What are the $NtUninstallKBxxxxxxx$ folders in Windows?

Updated: 08/31/2020 by Computer Hope
Microsoft Windows

Folders such as $NtUninstallKB42773$, $NtUninstallKB873339$, $NtUninstallQ329048$, contain the files necessary to uninstall a Microsoft Windows updates installed on your computer. These folders are hidden in the "Windows" or "Winnt" folder depending on your version. They are shown if you are displaying hidden files on your computer.

If you're running out of disk space on your computer, these folders are safe to delete. However, for safety precautions, we suggestion only deleting the folders that are at least a few months or few years old. In some situations, it may be necessary to uninstall more recent patches.

To locate and delete these files, follow the steps below.

  1. Open My Computer.
  2. In My Computer, open the C: drive.
  3. Open the Windows folder.
  4. In this folder, the first folders listed should be $NTUninstall folders. To delete these files and folders, select all folders that begin with $NTUninstall and are older than a month, then press the Delete key.
Note

These folders are hidden by default. If you can't see them, configure Windows File Explorer to display hidden files. For help with seeing hidden files, see: How to view hidden files and folders in Windows.