How To Uninstall A Windows Update Windows 7

Even though installing updates in Windows is an easy process, the machinery in the groundwork that manages it all is fairly complicated. There is too a lot of misinformation on the Internet about how to bargain with problems relating to Windows Update.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that all Windows updates tin can be installed at one time past simply deleting the SoftwareDistribution binder stored in C:\Windows. This is completely incorrect. Yes, you lot might save some space (anywhere from 500 MB to several GB's), simply deleting the folder will not remove any installed update.

In add-on it'due south a bad idea to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder unless information technology is absolutely required. There is a subfolder chosen 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 but removes the Windows Update history for the estimator.

To bear witness this to myself, I did a test. I openedControl Console, clicked on Windows Update and so clicked on View Update History in the left paw menu.

This screen just gives yous a total list of installed updates with the Status, Importance and Engagement Installed. When we delete the SoftwareDistribution folder, this dialog will be completely empty every bit if yous take never installed any updates. Before I show you that, click on the Installed Updates link at the superlative where it tells you how to remove an update.

As you can see, I have a couple of hundreds updates currently installed for Office, Windows, Silverlight, etc. Now if you follow the instructions below for deleting the folder, you can go back to View Update History dialog and you lot will run across it's now empty.

Notwithstanding, if yous click on Installed Updates once more, y'all will see that all the updates that were listed before and still listed at that place. This is considering we simply deleted the log history of the updates and non the actual updates.

This dialog is where y'all tin can actually uninstall an update, but only one at a time. Simply click on an update and and then click Uninstall. Unfortunately, there is no fashion to remove all updates at one time unless you utilise Organization Restore.

If you use System Restore and restore the computer to a previous restore point, any updates that were installed after that restore point volition exist gone. To remove all updates, though, you lot would need a restore point created correct 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 restore points.

Still, if y'all have a lot of space allocated to System Restore, you might be able to gyre back a couple months worth of updates at once.

Once you delete the contents of the folder, yous will need to revisit Windows Update via Command Panel and check for updates. The entire database will be built from scratch and you may notice that Windows shows Checking for updates for a very long time. This is because a listing of every update applicable to the OS has to be downloaded again and so compared to the updates currently installed on the organization.

Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder

In club to remove this folder, you starting time have to stop the Windows Update and BITS services in Windows. To do this, click on Get-goand type in services.msc into the search box.

Next, correct-click on the Windows Update service and click on Cease. Practise the aforementioned affair for theBackground Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) service too.

Now navigate to the post-obit folder shown below and you volition see several folders listed in that location. The main ones that we will talk about are Downloads and DataStore.

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

If you lot are trying to regain hard drive space only, then you should only delete the contents of the Download folder, though in theory this should not actually be necessary. The Download folder really holds all the updates that accept been downloaded, just not yet installed. One time they are installed, the updates are removed within 10 days. And then theoretically, that folder should compress in size presently afterward you have installed all the Windows updates.

The DataStore binder contains the database with the full Windows update history for the computer. Once it is deleted, the update history dialog volition be blank like I had shown above, but all your updates volition still remain. Yous should actually never delete the DataStore folder unless you lot are told to do and then or if Windows Update is completely corrupt and misconfigured.

Note that you may non be able to delete certain folders and the ReportingEvents file. In the example where you can't delete a folder, just open the folder and delete all the contents inside. For me, I got an error when trying to delete the DataStore binder, then I only went inside the folder and deleted the database file and all the other files in the binder.

Check for Windows Updates

If you did remove the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will desire to go to Windows Update again to bank check for updates. It will show that yous have never perform a check for updates since the update history is now gone.

Click the Check for updates button and be prepared to wait a while as the database is existence recreated.

Conclusion

So the main indicate here is that yous cannot really get rid of all Windows Updates at one time unless you lot have a really erstwhile restore bespeak saved on the system. Secondly, you should only delete the Downloads folder in the SoftwareDistribution folder if you are looking to save space or simply install all the latest updates and wait 10 days to run across if they are removed automatically.

Thirdly, you should only delete the DataStore binder if something is actually incorrect with Windows Update like not showing any new updates for several months, etc. Hopefully, this gives you lot a ameliorate understanding of how Windows Update works and how the files are stored. If y'all accept any questions, post a comment. Bask!

Exercise non share my Personal Data.