We just got this new computer in January and it has Windows XP Media Center Edition as it's operating system. It keeps adding these files and folders into the Windows folder that says their from Windows updating, but I don't know. Has anyone else seen these crop up in their computer?

The other computer here in the house got so full of them, it slowed the performance of the computer and that's when we noticed them. That computer is Windows XP Home Edition. Both computers are fully loaded with spyware blocker, adware blocker, firewalls, and virus scanners that don't recognize the files as being bad. They just keep appearing in mass.

Any clue?

Yep, they are on mine too and my feeling is that they are needed for the system, but in what way I have no clue.

Ahh but a mass deleting of them off the second computer a few weeks ago didn't impede the computer function... we thought then that it was from critical updates that had tried to automatically download and never finished before the comp went offline, so it made a note of where to start downloading from in the folders, but if that was the reason, it should have stopped. Now that we have broadband, that shouldn't be happening, because the updates should finish with no trouble, since it's always connected...

This is just a guess...but they may be uninstall info for the auto updates yer computer downloads and installs: in case of needing to 'roll back'...

Just a guess though.

Windows just likes to install stuff to take up computer room.

Turn off auto-update, first thing. Have it notify you when there's stuff to download, so you can choose what to download and install. I wouldn't go randomly deleting stuff from the windows directory, that could be bewy bewy bawd. If hijackthis, adaware and AVG Free don't flag it as bad, I think you're good.