Where is windows 10 downloaded. Cleaning downloaded updates and cache

Describes how the Windows Update service works. The storage location for cached components. Practical use of the Windows Update work log. Step-by-step user actions for forced rebuilding of the update cache using Windows 7 as an example.

Automatic update technology was first used by Microsoft in the Millennium Edition. In all modern versions of operating systems, it is enabled by default. Moreover, in Windows 10, in accordance with the license agreement, the user does not have the right to refuse to install them. Thus, the OS is kept up to date and timely elimination of vulnerabilities is provided. Let's take a look under the hood and see how Windows update technology works.

Let's leave the subtleties of the process to programmers and system administrators. For an ordinary user, in order to control the correct operation of the OS, it is enough to know where updates are installed. Since all current versions of Windows run on the same core, the internal directory structure is almost the same.

Having moved along the path indicated in the frame, we see the folder in which the downloaded updates are placed. If desired, the user can examine its contents and measure the size.

You should immediately warn that you will not find update files with the names KB0000001 and the extension "msu" in it. This folder is used for caching downloaded components, which are automatically deleted later after installation. Those interested can watch the process "live" at the moment when the updates are downloaded. By opening the Download subfolder in this directory, you can observe the operation of the operating system. Necessary folders before your eyes are created and deleted as you install the received "patches".

Application area

Now that the user knows where Windows 7 updates are stored, or rather, their components, a natural question arises. What is the use of this knowledge if the files cannot be saved for re-installation?

Note the only text document in this directory named ReportingEvents. This is the log file that opens in Notepad.

It contains detailed information about the operation of the Windows Update service. Launch dates, search result, download and installation of updates. In the screenshot above, you can see the error in the service and the log of the correctly fixed security patch.

Regular crashes in Windows Update may indicate cache corruption. The reasons for this can be very different, but this is expressed in the freezing of the download or installation process.

After examining the work log and finding the "culprit" by number, you can go to the network Update Center.

Using the search field in the directory, you can find the desired file. It is not necessary to enter the “KV” index, it is enough to indicate the correct number.

In the list, select your OS, taking into account its bitness, and download the installation package with the "msu" extension. By running it on a computer, you can install it manually, thus eliminating failures in the automation.

In more serious cases, when the “culprit” cannot be determined or “freezes” have become regular, you will need to completely rebuild the cache. In other words, delete the folder that contains Windows 7 updates.

Rebuilding the cache

An attempt to directly delete this system directory will result in the warning shown in the screenshot.

Its appearance is a consequence of the operation of the Windows Update service, which blocks its cache folder from unwanted interference. To perform the delete operation, you will have to disable it.

We use the context menu to select the option indicated in the screenshot and go to the computer control panel.

Select "Services" on the left side of the window and scroll the list that opens to the end to find the Update Center. In the drop-down menu, specify the startup type - "Disabled" and click the "Stop" button.

Having received such a picture in the service control window, we confirm our actions. After that, the folder with updates can be safely deleted. Return the service to its original state and restart the PC. At the time of download, the remote folder will be created automatically by the system. Running the update will re-create the file cache, and you will solve two problems at once: restore the Update service and clean the system of "garbage" a little.

Since the folder where Windows updates are downloaded is located and named similarly, all the steps performed are applicable to this OS.

The only difference will be the default startup type. Here, this parameter is set to "Manual".

Finally

Using the above method of rebuilding the cache does not affect updates already installed on the system and is completely safe. Therefore, if you are not satisfied with the size of this system folder or are worried about freezing when the Update Center is running, you can safely delete its contents.

As practice shows, the timely installation of security patches can protect the OS from infection in the event of virus outbreaks.

Updating a Windows 10 system can lead to both performance improvements and bugs. In the second case, you need to remove problematic updates. You can erase stuck, uninstalled, installed, and anniversary updates, as well as clear their cache. After you uninstall, do not forget to disable automatic download of updates.

Is it possible to delete

You can remove updates, as such an opportunity is provided by the developers of Windows. Removal can be done with standard applications, so this should not cause any problems. You can erase both already installed updates that are currently involved, and old or just downloaded, not yet installed, updates.

How to uninstall Windows 10 updates

Updates that have already been installed on your computer can be removed using system tools, without third-party programs, just like all other types of updates. But there are several ways to do this: using the control panel, configuring computer settings, and executing commands. Remember, you will need administrator rights to work with updates, so perform all actions from an account that has these rights.

