Cleaning Donwloades Windows Updates

[Naves]

Can you put in the claner something to clear safely the downloades windows updates? i found that windows donloads the updates and stores them in

windos 7 and vista

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

in windows xp

In XP the updates appeared as hidden folders in the Widows Directory

 

but after the update is instaled this files are not deletes, so, in a windows 7 at the current time is about a 500mb on updates that take consume 1gb, 500 of the download and another 500 after instaled

[Andavari]

The only thing though in order to properly clean that folder some services have to be temporarily stopped, then restarted which is something CCleaner has never did to my knowledge to clean anything.

 

The only freeware I know of that cleans them but only on Windows XP is Dial-a-fix, but don't use it on Vista or 7!

[Alan_B]

My experience on XP is that XP automatically clears them a random few weeks after using them.

 

I actually have them included for instant cleaning,

and only refrain from cleaning if I have chosen to accept updates for installation.

 

I deliberately PURGE them because REGARDLESS of user settings by system administrators,

it has been known for entire company computer systems to be shutdown due to Big Brother downloading updates that Big Brother knew were essential, and FAILING to alert the administrator/users that upon what appeared to be a normal shutdown it would INSTAL the stuff that the administrator had never seen or evaluated.

 

I know that Big Brother does not mean to hurt the paying public,

but when he stamps on your toes it still hurts.

 

Alan

[Ishi]

I have disabled automatic updates but I just don't like the way its default settings are set. Because by default, it is set to download all updates under the "important" category without prompting you which to download and install. It should be set to "check updates for me, but let me choose when to download and install them" setting. Unless you really want all those updates, its just a waste of space.

 

But I want CCleaner to safely clear unneeded updates on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

[Eastman]

My experience on XP is that XP automatically clears them a random few weeks after using them.

 

I can't say that I have seen this happening - in fact I see:

 

- 180Mb in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download going back to 2007

- 600Mb of KBXXXXX updates in C:\WINDOWS\$hf_mig$ going back to 2008 ...

- 500Mb in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles

 

so all-in-all ~1.3 Gb that could be freed up

[Alan_B]

When I first noticed these downloads I did observe some ancient instances.

They were too rare to be worthy of mention.

 

I NEVER allow update downloads when first available.

I like to wait a week or so to observe tales of horror from early adopters.

 

The randomness of delay may be due to :-

Whether there is an "R" in the month;

The phase of the moon at Patch Tuesday;

Irregularity of delay between when I permit a Patch Tuesday update and when the next Patch Tuesday is due ;

(perhaps if the next patch Tuesday occurs before the random time-out then maybe it becomes permanent).

 

I added "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" to "Include Files to be deleted".

 

Alan