Windows Updates Folders (With Strange Names) in C drive

I have a Windows XP Professional SP 3. In my C drive, I have a lot of folders which I do not know why they exist. Sample these names –

1. 1da9de11ed14f5da3b6ace4e25f5
2. a0332ef3abcaf03e49

What are they? Why are they created? Can I delete them?

Solution:

These are most likely leftovers from the installation process and it is safe to remove them.

However, just in case, I would first create a temporary directory on the same disk and move them into it. If no bad effects happen for several days, then they can be safely deleted.

If you get the “Access is Denied” error message even if you are the administrator, you will need to take control of these folders. For that, see the following article:

How to take ownership of a file or a folder in Windows XP