Using system settings

Expand the system settings, for example, using the Windows search bar.
Open the program "Settings"
Go to the "Updates and Security" block
Select the "Update Center" section.
Go to the "Update Center" section
While in the settings of the update center, open the update history.
Expanding the update log
Use the Uninstall Updates button to access general information about installed upgrades.
Click on the "Uninstall Updates" button
Highlight the update that harms your system and use the Uninstall button.
Select the update and click the "Delete" button
Note that most updates will require a system restart to uninstall, so be sure to save any unsaved projects ahead of time so you don't lose them.
Press the "Yes" button

Using the control panel

This method allows you to erase updates using the same list as described in the previous method, but the transition to it will be done differently:

Open the computer control panel, for example, through the Windows search bar.
Open the control panel through the Windows search bar
Change the appearance of the panel by selecting the "Large Icons" category and go to the "Programs and Features" section.
Go to the "Programs and Features" section
Go to view installed updates.
Go to view installed updates
Select the update that interferes with your system and click on the "Uninstall" button.
Click on the "Delete" button
Confirm the action and wait for the system to uninstall the update. Note that most updates will require a computer restart to uninstall, so be sure to save any unsaved projects ahead of time so you don't lose them.
Confirm that the update needs to be removed

Through the execution of commands

Expand the command prompt by resorting to using administrator rights.
Open command prompt as administrator
Use the wmic qfe list brief /format:table command to view a list of installed updates and their unique numbers that will be needed for removal. Unique numbers start with KB.
We execute the command wmic qfe list brief / format: table
Use the wusa /uninstall /kb:update_unique_digits command to uninstall the required update. Note that the letters KB and numbers are separated by colons, not written consecutively.
We execute the command wusa / uninstall / kb: unique_update_numbers
Confirm the action.
We agree to the removal
Choose whether you want to reboot now or if you want to do it later. The update will not be completely removed until the computer is restarted.
Choose whether to restart the computer now or later

Video: uninstall updates

Through a third party program

This is an additional method that you should resort to only if the previous ones do not help solve the problem in your case, since this is the longest, albeit simple, option.

First you need to create a third-party recovery media with the ERD Commander program, which can be downloaded for free from the developer's official website. But before that, you need to prepare this media: insert the USB flash drive into the port, wait until it is recognized by the system, and, being in Explorer, right-click on it, select "Format".
Select the "Format" function
Format the flash drive to FAT32 or NTFS so that nothing extra is left on it.
Choose a format format
Now write the downloaded image of ERD Commander to it, to do this, click on the image with the right mouse button, select "Mount" and specify on which media you want to mount the image.
Select "Mount"
Turn off the computer without removing the flash drive. Start it up, and as soon as the first signs appear that the computer has started to turn on, press the Delete key several times to enter the BIOS. The key may be different from Delete, which one to use instead depends on your motherboard model. But when the system starts to boot, you will see a prompt that will tell you which key you can use to enter the BIOS.
Enter the BIOS by pressing the Delete key
While in the BIOS settings, go to the Boot or "Download" section in the Russian version.
Go to the Boot section
You must change the boot order so that the computer starts from the media you created, and not from the hard drive, so in the menu that opens, put the name of the flash drive in the first place instead of the hard drive.
We put the flash drive in the first place
Save the changes and exit the BIOS, the system will start to boot again, but not Windows will start, but ERD Commander.
Save changes and exit BIOS
Select your operating system version.
Choose your OS version
We select the option "Run various MSDaRT recovery tools", and then the function "Remove fixes".
Select the option "Run various MSDaRT recovery tools"
Select the update you want to remove.
After uninstalling, you will receive a report on which updates have been removed. Done, you can return to working with the system by re-changing the boot order in the BIOS so that it starts from the hard drive.
Update successfully uninstalled

Removing the anniversary update

The Anniversary Update is a global update that usually has a round version, such as "Update v2.0". You can delete such an update, but on the condition that 10 days have not passed since the installation of the global update:

Go to the computer settings, for example, using the Windows search bar.
Opening computer settings
Go to the "Updates and security" block.
Select the "Update and security" section
Select the "Recovery" block.
Go to the "Recovery" block
Roll back to an earlier build. This process may take some time, during which you should not turn off the computer or interrupt the procedure in any other way.
We start the system rollback to the previous build

How to remove downloaded, uninstalled, frozen

All downloaded updates are in the computer memory in the form of regular files that you can copy to transfer to another computer, or delete. Among these files are hung and uninstalled updates. These files are sometimes referred to as "Update Cache".

