How to clean the backup files after installing Office 2013 SP1 ?

Discussion in 'Microsoft Office' started by Airbus, Feb 26, 2014.

  1. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    After installing Office 2013 SP1, the partition went bigger for about 3GB.

    I know most of that space is due to backup files created during installation.

    Anyone has an idea how to remove them? I have tried the Disk Cleanup tool, but it does not detect anything.
     
  2. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    You cann't remove them if you are planning to use future office updates, or your office got corrupted and you need to repair it
    other than that, if you want to remove cache, delete folder C:\MSOCache, and C:\Windows\Installer\$PatchCache$\Managed

    You may use NTFS compression instead, which will save you +500MB
     
  3. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    Thanks for the reply. Neither folder exist on my system.
     
  4. idainc

    idainc MDL Novice

    May 31, 2008
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    Same here. My MSOCache folder is about 780MB. If I delete it I cant do future updates to Office 2013 ? I was quite shocked by the disk usage.
     
  5. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    Both folders are system and hidden
     
  6. akf

    akf MDL Senior Member

    Aug 17, 2010
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    Correct me if I am wrong. If MSOCache folder is deleted, we can still install Office update in the future, but we will not be able to uninstall currently-installed Office updates, right?
     
  7. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    Don't know exactly, but MSOCache handles original setup source cache only, has nothing to with updates
     
  8. acyuta

    acyuta MDL Expert

    Mar 8, 2010
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    If unnecessary junk (pre SP1 updates) is an issue, as it should be; and people do not feel good about deleting MSO etc folders; would this work:
    1. Uninstall all pre SP1 updates
    2. Install SP1

    Really lame for MS to allow office 2013 sp1 to hog so much disk space.
     
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  9. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    #9 Airbus, Feb 27, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2014
    (OP)
    It took me additional 3GB storage space.
     
  10. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    Yes, I am aware of that, but the "C:\Windows\Installer\$PatchCache$\Managed" folder is empty and the "C:\MSOCache" folder is non-existent.
    I think that 3GB for an office SP1 is just too much.
     
  11. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    I think you will be able to update Office. After installation, I always delete that folder. And yet, I am [was] able to install additional updates.
     
  12. Airbus

    Airbus MDL Member

    May 10, 2010
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    Gotta give an update on the situation.
    Dunno how, but those 3GB I mentioned before, just went away.
    Dunno how, because I did not delete anything or do anything.
    Weird.
     
  13. david_xross_2

    david_xross_2 MDL Senior Member

    Aug 31, 2012
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    Updated MSO 2013 SP1 via Windows Update and it automatically removed all superseded updates of MSO 2013 before SP1 installation...Have only these 3 updates installed...:D
    Capture.JPG

    EDIT: Ran /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase after updating SP1, it might've done that o_O
     
  14. idainc

    idainc MDL Novice

    May 31, 2008
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    Can you point me to the resetbase option ? THX.
     
  15. david_xross_2

    david_xross_2 MDL Senior Member

    Aug 31, 2012
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    #15 david_xross_2, Mar 1, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Type this in admin command prompt:

    Code:
    Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
     
  16. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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    Dism has nothing to do with Office updates
     
  17. bjf2000

    bjf2000 MDL Expert

    Apr 11, 2008
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    Yes, you definitely can update. Where you might run into trouble is if you go back into Setup and try to add/remove an Office component. In that case, without Msocache, it may error out though it'll likely just ask you to point to media. That would also probably happen when doing an Office repair.

    I usually keep Msocache but put it on my data partition. Then I create a junction back to C.