After Installing Programmes Can I Delete All The Files That Came In The Download

After downloading and installing software (e.g. Sandboxie, TeamViewer, VLC player etc.), is it OK to delete the files that came in the download?

Thank you

 

you can if you want. i keep all of my downloads because i'm lazy, since i do not want to go out and re-download everything if i ever need to re-install the programs. or... i should say, i have plenty of extra hard disk space, so it is easy to save and keep my downloads. if you are running low on hard disk space, then deleting downloads is a good idea.

good luck with it.

 

Providing the installers aren't *.msi types, you should be safe deleting them. msi installers will require the originals to update or uninstall the software correctly

 

@harmless, it is mainly because of clutter and not not disk space that I want to do this. BTW, I am lazy too!

@satrow, I am trying to remember what kind of programmes come in .msi files but can't. Could you give me an example please? Why do they come with this extension instead of the usual .exe?

Thanks to both of you.

 

Windows Installer Package
The Windows Installer package is an .msi file that contains explicit instructions about installing and removing specific applications.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc978328.aspx

See also Wiki's version, for more up to date details.

From (File) Explorer, go to the Tools > Folder Options > View tab and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types and Apply that to all folders so that you can easily see which files not to remove.

Many MS/Windows extras/Office, etc. will be msi-based, not so many non-MS but it's a real pain when you come to update or uninstall if the msi file is missing.

 

Any originally downloaded set up file that is '.exe' can be deleted immediately after the program is fully installed.

 

Yes, I saw them, as in Microsoft Security Client where there are two of them. In packages like this, after installation can I keep the .msi files and delete the other files that come with it, without running into any difficulties.

Thank you

 

I would keep only the .msi files and delete the others.

 

Got it! Big "thank you" to all who helped me here. I asked three questions in this thread. With only five replies to three questions you solved my problem!