What are Windows Installer Patch (.MSP) files? Can you remove them?
the Windows Installer Patch (.MSP) files on Windows 10 are located under the C: Windows Installer $ PatchCache $ root directory. In this article, we will try to explain what the Windows Installer patch (.MSP) files are, as well as provide concise instructions on how to remove these files from your Windows 10 computer.
The Windows 10 operating system, like any other similar platform, receives regular updates. These updates are intended to address reported bugs and software related issues to improve the overall user experience. Depending on each update and its importance, among the different bug fixes, these fixes include new features, system applications and even new features or security improvements.
After installing a Windows patch on your Windows 10 computer, the patch file and other associated packages will be cached in a dedicated folder.
What are Windows Installer Patch (.MSP) files
After the Windows patch on your Windows 10 computer, the patch file and other installation related files are cached in the hidden system directory as shown below
C:WindowsInstaller$PatchCache$
The files in this cache are mainly used to restore the system when a patch is uninstalled. Over time, this storage space can get quite large, and if you have a computer in your office / work, business, home, or school with a fast-filling hard drive, clearing the cache can free up gigabytes of space. be used for business documents such as contracts, invoices, employee evaluations or copies of business letters as well as other non-commercial documents / files.
Although it is not really recommended that you delete the essential installation directories, the cache folder that stores the installation patch files can be safely deleted from your Windows 10 computer. Continue below to find out how remove the Windows Installer patch files (.MSP) from your device.
How to remove Windows Installer patch (.MSP) files
You must be logged in as an administrator on your Windows 10 device to be able to delete the Windows Installer patch files (.MSP).
To delete / delete manually Windows Installer patch files (.MSP), proceed as follows:
- Once connected on your PC, press Windows key + R to call the Run dialog box.
- In the Run dialog box, type cmd and press Enter to open the command prompt.
- In the CMD window, copy and paste the command below and press Enter.
rmdir /q /s %WINDIR%Installer$PatchCache$
That’s all! Once the command has been executed, the Windows Installer patch files (.MSP) will be removed from your Windows 10 computer.
Lily: How to clean up unused .MSI and .MSP files in the Windows Installer folder.
Additional information
Keep the following important information in mind:
- Only files from C: Windows Installer $ PatchCache $ directory called base cover, can be safely deleted. Do not, in no case delete anything from the Windows Installer cache folder located in C: Windows Installer; this could cause serious problems in the future that would require reinstalling the operating system or some important software.
- Although clearing the base cache is safe, if you want to uninstall a patch in the future, you will need to download the specific patch installation file. For this reason, remember to back up your base cache to an external hard drive before erasing it.
On the last note, if your goal is simply to free up disk space, consider running the Disk Cleanup utility before clearing the base cache.