Open the standard Windows Explorer.
Open File Explorer
Go to the Download folder, which is located along the path Main drive:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.
We go along the path Primary_disk:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
While in the Downlaod folder, remove unnecessary updates based on their unique number, volume, and download date.
We remove unnecessary updates by deleting folders with them

Disabling the download of a specific update using a third-party program

If you have deleted a certain update, then after a while it will be downloaded and installed again, as the system will understand, after checking the database, that it is not enough on the computer, and will install it. To avoid this, we will use the official program from Microsoft - Show or Hide Updates, which can be downloaded from their official website.

After launching the application, search for uninstalled updates by clicking on the "Next" button.
Click the Next button
Select the Hide updates mode to switch to hiding updates.
We mark updates that should not be installed independently

Disable installation of all updates

By default, updates are downloaded and installed automatically; to avoid this, you need to change the system settings. Please note that you may need the latest updates to work with some programs, so it is not always recommended to disable self-installation.

standard method

Launch the Run window by pressing the Win+R key combination on your keyboard.
Launch the Run program by pressing Win + R
Use the service.msc command to navigate to the list of services.
Run the service.msc command
Find the update center in the general list and double-click on it with the left mouse button.
Select the Windows Update service
The properties of the service will open, in which you need to click the "Stop" button to disable the search for updates until the next reboot of the computer, and set the startup type to "Disabled" so that the update center will never start and, accordingly, could not search for and install updates.
Disable the service and change the startup type to "Disabled"

Using a third party program

If for some reason the standard method does not suit you, you can use the third-party Win Updates Disabler program, the portable version of which is distributed free of charge and does not require installation.

What to do if updates are not removed

If you are unable to uninstall updates, then try the following methods:

carry out the removal process through the command line running as administrator, or a third-party program. These two methods are described in detail above in the paragraph "Removing installed updates";
roll back the system to a restore point created when the update was not yet installed, or go through the system restore process. For the first method, you will need a restore point created by you or the system in automatic mode, for the second method - a system image recorded on third-party media. You can also perform a Windows reset, which will return the system to its original settings. Please note that in some cases, all data stored on the computer may be lost, so save them in advance to a third-party reliable medium so as not to lose them;
if the above methods did not help, then reinstall the system and turn off automatic updates in order to control independently which updates to install and which not.

System rollback

You can roll back to a restore point to remove the update by doing the following:

Through the search line of Windows, find the "Recovery" section.
Select restore points and roll back the system

Clearing the log history

Clearing the update history can damage your system, so this operation is recommended only as a last resort. There are frequent cases when, after cleaning, users crashed Windows or had other problems with the system. Create a system restore point in advance and save all important files on third-party media so as not to lose them. If you still decide to clear the history, then open a command prompt with administrator rights and run the following commands one by one:

net stop wuauserver
del %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs\edb.log
net start wuauserver

Done, the log should be clear, you may need to restart your computer.

Installed and uninstalled updates can be removed using standard methods or using a third-party program. After uninstalling the update, do not forget to prohibit installing it again, otherwise the system will restore it every time it notices it is missing.

The end of receiving the first reviews is nearing, when users were able to download and use the innovative Windows 10. During this time, the operating system has changed to a large extent, got rid of many problems, and acquired functionality than expected. Also, the developers of Windows 10 took care of the release of updates for the "eight" and "seven", the installation of which allows you to turn the user's computer into a Microsoft-controlled device. The above consists in the fact that operating systems, after receiving the appropriate update, begin to download Windows 10 installation files without the knowledge and even more so the permission of the user.

Today we will look at where these installation files are stored, how to get rid of them and avoid re-downloading in the future.

Where are the "dozens" installation files stored?

Probably everyone noticed that with an active update center on the system partition, the amount of free space decreases. After that, messages constantly pop up where Microsoft offers to upgrade to Windows 10 right now. This is done despite the fact that the user is never going to switch to a new operating system, and intrusively. Even representatives of the corporation confirmed the fact that in Windows 7 and 8, if there are appropriate updates, Windows 10 is preloaded in shadow mode and without notifying the user under the guise of some obscure updates.

All downloaded files are located in the $Windows.~BT directory, which is located on the system partition. This folder occupies at least 2.8 gigabytes, and the maximum volume noticed exceeded 6 gigabytes. These files, if you do not intend to switch to Windows 10, are garbage that you should get rid of.

