When I run Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool it unpacks its files on a large (1TB) USB drive, which is the drive with the most empty space. How can I force the tool to unpack the files on a drive of my choice or in the TEMP directory?I have the same issue when updating Windows .. as the larger hotfixes unpack their temporary files on the USB drive also. Again, I would like to force the 'updater' to unpack the files on one of my regular HDDs. I have plenty of space .. but the USB drive is the largest.Thanks, CBA1 person needs an answerI do too

maybe if the usb device was unplugged then it would not be utilized by windows. -- db`...><)))> ."CBA10075" wrote in message news:ac4ae40d-f642-46d2-ba9a-0833130b1a21...When I run Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool it unpacks its files on a large (1TB) USB drive, which is the drive with the most empty space. How can I force the tool to unpack the files on a drive of my choice or in the TEMP directory?I have the same issue when updating Windows .. as the larger hotfixes unpack their temporary files on the USB drive also. Again, I would like to force the 'updater' to unpack the files on one of my regular HDDs. I have plenty of space .. but the USB drive is the largest.Thanks, CBAdb`...>-)))> `...>-)))> share the nirvana mann

It is true that when installing or updating some applications, a temporary folders of 20-30 random letters and numbers is created in the root folder of the drive with the most free space, but then the temporary folders should be deleted.Sometimes the deletion of the temporary folders part does not work though (for Microsoft and non Microsoft applications). Sometimes the temporary folders are stubborn and seem to defy even manual deletion, but they can be dealt with. Do you have a stubborn one?I don't know (yet) how to tell XP to use a specific drive instead of the one with the most free space, but was wondering is your problem that you just want the temp folders to be created someplace else or is the problem that the temp folders are just not being deleted properly?If you tell XP to use some other drive, will not the issue of lingering temporary folders just be move to another drive? Maybe that would be okay, but it would seem that that just moves the problem but does not really fix it. Unless you are watching the drive, you should not even notice the temp folder creation and subsequent deletion.I cannot recall the last time I saw a lingering temporary folder on my system drive with the most free space in a long time and don't think I am going to install the Microsoft MRT to test it (I hope everyone understands).Do you think that some large hotfix created a temp folder that did not get deleted and what hotfix would that be? Once you install a hotfix, you usually don't have to install it again, do you?Or, there is the other idea... maybe if the usb device was unplugged it would not be utilized by windows. Besides being inconvenient, that too would only seem to move the problem to another drive.Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!

DatabaseBen, Gee whiz .. never thought of that one! But you may be right .. no USB no issue. Jokes aside, yes, that's an option/solution, but not the one I'm looking for. Any other proposal out there .. as I don't want to unplug the USB drive. Thanks, CBA

I don't know (yet) how to tell XP to use a specific drive instead of the one with the most free space, but was wondering is your problem that you just want the temp folders to be created someplace else or is the problem that the temp folders are just not being deleted properly?JoseIbarra, thanks. The temp folders by themselves don't bother me as, as you said, most of the time they are automatically deleted. The rest I delete when I see them. It's simply a matter of (subjective) speed, as some hotfixes are faster executed when unpacked/run from my normal drives rather that the USB drive. Unplugging the USB is not very convenient .. so that's not the solution I'm looking for. Thanks, CBA

windows-kb890830-v3.14.exe /x:Yourdrive:\Yourfolder. Execute from command line. Please note that mrt.exe will be present in system32 directory once unpacked using standard method, so if you are not updating to a newer version just pop up run and then mrt.exe

maybe - ClickStart, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER. Click theAdvanced tab. ClickEnvironment Variables button. double check to see that the temps and tmp are set to the c drive and not your usb. also, double check both user and system panes in that panel.-- db`...><)))> ."CBA10075" wrote in message news:07a6895c-1ee6-4a2a-a6ba-648a30ad0ec1...DatabaseBen, Gee whiz .. never thought of that one! But you may be right .. no USB no issue. Jokes aside, yes, that's an option/solution, but not the one I'm looking for. Any other proposal out there .. as I don't want to unplug the USB drive. Thanks, CBAdb`...>-)))> `...>-)))> share the nirvana mann

maybe - ClickStart, clickRun, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.Click theAdvanced tab.ClickEnvironment Variablesbutton. double check to see that the temps and tmp are set to the c drive and not your usb. for example, you can create a folder called c:\temps.then set the tmps and temps to target the new folder.also, do the same in the system pane-- db·´¯`·...¸><)))º> ."CBA10075" wrote in message news:07a6895c-1ee6-4a2a-a6ba-648a30ad0ec1...DatabaseBen, Gee whiz .. never thought of that one! But you may be right .. no USB no issue. Jokes aside, yes, that's an option/solution, but not the one I'm looking for. Any other proposal out there .. as I don't want to unplug the USB drive. Thanks, CBAdb·´¯`·...¸>-)))º> ·´¯`·...¸>-)))º> share the nirvana mann

Maybe we are not talking about the same things...When you say hotfixes run faster from the normal drives than they do on USB drives, what hotfixes are you talking about that run from an external drive?As Microsoft hotfixes get installed (the KBnnnnnn type fixes) they usually make a folder under c:\windows, unpack their load, make backup copies of old files, then replace old files with new versions. Nothing get used or "runs" from the hotfix folder after that...I don't know about MSRT or what it does but somebody who uses it might.If you care to elaborate, perhaps we will have some idee-ers.Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!

windows-kb890830-v3.14.exe /x:Yourdrive:\Yourfolder. Execute from command line. Please note that mrt.exe will be present in system32 directory once unpacked using standard method, so if you are not updating to a newer version just pop up run and then mrt.exeThanks Patone, this helped me find the solution for running Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool .. even though the unpacking still takes place on the USB drive. It seems that I have to live with this (unpacking on the largest drive, no questions asked...) MS anomaly. One up and a few to go...! CBA

DatabaseBen, been there, done that. Even with the correct (temp and tmp) environmental variables set, hotfixes et al are unpacked to the largest drive. The way I see it, the updater (and related programs requiring file-unpacking) should have an user option to set a drive/folder of the user's choice. But, it doesn't. Thanks, CBA

As Microsoft hotfixes get installed (the KBnnnnnn type fixes) they usually make a folder under c:\windows, unpack their load, make backup copies of old files, then replace old files with new versions. Nothing get used or "runs" from the hotfix folder after that...JoseIbarra, the above is true if you have not partitioned your drive and only use a C: drive. Or, if partitioned, your C: drive is the largest drive. In my case, I have 2 normal HDs plus a large USB drive. My C: drive only holds the OS and related files .. and is thus kept relatively small at 22GB. If I disconnect the USB drive, the unpacking would take place on my D: drive, which is the 2nd largest (after the USB).And, again, I'm only talking about the updating process itself .. not thereafter. Seems to me that it's the wrong way to utilize the relatively slow USB drive to unpack files required by the updater (or whatever other program runs that same way). A simple setting in the MS Updater or under Environmental Variables should be able to deal with this .. but so far I haven't found a solution. CBA

I think that's the way CAB API works. Everything packed with MS Self extracting cabinet unpacks to the root folder of the largest drive, unless forced to extract to specified folder.