers that are actually installed on your computer. Driver installers usually support several similar devices and as you usually only have one of those devices in your computer, so it is only useful keep the correct one and discard the rest.

Drivers usually end up in the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers folder. Don't go and remove things you don't recognize from that folder, because that will result in re-installing your computer.

There are more dangerous ways to reclaim storage space.

Over time the WinSxS folder inside your Windows folder will become huge. Windows updates/servicepacks etc. keep an extra copy of themselves in that folder, so Windows can revert to previous states if the need arises. Don't delete from this folder either, because that will result in re-installing applications if you are lucky. Re-installing your computer is more likely.

There is another folder 'Windows\installers' that also consumes up storage space over time. When you install Windows, all the installers for every feature/roles your Windows version supports end up in that folder. Even if these are not used. And guess what, don't bluntly delete anything from this folder either. Same risks as before.

With all the above in mind, if you have a clear and single use for a computer that is not going to change over the life-span of this computer, there are rather simple PowerShell scripts that detect what features/roles are installed and actively used. These can then delete whatever is not used. In case you have a single use for your computer, you can gain significant amounts of storage space, because the WinSxS and Installers folders will be cleaned out. When Windows itself starts deleting from this folders, it is more likely that your system will remain working.

Not sure if I should link to this directly, so let me say that a google search for 'clean up winsxs folder windows 8' will reveal much more on this matter...and also a lot more reasons why you shouldn't think lightly about this. Only for the brave...

Stoic Joker

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Re: Can I safely delete all these drivers now?
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2015, 06:35 AM »
It looks like a folder that contains DELL drivers. To be more precise, the installers for drivers. If you have room for these on a portable hard disk or something, I would move these to it. And if you do not have the room or a portable hard disk, you can throw them away. Driver installers are not necessary for the operation of your system.


Yes, and assuming it's a Dell computer, that's where Dell always puts the driver installation backups.

Curt

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Re: Can I safely delete all these drivers now?
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2015, 07:01 AM »
I moved the folder to the external (D:), and rebooted. Everything went well.
Thanks a lot to both of you.  :up: