Windows 7 How to Delete Uninstalled Hidden Updates?

[proteus459]

Windows Updates recently automatically installed two .NET 4 updates. Almost immediately my system began misbehaving: my Firefox Booksmarks toolbar disappeared along with all the bookmarks it held, the shutdown/sleep/lock/logoff button in the start menu changed selection each time the Start menu was opened, desktop icons moved and/or disappeared each time the desktop was opened.

I uninstalled the two updates (Kb2468871 and Kb 2533523) and the system returned to normal.

I hid those 2 updates and changed my update setting to "notify but don't download" so MS doesn't install .NET updates I didn't know about BUT I am concerned that those 2 updates are still stored in my system.

I know that Windows stores updates in C:\Windows\Software Distribution\Download. My dilemma is that there are more than 30 folders/files stored there and I can determine the contents of only the 2 folders. I can't open the files so I don't know which of them to delete to remove the .NET 4 updates. I've been installing MSE updates manually for the past week.

How can I clear my system of those 2 hidden .NET updates?

 

[Super Sarge]

what version of FF were or are you using, those updates did not hide my FF toolbar. Latest FF is 6.0.2

 

[davehc]

Same here- I have those updates without problems. I think, if your system is now normal, you are worrying needlessly.
fwiw. You can delete the entire contents of that folder (downloads), without harm. But it will retain a couple of entries, placed there on initial installation. But it would be a waste of time - it will not solve your problem.

 

[proteus459]

what version of FF were or are you using, those updates did not hide my FF toolbar. Latest FF is 6.0.2

I using FF 3.6.22. It is still being supported and updated and I saw no significant improvements in FF 4, 5 or 6 that would warrant moving to a different version.

The matter of a "problem" is moot; I don't intend to install any more .NET updates. There have simply been too many reports of computer misbehavior resulting from them. I didn't install any .NET updates in my last system (2010, Win XP) after 2.0 and suffered no loss of functionality. I just want to get rid of the 2 that were downloaded but not installed.

 

[Super Sarge]

The problem is not an MS problem, I would bet you a Dollar to a doughnut if you had the latest FF running you would not have had that problem. Many more people have not had a problem with net, just a very small slight few have experienced problems. Remember people who do not have problems very rarely report that everything is OK, so those that do think it is a major issue. I also find that most peoples problems are usually operator error, but it is easier to Blame the OS

 

[proteus459]

The discussion boards are crammed with reports of instability and bad behavior in FF6, and the advice in many well-known and respected Windows blogs is to avoid the .NET updates until MS straightens out that whole mess. Mozilla's new strategy of rapid fire updates is sending builds into service that have no business being there. Why do you suppose that v. 3.6.22 and 6.x.xx are the only 2 builds being supported by mozilla... v4 and v5 have disappeared? It's simply to give people a version to fall back on when they have problems with the latest and greatest.

Mozilla's attitude that "our browser is fine...everyone else has a problem" is going to lose them market share unless they stop looking out at the world through their belly button. As I said: I haven't found a thing I need .NET for so I can see no good reason to keep upgrading it if it's going to muck up my system.

But thanks for your replies...