Windows updates are cumulative, and must be installed in order. If you delete the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will not receive any future updates.
Windows Update is a important part of the Windows operating system and deleting its history can cause problems. It’s a bad idea to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder unless it is absolutely required. There is a subfolder called DataStore that has a large database of all the Windows Updates available. This database will probably be a couple of hundred MBs in size. Deleting this database simply removes the Windows Update history for the computer.
I found that the Windows Update history was updated on July 25, 2017, at 10:01 a.m.
This screen provides a list of installed updates, with the Status, Importance and Date Installed. When we delete the SoftwareDistribution folder, this dialog will be completely empty, as if we never installed any updates. Before I show you that, click on the Installed Updates link at the top where it tells you how to remove an update.
If you want to delete all of your updates, follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Under Programs, click on Office 2013 or Office 2016.
- Click on the Update History link in the left pane.
- In the right pane, click on the Remove All button. ..
If you click on Installed Updates again, you will see that all the updates that were listed before and still listed there, but you will also see that there are no updates installed. This is because we simply deleted the log history of the updates and not the actual updates.
This dialog is where you can uninstall an update, but only one at a time. To uninstall an update, simply click on it and then click Uninstall. Unfortunately, there is no way to uninstall all updates at once unless you use System Restore.
If you use System Restore and restore the computer to a previous restore point, any updates that were installed after that restore point will be gone. To remove all updates, though, you would need to create a new restore point right after the OS was installed. Even if a restore point was created at that point, older ones normally get deleted over time to make space for newer ones. ..
If you have a lot of space available to System Restore, you can roll back a couple months worth of updates at once.
Windows Update is a process that checks for updates and will take a long time to finish. If you want to avoid updates, you can use Control Panel to check for them and then remove any that you don’t need.
Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder
Windows Update and BITS services are essential for keeping your computer up-to-date and running smoothly. If you stop either service, it may cause some problems with your computer. To stop Windows Update, click on Start and type in services.msc into the search box. To stop BITS, click on Start and type in services.msc into the search box. ..
Windows Update and Background Intelligent Transfer Service stopped working.
The Downloads folder contains a variety of files that you can use to download software or data. The DataStore folder contains a variety of files that you can use to store data.
If you want to regain hard drive space only, then you should delete the contents of the Download folder, though in theory this should not really be necessary. The Download folder actually holds all the updates that have been downloaded, but not yet installed. Once they are installed, the updates are removed within 10 days. So theoretically, that folder should shrink in size soon after you have installed all the Windows updates.
The DataStore folder stores the Windows update history for the computer. If it is deleted, all updates will remain, but they will not be backed up or stored in the computer’s hard drive. You should never delete the DataStore folder unless you are told to do so by Microsoft or Windows Update is completely corrupt and misconfigured.
I was trying to delete the ReportingEvents folder, but I couldn’t because it’s protected by a security check. I had to delete the DataStore folder instead.
Check for Windows Updates
If you removed the SoftwareDistribution folder, you may want to check for updates on your computer by going to Windows Update. If you have not performed a check for updates in a while, it may show that you have never done so since the update history is now gone.
The check for updates button will keep you updated on the latest changes to the database.
Conclusion
The main point is that you should only delete the Downloads folder if you are looking to save space or simply install all the latest updates and wait 10 days to see if they are removed automatically.
If you’re having trouble with Windows Update, it’s important to understand how the update process works and what files are involved. The DataStore folder stores information about updates that have been downloaded and installed on your computer. If something is wrong with Windows Update, like no new updates are showing for several months, you should delete the DataStore folder. This will help you better understand how Windows Update works and what files are involved. If you have any questions, post a comment below or on our blog. Thanks for reading! ..