The second very similar directory is WinSxS. It stores copies of the original files of the seventh and eighth versions of the OS from Microsoft, which have been updated. They are reserved in order to provide an opportunity to perform a system rollback or a painless removal of an update in the future in case of problems.

How to get rid of the installation distribution "dozens"

This section shows you how to remove directories containing files that Microsoft automatically downloaded to migrate to a new OS.

The process is considered using the example of Windows 7, in the "eight" all actions are similar, despite the different interface.

We call the "Programs and Features" applet through the search bar or the Control Panel.

Go to the "View installed updates" section.
We find updates with numbers 3035583, 3021917 and 2952664 for the "seven" and 2976978 and 3035583 for the younger brother.
We select each of the detected components and call the removal command through the toolbar or context menu.

We restart the PC.
We go to the Update Center, click "Search for updates".
After providing the results, we exclude the above updates from the list of those proposed for installation through their context menu.

Delete the $Windows.~BT directory

We banned downloading updates that subsequently download files that offer you Windows 10 in a matter of minutes, and even with the preservation of user files and most installed applications. It remains to remove what the operating system was able to load before. As already mentioned, the installation files are stored in a hidden system directory $Windows.~BT.

Using the classic method, through Explorer, it is impossible to delete this folder - even the computer administrator will not have enough rights. To delete a directory, use the system file system cleanup utility.

We launch it using the “cleanmgr.exe” command entered into the text form of the command interpreter.

Select the system drive and click OK.
After the analysis is completed, check the box "Temporary Windows installation files".

Click "OK" to remove the Windows 10 setup files from your computer.

The WinSxS directory in Windows 7 can also be deleted this way by checking "Backup Files" when selecting the objects to be deleted.

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Greetings to all readers, guests of the site and just looking for answers to computer questions!

Yesterday I spent quite a lot of time searching for one file that I had on my hard drive. I have not used it for a long time, and where it is - I completely forgot. And this is where the search came to my rescue. Therefore, I decided to describe such a topic in today's article - how to find a file on a windows 10 computer. It will be interesting! Go!

Standard Search

This way you can find a file by a word. There is a magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen. We click on it.

Let's say we are looking for some function of Windows. We write a piece of its name, and the system itself will provide options for the found components.

If you know in which group or folder the utility or file is located, then click here.

The system will display a list of partitions. You can select one or more sections. Then the search will be more accurate, and it will take less time.

And if you only know part of the file name, you can only enter that. The system will still find the data if it is on the hard drive.

Search through explorer

Thus, you can find a file by a word in the text or by the creation date. Open any folder and pay attention to this area.

It is in the folder in which you are located that the search will take place. We write the name of the file or folder, and the system will give us the results immediately.

You can apply a filter and search by size.

In principle, you can search by extension in the same way.

Search by date modified or created

Searching by the date the change was created works in much the same way. We open any folder and in the search bar we drive in the date of change: dd...mm.yyyy. For example, as in the picture below.

Please note that in this case there will be quite a lot of files.

Addition

Many resort to downloading a program that helps in finding files. For example, to find a game from the app store. The problem is that the tenth Windows is still very raw, and many software of this kind simply does not work on it. Therefore, I advise you to use only the built-in tools of the system.

Otherwise, you can simply clog the registry. In addition, such software on a new operating system cannot find data that has not been used for a long time.

Conclusion

Well, that's all the ways that will help you quickly find any file. The tenth Windows has everything for this and you do not need third-party software. By the way, here is a video that will help you understand how and what to do

I would also like to advise you to catalog all your data. Music in one folder, documents in another, and so on. Trust me, this will serve you well.

Well, on this I will say goodbye to you! The article will really be useful to everyone, especially those who have just moved to a new OS. Share it on social portals with your acquaintances, colleagues and friends. And also subscribe to updates of publications, and you will always know about the appearance of articles! All the best to you and see you soon!

The issues of installing updates for the tenth version of Windows, however, like any other from this family, are of concern to many users, since the process of downloading and installing them does not always go smoothly. The appearance of many errors can sometimes be eliminated if you know exactly where the Windows 10 update files are saved. In the same way, you can simply reinstall some update packages manually or cancel their installation, so management of such processes must be considered precisely in the context of determining the location of the downloaded files and what actions can be taken with them.

Where are Windows 10 updates downloaded?

