One of the most common complaints from laptop owners is a lack of storage. This problem, and many others like it, are not uncommon at all among computer users.
One such folder that takes up huge amounts of space on your system is C:\swsetup – you may be wondering what this even does!
SWSetup is a system folder usually found in HP laptops that contains installation files for drivers and other software. It can be deleted if you want, but it’s recommended to take an extra measure of precaution before doing so by backing up the data first.
What is the SWSetup Folder?
As mentioned above, the SWSetup folder contains installation files for software and drivers that are preinstalled in laptops. It also contains the data file that is used to reinstall those same drivers in case some of them get damaged by a virus or hard drive failure.
The SWSetup folder can take up much of the storage depending on the number and types of programs you install. If you have an HP notebook, the SWSetup folder can occupy as much as 3 or 4 GB of space.
Can I Delete the SWSetup Folder?
Yes, you can delete the SWSetup folder if your system doesn’t need it anymore. When you delete the SWSetup folder on your computer, all of the installation files can be downloaded from HP’s official website.
The main purpose of this folder is to keep track of all the data relating to your system and the software that runs on it, as well as to speed up the installation process. Without the SWSetup folder, you may need to reinstall every program individually after a hard drive or virus damage.
Should I Back-up the Folder?
While the drivers can be found and downloaded on the HP website, the SWSetup folder can come in handy when there is no accessible internet connection.
One of the most important things you can do to protect your data is to take backups. If something goes wrong, and there’s no backup copy available, then it could be a long time before you get access back to all those files that make up your life’s work- or worst-case scenario: never!
You should always back up your data before trying to delete something so crucial from your computer. Doing these two things can save you a lot of time and trouble down the road if anything goes wrong.
Can I Move the SWSetup Folder?
The folder and its contents can be moved to a different drive or another location on the hard drive for those computer users that require more storage space.
This is not a problem, since you only need the driver files inside it in situations of emergency.
The main problem with moving the SWSetup folder is that all of the information in it may not be copied correctly to its new location.
You should take steps to make sure both the source and destination locations have the same file system. For example, if you are moving from a FAT32 drive to an NTFS drive, then the files will not copy correctly. The primary thing to watch out for is that the filename does not change during this process.
Conclusion
Deleting or moving the SWSetup folder from your computer is possible and can be done on most HP laptops. However, it is not advised to do so without backing up your data, as this folder contains a lot of information about your hardware and software that can be difficult to retrieve from the web.
The SWSetup folder is especially helpful if you ever lose all access to the internet for an extended period of time. In these, unless you are desperately in need of hard drive space. The folders can be copied onto an external storage device if you wish to move them, but make sure that both the source and destination locations have identical file systems.
