The $Uninstall files are just logs of what was changed, usually with compressed versions of any files that were removed or replaced by a new version with the same file name. They're useful only if you decide to back out of an individual fix, and can usually be deleted once you're happy with the fix.

Removing the uninstall key in the Registry probably removed the fixes from the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. You might want to check there for "appearance" to see if anything looks different, but usually only the most recent fix appears anyway (I think?).

Before you go "irreversible" you might also want to visit Microsoft's Win2K update site (and Office update site if you have Office) and let them scan for "fixes you need" just to make sure you haven't deleted something that they use to tell what your current configuration is. I believe the "update record" is kept elsewhere, but haven't poked around in Win2K much recently.

John