So, for starters, let's deal with issues related to the direct location of saving files for downloaded update packages. Where Windows 10 updates are downloaded, most ordinary users do not know. In fact, first of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that the downloads folder, which is available in user documents and is intended by default for downloading certain content from the Internet, does not participate in the process of downloading and installing system updates. So there you can not look for updates. But then where do Windows 10 updates download?

To do this, the system provides a special SoftwareDistribution folder located in the main directory of the operating system. True, it also contains the Download directory, intended for downloading the contents of packages, but after they are automatically unpacked, the downloaded files combined into folders can be located directly in the specified software folder. What actions can be performed with all these components, we will consider a little later, but for now, let's briefly dwell on the packages that are loaded onto the hard drive when switching to Windows 10 from lower systems.

Where are the Windows 10 update files downloaded when migrating to it from older operating systems?

For these purposes, a special directory is created, which, like the directory described in the previous case, is not visible to the user, since it is hidden. Where are Windows 10 updates downloaded in this case?

This is the Windows.~BT directory. In the event of a user-authorized migration from an outdated OS to version 10, the system has a rollback option, and the Windows.old folder of the old system is retained for thirty days. But here's what's interesting: files for installing assembly updates (upgrades) of the tenth modification are also placed in the same directory. In other words, they are, in a sense, the files of the new system. Therefore, it is better not to touch this directory unnecessarily. On the other hand, if you completely disable the installation of updates even for assemblies (but after the necessary components have been downloaded), you can get rid of this folder quite simply, but it is advisable to perform this operation not in manual mode, but using the C drive cleanup tool ( system partition) with additional activation of cleaning system files, where the corresponding item is marked in the list. But at the same time, it should be noted that critical updates in the form of Anniversary Update and above will not be subsequently installed. And this may affect the performance of some installed programs, for which such updates are required initially.

The practical use of the ReportingEvents log file and folder with downloaded updates

So, where are Windows 10 updates stored? Now let's look at the practical side of applying such knowledge. First of all, attention should be paid to the text log file itself, which is opened in the most common Notepad.

It just indicates all the information regarding the download and installation of update packages, and with a description of the errors and failures that have occurred for each of them. Thus, if the report indicates that errors occurred during the installation of a package, knowing its number, the update can be reinstalled on its own. to do this, go to the Microsoft update catalog Internet resource, search by the number of the failed package (it is not necessary to enter the abbreviation "KB" before it, which marks all packages), and then download the required package in MSU format and install it by running the downloaded file .

Note: it is not possible to perform a manual installation from the directory with saved data, because there are not installation files, but cached data.

But if it becomes necessary to reinstall the entire system, you can first copy the files from the SoftwareDistribution folder to removable media (and only those packages that you consider necessary) so as not to wait for the verification and installation of all updates after the installation of the system itself is completed. Pay special attention to the fact that if the package name contains the prefix "EXPRESS", such files and directories can not be copied, but safely skipped (there is no forced installation of the manual type for them anyway).

How to cancel updates in the simplest way?

As for the cancellation of the installation of updates, there should not be any particular difficulties. The most primitive, but not always expedient, method is the standard rollback to the previous state.

The nuance is that when you return to a certain point (date), absolutely all updates that were installed after that will be deleted, that is, it will not be possible to selectively get rid of, for example, unnecessary or failed updates.

Manual removal of updates

Such actions can be performed directly in the programs and components section, which is located in the standard (and not the new) "Control Panel" (control in the "Run" menu).

In it, go to the item for viewing installed updates, select the one you need and click the uninstall button. In the same way, you can easily get rid of any package by using special uninstaller programs like iObit Uninstaller.

In them you can find a special section with a list of recently installed updates, in which, as in the previous case, you need to select a package and click the uninstall button. The use of uninstallers is beneficial in that they are able to get rid of all residual components, since the built-in system tools very often leave a lot of unnecessary entries in the system registry, as well as files and directories associated with the main package or application being removed.

Actions with the directory for saving updates

But when deleting the folder itself, described above, knowing where Windows 10 updates are downloaded will come in handy. It goes without saying that if you try to simply delete it from Explorer, you will receive a message stating that you must first stop the associated directory process. This refers to the "Update Center" service.

It can only be deactivated in the services section (services.msc), first by clicking the stop button, and then setting the startup to the disabled type. If this is not done, even actions directly in the update management section will be ineffective. Ending the process in the "Task Manager" will also lead to nothing, because after a certain period of time (very short) the process will start again on its own.