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Windows Update files can consume several gigabytes of disk space over time. Every time Windows downloads and installs updates, it stores the original files in a cache folder so they can be reinstalled if needed. On systems with limited storage, these cached update files become a significant problem. Deleting Windows Update files safely is one of the most effective ways to reclaim disk space on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The main storage locations for Windows Update data are the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder (which holds downloaded update packages) and the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder (which stores component files for installed updates). The SoftwareDistribution folder is safe to clear, while the WinSxS folder should only be cleaned using built-in Windows tools.
This guide provides multiple methods to safely remove Windows Update cache files, from the simple Disk Cleanup tool to manual command-line approaches. Each method has its advantages depending on how much space you need to recover and your comfort level with system administration.
Open Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. Check the boxes for Windows Update Cleanup and Delivery Optimization Files. Click Remove files. This is the safest and fastest way to free up update-related disk space.
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download — Update cache (safe to delete)
C:\Windows\WinSxS — Component store (use DISM or Disk Cleanup only)Method 1: Use Disk Cleanup to Remove Update Files
Disk Cleanup is the safest built-in tool for removing Windows Update files. It handles file locking and system file protection automatically.
Open Disk Cleanup as Administrator
Press Windows + S and type Disk Cleanup. Right-click the result and select Run as administrator. Select your system drive (usually C:) and click OK. Wait while it calculates how much space you can free.
Click Clean Up System Files
In the Disk Cleanup window, click the Clean up system files button at the bottom. Select the C: drive again and click OK. This rescans with elevated privileges and reveals additional categories including Windows Update files.
Select Update-Related Categories
Check the following boxes: Windows Update Cleanup (old versions of updates that are no longer needed), Delivery Optimization Files (update files used for peer-to-peer sharing), and Previous Windows installation(s) (if present, after a major version upgrade). Note the amount of space each category will free — Windows Update Cleanup alone can recover 1-10+ GB.
Delete the Files
Click OK and then Delete Files to confirm. The cleanup process may take several minutes, especially for large amounts of data. Do not turn off your computer during this process. Once complete, the space will be immediately available on your drive.
Tip: After running Disk Cleanup, you can no longer uninstall the updates whose files were removed. If you want to keep the ability to roll back recent updates, only delete files from the Windows Update Cleanup category (which targets superseded updates) and leave recent update files untouched.
Method 2: Use Storage Sense in Windows Settings
Storage Sense is a newer alternative to Disk Cleanup that can also run automatically on a schedule.
Open Storage Settings
Go to Settings > System > Storage. You will see a breakdown of how your disk space is being used. Click on Temporary files to see a detailed list of files that can be safely removed.
Select Update Files
In the Temporary files list, check Windows Update Cleanup, Delivery Optimization Files, and any other categories you want to clean. The list shows the size of each category. Uncheck Downloads unless you specifically want to delete your personal downloads.
Remove Files
Click the Remove files button at the top. Windows will delete the selected temporary files. This process runs in the background and may take a few minutes.
Enable Automatic Cleanup (Optional)
Back in the Storage settings, toggle Storage Sense to On. Click Configure Storage Sense to set how often it runs (every day, week, or month, or when disk space is low). Enable Keep Windows running smoothly by automatically cleaning up temporary system and app files.
Method 3: Manually Clear the SoftwareDistribution Folder
For more control, you can manually delete the Windows Update download cache. This is useful when Disk Cleanup does not free enough space or when troubleshooting update failures.
Stop the Windows Update Service
Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click Start > Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)). Run the following commands one at a time:net stop wuauservnet stop bits
Wait for each service to stop. If either service fails to stop, try running the command again or restart your computer and try once more.
Delete the Download Cache
Navigate to the update cache folder and delete its contents:del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*
This removes all downloaded update packages. You can also delete the DataStore folder contents to reset the update history:del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\*
Restart the Update Services
Run these commands to restart the services you stopped:net start wuauservnet start bits
Windows Update will rebuild the cache folders automatically the next time it checks for updates.
Warning: Never manually delete files from the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder using File Explorer or the command line. The WinSxS folder contains critical component files that Windows needs to function. Deleting files from it can make your system unbootable. Use DISM or Disk Cleanup to safely reduce its size instead.
