Can i delete the JAVA and windows XP updates that I see in the control panel?

That sounds like trouble, safest bet is to burn all the files in C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB.....$ to disc then delete.  If your really in a bind for disc space you can do the following until you find files that you can purge safetly.

Right Click My Computer
Select Properties
Select Advanced Tab
In the Performance frame select Settings
Click Advanced
In the bottom there is Virtual Memory
You can safely take this down to 768 or 512 but you may take a small performance hit if you don't have much RAM.

You can also run disc cleanup

Do an Advance search on all your drives for files > 10MB and see if you need them, for example most images and video will be quite large and not necessarily needed.

Go to internet explorer and internet options and delete all files

If you uninstall a old service pack your basically uninstalling all service packs and possibly deleting important new files and patches.

You could also go to add remove programs and look for programs that you never use and uninstall them

You could also run Windows Install Clean up which will get rid of a lot of unneed files http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

I guess I should have been more clear in my question.  I am a pretty advanced user as far as maintaining my system.  I run disk cleanup all the time, and I use EXPLORER XP to give me an accurate accounting of what directories take up space and where the biggest files are.  I am pretty thorough and I even delete saved game file from the games I play.

I do have a full GIG of RAM but reducing the virtual memory doesn't appeal to me, I need all the power I can get.

So, rephrasing, Are you saying that the 50 files that are listed like this:
 
WINDOWS XP HOTFIX KB - 847742
SECURITY UPDATE FOR WINDOWS XP (KX4566)

Are not something I can delete becuase whatever they brought to the table will be deleted also? I have files from 2 years ago in there!.. none of the following 35 updates incorporate those changes?
and the JAVA runtime ones actually have files sizes on them and between the 5 of them I have listed there they are app. a half a gig of space!.. These do not seem like "updates" as much as they seem like completely new installs with a new release number.

If I cannot delete these I guess I will have to start looking at the option of cloning my drive to a larger one.  

Thanks




                                                           

you can delete the installation files but dont uninstall any update windows xp
anyway is better to install a new HDso you may use it as main HD or secondary one and tranfer your data on it..
if you want to keep your old HD with your programs untached...

greetings

I will leave the following recommendation for this question in the Cleanup topic area:
   Split: rbassal {http:#18246173} & damey {http:#18247683}

Any objections should be posted here in the next 4 days. After that time, the question will be closed.

riteheer
EE Cleanup Volunteer

I have no objections, I apologize for not responding, delay was unavoidable on my side.  

no prob.

ok, no prob