How to Delete Windows Update Files in Vista
Once you install an update for Windows Vista, it is seldom necessary to remove it. In spite of this, the data needed to uninstall updates is retained on the system hard drive, sometimes consuming hundreds of megabytes of space. Delete old update data from Windows Vista to remove unnecessary files from the system and reclaim lost hard drive space.
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Instructions
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Create a folder on your desktop. Name it "Old Updates."
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Click the "Start" button and select "Computer." Browse to "C" (or the hard drive where Windows is installed), "Windows," "SoftwareDistribution" and "Download."
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Click any one of the files or folders shown in the window to highlight it, and then press the "Ctrl" and "A" keys simultaneously. This highlights everything in the folder.
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Press the "Ctrl" and "X" keys simultaneously to perform a "Cut" operation.
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Open the folder that you created on your desktop. Click inside the folder, and then press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys simultaneously to move all of the files and folders from the Download folder into the Old Updates folder.
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Move the folder from your desktop to a safe location such as an external hard drive, or wait at least one week before deleting it. By waiting, you ensure that you can replace the files in the event that your computer behaves abnormally after the files are moved.
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Tips & Warnings
After deleting the uninstall data for your Windows Vista updates, you will no longer be able to remove the updates from your computer. Although this is almost never necessary, it is still generally better to keep this data on your computer unless you are nearly out of hard drive space.
