How to Delete Windows Updates Not Yet Installed From Windows Updaters in Vista
The Windows operating system contains an auto-update feature that downloads the latest patches and hotfixes to your machine. The updates are then installed on the machine, so your computer always has the latest updates installed, protecting the machine from security bugs. One option users have is the ability to download the updates, but manually install them as they accumulate on the hard drive. If you decide not to update the patches, you can delete the downloaded updates to free up space on your hard drive.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Click the Windows Start button and select "Run." In the text box displayed, enter "services.msc" and press the "Ok" button. This opens a window that displays all the services running on your machine, including the Windows update service.
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2
Scroll down to the service labeled "Automatic Updates Service" and select "Stop." This releases the operating system lock on the downloaded update files.
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3
Click the Windows Start button again and select "Run." Enter "c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution" into the text box and click the "Ok" button. This opens the directory that contains the downloaded files in Windows Explorer.
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4
Double-click the "Download" directory. This directory contains all the Windows updates before they have been installed. Click each download you want to delete and press the "Delete" key on your keyboard. You can also hold the "Shift" key and click multiple files to delete several files at the same time.
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5
Click the Windows Start button and select "Run." Enter "services.msc" and press the "Ok" button. Scroll to the "Automatic Updates Service" service again. Right-click it and select "Start." This restarts the service, so it will continue downloading updates.
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References
- Photo Credit hard drive internals image by BigDog from Fotolia.com
