How to change Windows 10 Updates download folder location

Running out of storage space is nothing new. Most of us have access to the internet and keep downloading stuff. Then there are games which can occupy a lot of storage space. The biggest problem arrives when you run of storage space on your Windows Installation drive which is usually the C drive, and the updates stop downloading. Windows OS doesn’t offer you an option to change the download location of the updates. In this post, we will learn to change Windows 10 Updates download location.

Change Windows 10 Updates download location

Before you begin, you should know that you will need to have administrator privileges to complete this. If you have a regular account, it’s a good idea to get in touch who had set up your PC and take his help.

The default location of Windows Update is C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. The SoftwareDistribution folder is where everything gets downloaded and later installed.

Prepare a new directory for the system to download the Windows Update

Create a target directory in a drive other than C drive. It can be named as WindowsUpdateDownload for easy reference. Let’s assume that the path is D:\WindowsUpdateDownload

Next, use Ctrl+Alt+Delete to launch the Task Manager and switch to Services tab, and then right-click on wuauserv, and stop it.

Now rename C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.old

Create Symlink

To create a symlink, in the start menu, search for CMD or command prompt. Right-click on it, and run it as administrator. Then type the below-mentioned command then hit Enter:

This will make Windows Update start the downloading files from zero to this new location.

In case it doesn’t work, you can try to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode to get this done.

Restart Windows Update Service

After this, you need to start the Windows Update Service. You can either use the Task Manager to start it like we did above or execute the following command in CMD:

Check if Windows Update is working

Go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Check for Update. If it starts downloading an update or does not throw any error, you are all set.

Here is an interesting fact, after downloading the Windows Update, the OS unpacks it in the drive which has the freest space available and installs from there. Windows will clear the content of this directory from time to time.

We recommend you to use a storage space which usually remains empty. While you can choose an SD card (NTFS format) or an external drive, we recommend not to unless it always stays connected to the PC.

Date: May 15, 2018 Tags: Windows Updates

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Ashish is a veteran Windows, and Xbox user who excels in writing tips, tricks, and features on it to improve your day to day experience with your devices.

can i delete windows update folder after updating windows 7 ?

Replies (7) 

which windows update folder and how does this pertain to microsoft security essentials functionality? [1]

is system restore functioning properly now or. ?

[1] A Moderator has moved your thread from the Microsoft Security Essentials forum to the Win7-specific Windows Update forum.

Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
Microsoft MVP (Windows Client) since October 2002

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which windows update folder and how does this pertain to microsoft security essentials functionality? [1]

is system restore functioning properly now or. ?

[1] A Moderator has moved your thread from the Microsoft Security Essentials forum to the Win7-specific Windows Update forum.

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Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

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when windows 7 update automatically then stored folder is too large.

what «stored folder?»

Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
Microsoft MVP (Windows Client) since October 2002

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You can rename Windows Software Distribution Folder. It will recreate itself.

Start > Type CMD

Right click on CMD and select Run As Administrator

Before your rename the folder you must stop the Windows Update service. Here is how:

• type net stop wuauserv and press enter
• type rename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution to softwaredistribution.oldand press enter
• type net start wuauserv and press enter
• type exitand press enter

Once you restarted Windows Update service, go back and verify the new folder was created

Folders used by windows update

This forum has migrated to Microsoft Q&A. Visit Microsoft Q&A to post new questions.

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Question

We are looking for a way to to clear the SoftwareDistribution folder under the Windows folder to re-download updates. We have always done this in the past to get a fresh copy of updates to get them working again. Since the the new Windows 10 updates the folder is still stuck in use.

We used to stop the bits, wuausa, and cryptographic services to be able to remove or rename the folder, but not anymore.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

All replies

you can use the Disk Cleanup Tool for that.

Please right click with the mouse to your Drive c: / Select Properties / Select Disk Clean-up / wait a few moments that the system can scan your disk and now select «Clean up system files«. Now you can select a few options. One is «Windows update clean up». Select it and click o.k.

The SoftwareDistribution folder is maintained by the WUAgent (Windows Update Agent), therefore you have to stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service by executing the following commands in an administrative command prompt

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits

Then you’ll be able to remove all the contents within the SoftwareDistribution folder; after that, restart the 2 aforementioned services by executing the following commands in an administrative command prompt

How to clear the ‘SoftwareDistribution’ folder on Windows 10 and make updates happen again

On Windows 10, the «SoftwareDistribution» folder is an essential component for Windows Update, which temporarily stores files needed to install new updates to keep your device secure and with the latest fixes and improvements.

This folder is maintained by the WUAgent (Windows Update Agent), and typically, it should be left alone, but there will be times when you may need to clear its content manually in the case the Datastore and Download folders aren’t synchronized, and it’s preventing Windows Update from applying new updates to your PC.

Usually, if you’re having trouble with Windows Update, or after updates have been applied, it’s safe to empty the content of the SoftwareDistribution folder. Windows 10 will always re-download all the necessary files, or re-create the folder and re-download all the components, if removed.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to delete the content inside the SoftwareDistribution folder. As an alternative option, we’ll also show you the steps to rename the folder, in case you only want to test if the folder’s content is the one causing problems.

How to clear the ‘SoftwareDistribution’ folder

To delete the content inside the SoftwareDistribution folder, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command to stop the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

net stop wuauserv

Type the following command to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

Open File Explorer and browse the following path:

Select all its content and click the Delete button to clear the content.

Quick Tip: In the case, you’re having trouble deleting all the files, simply restart your computer, and try again.

On Command Prompt, type the following command to start the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

net start wuauserv

Type the following command to start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

Once you completed the steps, Windows 10 will reconfigure the folder and re-download all the necessary components.

How to rename the ‘SoftwareDistribution’ folder

If you don’t want to delete the content inside of the folder, you can alternatively, rename the folder to troubleshoot Windows Update problems.

To rename the SoftwareDistribution folder, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command to stop the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

net stop wuauserv

Type the following command to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

Type the following command to rename the folder and press Enter:

rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak

Quick Tip: If the command isn’t letting you rename the folder, try steps No. 3 and 4 one more time, and then try to rename the folder.

Type the following command to start the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

net start wuauserv

Type the following command to start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

After you’ve completed the steps, Windows 10 will re-create the folder and re-download all the necessary components.

The only caveat with this process is that the SoftwareDistribution folder also includes the Windows Update history information, which means that emptying up the folder will result in loss of this data. In addition, you’ll notice that Windows Update will take longer than usual to detect and update your computer because the WUAgent must check and re-create the Datastore information. However, it’s a small price to pay to get your device to update again.

While sometimes the folder may grow, it’s only recommended to use these instructions only when necessary. You shouldn’t mess with the SoftwareDistribution folder to free up storage space on your computer.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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