How to Delete Windows Update Files in Windows 10

Windows regularly releases updates to fix bugs, improve performance, and improve security. However, each update takes up space on your hard drive. Over time, the storage of these updated files can take up a lot of storage space. Therefore, it is beneficial to delete Windows update files. The following will describe several ways to delete Windows update files in Windows 10.

Part 1: How to Delete Windows Update Files in Windows 10

Windows Update files refer to the information files of old Windows that are automatically formed in your computer after you update Windows OS. If you don't want to revert to the old Windows version, deleting these Windows Update files is completely safe and will not only not cause any adverse effects on your computer, but also clean and speed up your computer. In the following, we will share three methods on how to delete Windows update files in Windows 10.

Way 1: Delete Windows Update Files from Disk

To delete Windows update files from the disk, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press the “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog box. Type "cleanmgr" and click OK to open Disk Cleanup, then select the drive where Windows is installed (usually C:).

Step 2: Click on "Clean up system files" to scan files that can be removed.

Step 3: Check the box "Windows Update Cleanup" and any other files you want to delete. And click on OK to proceed with the cleanup. Then click on Delete Files to confirm the deletion.

Step 4: Wait for the cleanup process to complete. Then restart your computer to complete the process.

Way 2: Delete Windows Update Files from System Settings

To delete Windows update files from system settings, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard then click on System.

Step 2: Click on Storage to open Storage sense.

Step 3: You can see how your storage is used and how you can free up space. Open the Temporary files section.

Step 4: Click on the checkbox Windows Update Cleanup then click Remove files.

Step 5: Wait for the process to complete. This will delete unnecessary files related to Windows updates and free up some space on your computer.

Way 3: Delete Windows Update Files from Software Distribution Folder

You can also delete Windows update files from the software distribution folder. Here are the steps to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then type "services.msc" and click OK.

Step 2: Scroll down and locate the Windows Update service then click Stop.

Step 3: Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. Select all the files and folders in the Download folder and delete them.

Step 4: Go back to the Services window, locate the Windows Update service, and click Start.

This will delete all the downloaded Windows update files from the software distribution folder.
Note: Deleting Windows update files can free up a significant amount of disk space, but it can also prevent you from uninstalling updates in the future. Therefore, it is recommended to only delete these files if you are sure that you do not need to uninstall any updates.

Part 2: Clean Up Your Computer with More Powerful Tools

As you are probably well aware, it's not just Windows update files that are slowing down your computer. Just knowing how to delete Windows update files won't completely clean up your computer. Therefore, to clean your computer deeply, we recommend you use iSunshare System Genius , which can find and remove all junk files from your computer.

Download: iSunshare System Genius

iSunshare System Genius is a professional cleanup tool that can efficiently clear junk files, such as temporary files, scan history, and caches, to make your computer faster and cleaner with simple clicks. Now, download and install the software, let's get started to learn how to use iSunshare System Genius.

Step 1: Click the Scan button at the center of the Home page.

Then it will make an overall scanning for your computer.

Step 2: A few seconds later, the scan results will be displayed on the screen. Check the files to clean, then click the Clean button.

It will clean up all the selected scan results.

Step 3:The cleanup is completed, click the OK button to exit.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained it's safe to delete Windows update files in detail and shared 3 ways to do it. You can use any of the above methods to delete Windows update files. If you want to clean up Windows Server further, you can go to the iSunshare System Genius. It is completely safe to do so.