What to do when my C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution folder is bloating?

One of the things that my wife does not understand about me is why I spend more time with my computers more than with other things like cats or dogs. She thinks it is not healthy. You know what, in vice versa, I don't understan why I should keep cats or dogs.

I spend more time with my computers is simply I like them and I like them to be in good shape. I check every detail of them, renew, change, break one and get new one. I can't just break a cat and buy a new one, can I?

When I was playing with this VirtualBox on my Mac, I was a little shocked that my Windows on it was almost filling out my 15 Gigs of the virtual HD. What on earth that is? Practically I only installed Office 2007, Visual Studio 5 and some video/audio players. Then I find out my windows folder took 6.8 Gigs! WOOOW..

I heard about this windows being bloatware and all but did not think of it as serious. It was not this crazy usually. Taking a looke deeper I found:

1. c:\windows\softwaredistribution\download folder was 1.63 Gigs. Thats' definetaly not normal.
2. c:\windows\system32 took about 1.25 Gigs, well I guessed I could take it.
3. c:\windows\installer was 2.44 Gigs
4. c:\windows\assembly was 440 Megs
5. c:\windows\Microsoft.Net took 200 Megs

Others looke normal, they took from 0 kb up to tens of Megs, I thought they were ok. What needed to take care is issue no. 1 and 3. Let's dig it.

I've got this article in hand:
http://phorums.com.au/archive/index.php/t-182069.html
http://www.optimizingpc.com/optimize/deletefiles.html

We can conclude that c:\windows\softwaredistribution\download is safe to empty. That's right, just empty the folder not delete the folder. What I did was to copy the files within the folder and copy them into my external HD, just in case. I ran the windows update to check that everything was ok, that every update was recognised.

I did not find any c:\windows\downloaded installation\ , instead the folder in number 2.

To remove c:\windows\installers\ is not that easy. You may end up failing uninstalling software you already installed if you just remove it.

Here are some articles:
http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archive/2007/01/31/how-to-safely-delete-orphaned-patches.aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

I've got a feeling this is gonna be a little rocky. so I am gonna investigate a little more before doing it. After finding out that there's no orphan files by running msizap.exe with no results, I decided to cut the files in c:\windows\installer and then paste them somewhere in my external HD. I will return them later when I want to uninstall something. However, I don't have the guts to move all files in the directory. There's one directory I did not touch, that is C:\WINDOWS\Installer\$PatchCache$\ under this directory I had Managed folder which also I did not touch. The names of the folders are too spooky to be touched. There's a blog that wrote scary things about this folder: http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths/archive/2007/01/17/the-patch-cache-and-freeing-space.aspx

Therefore, I could only move 1.3 Gigs out of my windows, or totally 3 Gigs or thereabouts.
So far, so good. I will tell you later if this really causes issues. See you.

Removing Zenoss User Account Gloriously

One of those long list of the pleasure of using MacOS X is the fact that it is a UNIX derivative. Being reliable, fast, network-native, secure and stable are some of its destiny and as in apple product tradition, it is packed in a sexy body, and very friendly. Yes, I slept with my mac often.

Being great and all, it is an ideal station to monitor network. That's when Zenoss came in. A very good software indeed. As all what I love, it also comes and goes. There was time to uninstall Zenoss. Well, some ex-girl friends are just too stubborn to get rid of (they usually love me too much) so is Zenoss. Removing the user account from Mac is hard.

This is what usually people do to get rid of an app:

1. uninstall it. Say in Mac you usually just "send to trash" it from the Finder.

2. Since you notice that Zenoss is still hanging out in the login window, so you need to delete it from the Group.

3. Delete the user from the /Users

After you logoff, you will still notice that the user is still there in the login window. That's when some people usually decide to cry.

Here's the steps for you to dry up your eyes:

1. Enable ROOT and the login as ROOT

Open Terminal, type: sudo passwd

then follow the instruction like making a new password and all.

Once root password created/changed, logoff and login as root.

To login as root, you need to click "other" in the login window and type in "root" (without quotes) and the password you've just made.

2. Make hidden files show

At the terminal type:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

killAll Finder

3. Delete zenoss.plist file

Navigate to /var/db/dslocal/nodes/default/users

then delete file zenoss.plist

4. Hide the hidden files back

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

killAll Finder

logoff and watch the zenoss acount is gone now.

And be happy ever after.

Internet Printing Service, VOIP and Squid

Wait..
What do the three of them relate to each other? None! only I want to setup them all in my system. I am gonna upgrade my bandwidth to 1 mbps, and you know what! I already start wanting this and that to stuff into the bandwidth.

First, I want a VOIP off course. I cannot connect VOIP to any PSTN here. In my country it is illegal. Yes, that correct the government is crazy. There were already people put in jail for that.
I might be gonna use Asterisk, they say it's the best. Being learnt now.

Second, I want an Internet Printing Service. this is gonna be cool. I am installing it and now in the phase of heading a wall. I am having: "Printer Installation Failed Error Code = 2 EFF". Since this is a Friday night, I am gonna solve it by the monday. By the way, my back-end is W2K3, if you can help me out!

You know these VOIP and IPP thingy is gonna consume bandwidth. That's where Squid comes in hand. I have about 40 users that only access Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, Youtube and local portal like Detik.com, weddingku.com and some business web-sites.

It's gonna be nice.