Windows Uptate temporary folder cleanup

CCleaner for Windows
1

This is on WinXP Home so I'm not sure how it would work on other operating systems.

Windows Update creates 5 sub-folders and multiple logging files in:

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution

It tends to become cluttered with the downloaded update files.

To clean it out then do the following procedure.

Please click Start, click Run, type in "cmd" (without quotations) and press Enter.

Please run the following commands in the opened window to clean out the folder.

1. Type in "net stop WuAuServ" (without quotations) and press Enter.

You will receive a message stating the Automatic Updates service was stopped successfully.

2. Delete all the folders and files in C:\WINDOWS\softwaredistribution

3. Type in "net start WuAuServ" (without quotations) and press Enter to restart the Automatic Updates service...

This also has an added benefit of fixing Windows Update when it incorectly installs updates.

2

This is on WinXP Home so I'm not sure how it would work on other operating systems.

Windows Update creates 5 sub-folders and multiple logging files in:

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution

It tends to become cluttered with the downloaded update files.

To clean it out then do the following procedure.

Please click Start, click Run, type in "cmd" (without quotations) and press Enter.

Please run the following commands in the opened window to clean out the folder.

1. Type in "net stop WuAuServ" (without quotations) and press Enter.

You will receive a message stating the Automatic Updates service was stopped successfully.

2. Delete all the folders and files in C:\WINDOWS\softwaredistribution

3. Type in "net start WuAuServ" (without quotations) and press Enter to restart the Automatic Updates service...

This also has an added benefit of fixing Windows Update when it incorectly installs updates.

Just wanted to point out that at least the folders inside "C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download" would be easy to delete for ccleaner as it isn't necessary to do any "net stop".

The "C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download" folders are the bigger ones so it would be great that in a future version CCleaner removes them.

3

It is my professional opinion that CCleaner should not be targeting this folder at all. The downloaded files are supposed to be removed after installation, or you can do it manually as described. Be warned though that blatantly deleting SoftwareDistribution will remove your update history log. My recommendation is only to remove the SoftwareDistribution\Download folder.

4

PS: Dial-a-fix is made for fixing Windows Update problems, and does actually include a SoftwareDistribution flusher :P

5

Be warned though that blatantly deleting SoftwareDistribution will remove your update history log.
In my professional and personal experience whenever Windows Update is run again the Windows Update history log is recreated.
6

The history is stored in SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb, and will not be recreated if you delete it.

7

Your Dial-a-fix even deletes C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution folder so if you are so concerned about the history log file being deleted then you should be concerned by your own application. :huh:

8

I know that, and 0.58 warns the user that it's going to get flushed, and prompts the user to choose whether to leave the log or not. 0.58 is not yet available, but that was the first change I made when I started development on 0.58, per a user request (which is when I learned about DataStore).

Anyway, CCleaner should not do this

thread over

--- cut here ---

9

Let's stop deleting posts without any notification, shall we?

10

RENEGADE MOD ON THE LOOSE

ABANDON THREAD

ABORT MISSION

11
Let's stop deleting posts without any notification, shall we?

Let's stop making personal attacks on people for no reason what so ever shall we? Honestly what was the point of that post? You weren't even involved in this topic and you posted that. Yet you had the nerve to report that persons posts when they were just a discussion. If I would have removed those posts then Dj's very nice responses would look out of place. Your post had absolutely nothing to do with the topic, it was just a rude remark.

12

I must have missed something here. :blink:

13

Please respect the moderators guys, and keep the posts on topic. :)

14

Just as a point of information:

Because of this thread, I happened to check my C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download after the April Windows update. Although the updates were all successful I had 6 folders and 1 file left in the folder.

I found one article stating that the C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder emptied itself 10 days after the update, so I checked the folder daily.

The folder contents were there late on day 9 and gone first thing on day 10.

15
The folder contents were there late on day 9 and gone first thing on day 10.
Interesting.

Thanks for the info.