Well you could, but it is not recommended by MS I read somewhere way back when, if there is ever an update or refresh to the package, or a new server installed it will need to re-create it again, and send the whole thing, where as if you just made a change to a package only the change would be sent between servers/sites.

ok, that makes sense.
-So these PCK files are essential to the actual package that is being used by the advertisements?  

To me these files just sit there taking up disk space.
So if I was to delete these files and there was an update to the package, the whole package would be re uploaded to that particular DP?

thank you for your help.

tbrennans, correct me if I am wrong but I believe this has to do with your package properties.  On the Data Source tab, you can specify either "Use a compressed copy of the source directory" or "Always obtain files from source directory".  If you choose to always obtain files from source directory, then the compressed files will not be stored in the SMSPKG folder.

We always store a compressed copy that way when we refresh a package, it just decompresses the local compressed copy.  Space is not an issue for us.

I honestly don't know that, but I would say if you have a stand alone DP or server share DP its still going to have the SMSPKG*$ share.

The compressed pck files to my knowledge is only used in the transfer from one site server to another.  When it gets to the new site its is uncompressed. Do you have both the SMSPKG and the SMSPKG$ share the latter with the uncompressed files?

From Faqshop.com:

The 'SMSPKG' directory should only exist on your Site Servers - this is the directory where SMS stores the compressed copy of your packages. The .PCK file should have a package ID in front of it signifying what package it is.

PCK files exist on the Site Servers regardless of the Package settings (e.g. 'Use a compressed copy of the source directory' tickbox from the 'Data Source' tab when creating a package), if the site has children and the package is distributed to one of them.

The 'Use a compressed copy of the source directory' tickbox merely affects how distribution points are setup and refreshed, if you update them - where does SMS go to get the source files, either from the .PCK file on the site server or from the source directory.

I can confirm that on our Central site server has .PCK files for each package, even though the data source tab is configured to 'Always obtain files from source directory'. The .PCK file is created during the process of compressing the package source to send it over the wire, and it isn't deleted.

This implies that the .PCK files won't exist if the package hasn't be distributed to a child site (when 'Always obtain files from source directory' is checked). In our case the .PCK files DO exist even though we have the 'Always obtain files from source directory' checked (this can cause confusion).

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Is this the gospil *shrug* I dunno but it pretty much is how I've understood it.

Tim B

To prevent SMS from adding any directories on your C drive or any drive place a text file called NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS in the root of your drive(s).
To move your SMSPKC$ to any other drive without the NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS file, simply remove all distribution points from your packages. You will see that the directories in SMSPKC$ will disapear and in the end also SMSPKC$ will be removed automatically. Then add your old distribution point back to all packages.