Method 4: Use DISM to Clean the Component Store
The DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool can compress and clean the WinSxS component store, which grows over time as updates accumulate.
Analyze the Component Store
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
This reports the size of the component store and whether cleanup is recommended. The actual disk usage is typically much less than the reported size because the WinSxS folder uses hard links.
Run the Cleanup
If cleanup is recommended, run:Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
This removes superseded component versions that are at least 30 days old. For a more aggressive cleanup that also removes all superseded versions regardless of age, add the /ResetBase flag — but note this prevents uninstalling any currently installed updates.
Verify the Results
Run the AnalyzeComponentStore command again to see the new size. You can also check your free disk space in File Explorer. The cleanup may free anywhere from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes depending on how many updates have accumulated.
Why Does This Problem Happen?
Windows Update files accumulate for several important reasons:
- Update rollback capability: Windows keeps old update files so you can uninstall problematic updates. This safety mechanism consumes disk space but protects system stability.
- Cumulative update model: Windows 10 and 11 use cumulative updates that replace previous updates. However, the component store retains older versions for compatibility, growing steadily over time.
- Delivery Optimization: By default, Windows uses peer-to-peer sharing to distribute updates to other computers on your network. The cached files used for this sharing persist until manually cleaned.
- Failed update downloads: When updates fail to install, the downloaded files remain in the cache. Multiple failed attempts can leave behind several gigabytes of unusable data.
- Major version upgrades: Upgrading from one Windows version to another (e.g., Windows 10 to 11) stores the entire previous installation in a
Windows.oldfolder, which can use 20+ GB of space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when done through built-in tools like Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, or DISM. These tools only remove files that are no longer needed for system operation. The only trade-off is losing the ability to uninstall updates whose backup files you delete. Never manually delete files from the WinSxS folder.
The amount varies based on how long ago you last cleaned and how many updates have installed. Typically, you can recover 1-5 GB from the SoftwareDistribution cache and 1-10 GB from the component store cleanup. After a major version upgrade, the Windows.old folder alone can free 15-30 GB.
No. Windows will simply re-download any needed update files the next time you check for updates. Clearing the cache can actually fix update problems by forcing Windows to download fresh copies of update packages that may have been corrupted in the cache.
The SoftwareDistribution folder at C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution is where Windows Update stores downloaded update packages before and after installation. The Download subfolder contains the actual update files, while the DataStore subfolder contains the update history database. Both can be safely cleared after stopping the Windows Update service.
Yes. Enable Storage Sense in Settings > System > Storage and configure it to run automatically. You can also create a scheduled task using Task Scheduler that runs Disk Cleanup with predefined settings on a weekly or monthly basis using the command cleanmgr /sagerun:1.
Disk Cleanup is the legacy tool that provides more granular control and can clean system files with administrator elevation. Storage Sense is the modern replacement integrated into Settings that can run automatically. Both achieve similar results, but Disk Cleanup may find categories that Storage Sense misses, and vice versa. Using both gives the most thorough cleanup.
You can, but it is better to use Disk Cleanup. The Windows.old folder has special permissions that prevent normal deletion. Disk Cleanup removes it cleanly with the "Previous Windows installation(s)" option. If you must delete it manually, take ownership of the folder first using the takeown and icacls commands.
Other space consumers include hibernation files (hiberfil.sys), page files (pagefile.sys), System Restore points, temporary files from applications, and browser caches. Run Disk Cleanup to see all categories. You can also use the free tool WinDirStat or the built-in Storage settings to visualize what is using your disk space.
Windows performs some automatic cleanup through a scheduled task called StartComponentCleanup, which runs when the system is idle and removes superseded component versions older than 30 days. However, this task does not clear the SoftwareDistribution download cache or Delivery Optimization files — those require manual cleanup or Storage Sense.
Third-party tools like CCleaner can clean update caches, but using Windows built-in tools is safer and recommended by Microsoft. Third-party cleaners occasionally delete files they should not, potentially causing system instability. Stick with Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, and DISM for update file cleanup.