OK to delete C:\Autodesk\WI folder after Install?

[maxiwoodbury]

Hello,

After Installing a few Autodesk producs my small system SSD drive "C" begins to fill up quickly. Would it be safe to move the entire "C:\Autodesk" folder (including the heavy "WI" folder) to a back up drive? Please let me know

Thanks,

Maxi

[Mark.Lancaster]

@maxiwoodbury

Welcome to the community..   FIrst of all not sure what other info you have in the C:\Autodesk folder, but by default that's the location where Autodesk extract it's full software to.   So to answer your question yes it can be moved without impacting any installation you have (but I'm assuming there's no other crtical information residing in there).

[olinachang]

Hi Mark,
I have exactly the same folder "C:\Autodesk\WI" after I just installed 3ds Max 2017. I have an English version of Win 7. Most of my software are in English, but some are in Mandarin because I live in/from Taiwan. I checked content of C:\Autodesk\WI and it looks like a bunch of language packages. However, I was very sure that I only chose English version before installing. After installed, I got 7 languages +1 3ds Max showed up in Start menu.



Screenshots attached as above. Is this a bug or what?

This is sort of OK for me as long as my business work can keep going. However, C:\Autodesk\WI is taken 6.75GB space!!!! I think I can delete it according to the most answers about the function of C:\Autodesk\. In conclusion, I would like to leave a footprint here in case other people encountered the same issue and see if any other suggestions more help.

I really don't need 7 languages of 3ds Max 2017 on my computer and would like to know how to remove them without hurting the version I need. Well... a little greedy wish here. It would be great If I can keep both English and Simplified Chinese version at the same machine. (Sadly Autodesk doesn't have Tradition Chinese version)

Thank you very much!

[malygos]

lots of thanks to olinachang,I encountered exactly the same situation as you did,your description is very detailed and precise.

I noticed your reply was made in 05-15-2016,and it's one year from now, Mark still didn't answered,I think delete it directly could really be OK,but I still want to here your solution afterall if you have one. And at the same time, I really hope some other Product Support Specialist could hear people like us.

[mdavis22569]

@olinachang

I keep mine .. I have the on a 2nd drive. 

Why ....

Because of updates. They need to find some of the MSI installers. So if you delete them, you'll need to re-download and extract it.  So if you have the space on a 2nd drive I would recommend it. 

I have them in folders 2015-2018 ... and no issues with updates now 

[Mark.Lancaster · Accepted solution]

@malygos

Welcome to the community...

The C:\Autodesk folder is just the place where Autodesk software gets extracted to (by default).  The WI folder is called the WEB INSTALLER location.  It only contains the necessary files to install the application.  The WEB INSTALLER does not put the actual media on your machine and can be deleted or relocated without any impact.

If you actually downloaded the media using the Virtual Agent or download now/browser download for you Autodesk Account, the actual full software media is there.  Like you have a CD or USB thumb drive of the media now.   Now there's been cases where an update like @mdavis22569 pointed out needs the original information so if you end up deleting that information, well you would have to download the media again.

When you get a hard copy of any software media or perhaps a thumb drive, do you throw it away after you installed?   I can't tell you to keep it or not but you may need it later on.  

[dembkod]

jonathan.deman       

Hello. Mark.Lancaster summarized this well in his description. You can delete the contents of the WI folder if you would like. This is the downloaded installer that was used to install. After the fact, there is less need for the files- certainly not in the regular running of the product.

When you delete files from this location, if you attempted to run a “repair” or “reinstall” from the Control Panel on the product, you would error, as the source files are not there. In this case, you would just need to re-download the files.

For those with limited space on an SSD, deleting these files is probably the way to go. Or, moving to a different drive works too.

Thank you for taking part in our community,

[andrew.scallon]

Thanks for the post and the info.

Does inventor think it is so important that it keeps 14 GB on a HD, in today's day and age? Like it is so important that you would need a fix without internet? Why?

I get it. Like, I got stranded on a remote island, with a laptop, and Inventor 'somewhat' crashes, but I need to CAD, and don't have interwebs?! What do?! Thank god I wasted this 14 GB this entire time?

[abou-khalifa]

auto-cad 18

[abdu.azmi15]

I have AutoCAD 2021 on my pc, I used to have Autocad 2020, 2918, 2017 before. Can I delete leftover files of the softwares I no longer have from Windows C : Autodesk/WI. Meaning I delete Autocad 2020, 2018 2017 files but keep Autocad 2021 file.

[Pola_S]

Yes, if you don't plan on reinstalling them in the future. If you do, it might be worth making a backup copy of those installers files somewhere else.

[campyrecord]

2022 has no repair option anymore so yes safe to delete.

[jjbbqq]

Yes, I can confirm that.

I have Maya 2023, and keep the C:\Autodesk files. However I can't find any option about repair or reinstall in Control Panel for Maya 2023. The only option I have is to uninstall it.

However, if you keep the C:\Autodesk files, you can find Maya.msi in something like "C:\Autodesk\Autodesk_Maya_2023_2_Update_Windows_64bit_dlm\x64\Maya". Then you can choose to repair Maya.

So yes, I will keep the C:\Autodesk files.

[bernarddiscipulo]

Hi,

1) I have few autodesk softwares installed. How to determine which folders/files belongs to a certain autdesk software and version from that WI folder?  i can't seem to see any specific autodesk software, i.e., Autocad, Civil 3D, revit, etc.

I could only see heaps of folders, some are long combined alphanumeric and others are long numbers. 

sample folders below.

i have 23 of these alphanumeric

{1E7D4EF7-A28E-3D3E-BA3C-C6FAE4AAB2E0}

{03BD6A4A-C858-3AD2-9353-DF2974C9918B}

{3FA760E3-728C-32A3-9E90-771725505924}

I have 367 folder with all random 17 digit numbers

68258987739244448

120214324474266714

2) And when you unistall a certain autodesk software or lower version and install newer version, will that certain version overwrites or automatically removed the lower version web installer? say for example, i have uninstalled all 2022 version of Revit, autocad, advance steel. civil 3D etc and install the latest 2023 version.

Thanks in advance for any feebback and answers.

[aleksandar.vitevWG72N]

Hi everyone,

As a workaround to keeping the contents AND saving yourself some precious C: drive space, you can move the whole content of the WI folder to a drive that you have available space in and create a "Symbolic Link" between the two so it will be accessible in the future. 

In order to do that you need to open an elevated command prompt (command prompt ran as administrator) and type in a mklink command. Example: mklink /D C:\Autodesk\Wi*1xspace here*Yournewdriveletter:\Autodesk\WI

ThioJoe has an excellent explanation and tutorial on YouTube regarding SymLinks.

Cheers!