Timeline for Can I delete the folder C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
30 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 28 at 6:58 | comment | added | Scotty | If you've moving your Package Cache to a network drive or UNC path, you'll need to use mklink /D oldpath newpath instead. | |
| Sep 27, 2023 at 11:27 | history | edited | Glorfindel | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
broken link fixed, cf. https://meta.stackoverflow.com/a/406565/4751173
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| Jun 3, 2021 at 6:10 | history | edited | Glorfindel | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
broken link fixed
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| May 28, 2018 at 7:56 | comment | added | 0xA3 | This seems now outdated. See docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/… | |
| Jun 3, 2017 at 11:02 | comment | added | SDsolar | If you have removed Visual Studio the YES you can delete this leftover directory. See my answer below. | |
| Apr 8, 2017 at 15:38 | comment | added | pgr | Just to share a failed tip: I tried compressing the folder contents and the results are almost nothing. Not worth trying, this is already compressed. | |
| Sep 22, 2016 at 12:48 | comment | added | Sz. | @bubbleking: Thanks for checking back with the update, much appreciated! | |
| Sep 19, 2016 at 14:21 | comment | added | bubbleking | @Sz. - installers. After using Total Uninstaller, nothing got better. Like I said, I'll just need to install Windows fresh. This time, though, I'm older and wiser and know which bloaty packages I don't need to install from VS and SQL Server. | |
| Sep 19, 2016 at 14:19 | comment | added | bubbleking | @Sz. - Nope. It just made the items kind of disappear from Programs and Features as though they were already uninstalled, but some of them stayed and just didn't have their icons anymore. Truth be told this was a system where several versions of SQL Server and VS had been installed and removed. Before putting on SQL Server 2016 and VS 2015 Update 3, I wanted to start with a clean slate. I thought I'd probably need to just clean install Windows, but first I tried using Total Uninstaller to remove the myriad VS/SQL packages I never used. The uninstallers weren't working, nor were the... | |
| Sep 19, 2016 at 13:50 | comment | added | Sz. | @bubbleking: Please, please come back to us and tell if zapping the monster had resolved the deadlock! | |
| Sep 16, 2016 at 14:42 | comment | added | bubbleking | The only reason I know of this folder's existence is because I'm trying to uninstall VS 2013 using the Programs and Features panel, and while the dark box that says "Visual Studio" comes up, no uninstaller ever arrives. So, curious what the item in the Programs and Features list was even pointing to, I looked for it on disk and found these package caches. I can't uninstall OR install VS as of now (and the version that's installed isn't launching), so I think deleting this folder is my last resort before I have to do a clean install of Windows to get going again. | |
| Sep 6, 2016 at 21:08 | comment | added | MikeOnline | Another Microsoft blog post discusses this topic and mentions the need to maintain file/folder permissions when relocating this folder. The blog post describes using a VHD, but a subsequent comment by the author claims using a junction point is valid, too. But the ACL's need to be accounted for. See blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/heaths/2014/02/11/… | |
| Sep 1, 2016 at 9:32 | comment | added | Flak DiNenno | @Simon I'll try to help, but, sorry which comment exactly are you referring to. thnx. | |
| Aug 31, 2016 at 0:36 | comment | added | Simon |
I'm very confused about the absolute/relative comments. if i'm moving it to another drive then surely it has to be absolute? I also don't know what 'move the link and target together' means. I just cut and paste to another drive and did mklink /J "c:\programdata\Package Cache" "s:\package cache"and it all worked fine - but can someone elaborate on the absolute/relative comment for me. thx
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| Aug 1, 2016 at 4:34 | comment | added | kadrach | So I have this friend cough who deleted this folder, is there a way to regenerate the PackageCache? The linked blog post does mention this, but does not go into detail.. | |
| Jul 19, 2016 at 21:15 | comment | added | Ben Voigt | As a more permanent fix, use NTFS permissions and deny "delete" permission on the junction itself. | |
| Jul 19, 2016 at 21:15 | comment | added | Ben Voigt | Did the trick with moving to another drive and making a junction. Running VS2015 SP3 installer today, the installer caused the junction to devolve to a normal directory (possibly when uninstalling an older version of some component, it recursed through "empty" parent directories removing them -- there are known problems with junctions and naive empty directory tests). So it placed new components in C:\ProgramData\Package Cache and then failed to find items in the new location where the junction formerly pointed. Just a warning to future readers the junction may need to be re-established. | |
| May 11, 2016 at 23:27 | comment | added | Todd Menier | Dear Microsoft: Please do not use the name "cache" to describe a folder that causes this much headache when deleted. Thanks. | |
| Jan 6, 2016 at 16:33 | comment | added | toddmo | I'm thinking if a needed package is not in the cache, VS will download it. So I'm going to just delete it. I'll update this comment later if I run into issues. | |
| S May 13, 2015 at 12:35 | history | suggested | Sk8erPeter | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
putting the quoted part in a blockquote, converting the tags to Markdown syntax
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| May 13, 2015 at 11:50 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S May 13, 2015 at 12:35 | |||||
| Feb 17, 2014 at 1:12 | vote | accept | Ben L | ||
| Feb 16, 2014 at 0:26 | history | edited | Flak DiNenno | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Added details and link to definitive recommendation from Microsoft to NOT DELETE folder
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| Feb 2, 2014 at 15:25 | history | edited | Flak DiNenno | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Added some more explanation to how/why. Addressed offline storage
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| Feb 2, 2014 at 15:06 | comment | added | Flak DiNenno | @BenL even though you "can't really test my original scenario but I recall that everything uninstalled fine. Since there are several people saying they have had issues, I've revoked the accepted answer." I think my answer above allows anyone in any situation to get around the issue in all cases. | |
| S Dec 15, 2013 at 19:32 | history | suggested | Dennis G | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
bit of formatting
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| Dec 15, 2013 at 12:48 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Dec 15, 2013 at 19:32 | |||||
| Dec 15, 2013 at 12:47 | comment | added | Dennis G | +1 for Hardlink Shell Extension. Couldn't live without it. | |
| Aug 15, 2013 at 16:34 | comment | added | marek | this is great solution. i need to cleanup my SSD c drive by moving files to other drive. many thanks | |
| Jan 19, 2013 at 15:34 | history | answered | Flak DiNenno | CC BY-SA 3.0 |