20 GB P3D package cache files on my system drive...!?

[WebMaximus 372]

I was wondering how come my system drive grew so big and tonight I decided to go to the bottom with it. Also the system drive on my laptop (also a Win 10 computer) is some 20 GB smaller and I haven't that many applications installed on my main PC that I don't have on my laptop and certainly not installed onto the system drive so this made me even more suspicious. 

 

I went ahead and downloaded the free Treesize application and what I found was very interesting! As you can see from the screenshot below I have 3 subfolders located under C:\ProgramData\Package Cache and they all seem to belong to P3D and the total amount of space these 3 subfolders occupy is roughly 20 GB!

 

Obviously my first question now is...would it be safe for me to delete these folders or are they in some way used by P3D whenever I run the application? Next question, does everyone have these huge subfolders on their system drives?

 

I'm using Prepar3D_v3_Professional_3.2.3.16769 and upgraded to this version from version 2.5 using the method recommended by LM. P3D is installed on its separate drive (or so I thought until finding these folders on my system drive...)

 

[flicksy 0]

Always delete mine as soon as I've installed P3D. Doesn't seem to affect anything. I think it must be something to do with the installer unpacking everything before it installs it

[MikeAdamo 51]

Hey,
 
I checked and have the same folder structure under Windows 7 (not sure which OS you've got). I did a Google search and much of what I'm reading is to NOT delete the folder but to move the folders within the Package Cache folder somewhere else. Now, what I've read all related to Visual Studio but there is a lot of talk about uninstall processes looking into this folder so if you delete the folders within the Package Cache folder you could cause issues with uninstalling applications. Here's one of the threads I read through about this: http://superuser.com/questions/455853/can-i-delete-the-the-folder-c-programdata-package-cache

 

Until I can find a definitive answer as to whether the folders within can be safely deleted, I think they'll just stay put.

 

Mike

[vgbaron 3,618]

They are used by the installer and if you want to do a repair install. You should be fine to delete them as long as you are sure you will not need a repair install.

 

Vic

[WebMaximus 372]

Thanks for your input guys and with this information I think I'll go ahead and delete these folders.

 

Worse thing that could happen is I need to reinstall P3D and that wouldn't be the first time.

[Cargostorm 151]

I moved them to a different (storage) drive and made a symbolic link on the system drive. Might also be an option instead of deleting.

[vesalius 153]

Indeed...

 

If you delete this package from ProgramData, you won't be able to use the Repair/Uninstall function from within Programs (formerly known as Add/Remove Programs).

In stead, you'll have to launch the originial installer that you downloaded from LM. This installer will detect that P3D is installed and propose you the option to repair or uninstall.

[WebMaximus 372]

Since I started using P3D I never used the repair feature so in the rare event I would end up in a situation when that would be required I'll just use the original installation media kept safely on my installation disk.

 

Also I just noticed after looking more closely at these folders under Package Cache that their names end with the P3D version number and none of them has the most current version (3.2.3.16769) in its name but instead they all seem to be related to previous versions of P3D. So that alone is a reason for me to rather use the original installation media for 3.2.3.16769 should I need to to make sure my installation is repaired using the most current version and not a previous version found in the cached content.

 

The cached folder that is about 10 GB for instance has v2.5.12945.0 in its name and being on version 3.2.3.16769 I certainly wouldn't want this latest version to be repaired with files from version v2.5.12945.0.

[Cargostorm 151]

It could be though that you need those files for a proper uninstall, which is more likely to happen with each update than a repair. So this is why I established a symbolic link junction and put the Package files to a larger HDD storage disk.

[WebMaximus 372]

Yes,maybe you're right.

 

I decided to put the folders aside on another disk for now.

[WebMaximus 372]

Interestingly enough I just got the first CTD in a very long time caused by MSVCR80.dll and just after moving these folders into another location but I don't think it has to do with it because MSVCR80.dll seems to be related to MS Visual C++ Redist. It happened right on final into FSDG Thessaloniki, too bad after a 3+ hours flight :(

 

Oh well, hopefully it was a one-time-only kind of issue but if I keep getting the same issue I guess it might be worth it moving the folders back to their original location although it does seem very unlikely to have anything to do with this.

[WarpD 824]

Thanks for your input guys and with this information I think I'll go ahead and delete these folders.

 

Worse thing that could happen is I need to reinstall P3D and that wouldn't be the first time.

No, worst thing that can happen is you can't uninstall and thus your license gets locked out and you have to wait a few days until L-M unlocks it so you can do a reinstall.

[WebMaximus 372]

No, worst thing that can happen is you can't uninstall and thus your license gets locked out and you have to wait a few days until L-M unlocks it so you can do a reinstall.

 

Of course you're right now that you mention it. Thanks for setting me straight!

 

Oh well, I guess with this together with the bad omen having a CTD for the first time in a very long time I guess I better move the folders back :wink:

[WarpD 824]

I literally changed the location of that entire folder... do a web search on how to move Package Cache.

[Manny 1,293]

I moved them to a different (storage) drive and made a symbolic link on the system drive. Might also be an option instead of deleting.

 

This is what I did... I have FSX, I have P3D V2.3 and P3D V3.2 so I had too many wasted space in my 120GB SSD and I was running out space...