This tutorial will walk you through how to
purge the
Windows Update Cache. The Update Cache is a special folder that stores update installation files. It is located at the root of your system drive, in
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
How To Clear the Update Cache
There are several reasons why you would want to purge the Windows Update cache. Doing so will allow you to instantly reclaim valuable storage space by deleting obsolete update installation files. (This maintenance routine is usually managed by Windows, but you may also do it manually.) You may also wish to purge the update cache if you're experiencing installation errors. Deleting and re-downloading corrupt update installation files may solve your issue.
Manually Purge the Update Cache
First, you need to temporarily turn off the
Windows Update service (to stop background downloads). Open the
Command Prompt, type the
net stop wuauserv
command, and press
Enter.
Open
File Explorer, and go to
View >
Folder Options. Select the
Show hidden files, folder, and drives radio button, and click
Apply to enable the display of hidden files on your computer.
Once done, navigate to
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download and delete the content of the
Download folder.
Open a new
Command prompt window, and run the
net start wuauserv
command to restart the Windows Update service.
A Batch File to Purge the Update Cache
You can create a batch file and use it as a shortcut to instantly clear the content of the
Windows Update cache.
Open
Notepad, and copy/paste the following code:
net stop wuauserv
CD %Windir%
CD SoftwareDistribution
DEL /F /S /Q Download
net start wuauserv
Click
File >
Save As, and choose a location to save the file. Click the
Save as type drop-down menu, and select
All Files. Rename the file
Erase_Cache.bat, and click
Save.
Your batch file is now ready for use. Right-click the
Erase_Cache.bat file, then click
Run As Administrator. In doing so, you will automatically delete the content of
Update cache folder.
Image: Windows.
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