Share via

how to remove old windows update files taking up space

Nick Coy 0 Reputation points
2026-03-03T23:22:17.6066667+00:00

I just need to delete the old windows update files that are no longer needed

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. John Jefferson Doyon 70,190 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-04T00:04:51.9733333+00:00

    Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

    Windows has a built-in way to safely remove those files without affecting your system.

    Before you proceed, a quick question:

    1. Are you low on space on drive C:, and how much space is currently free?
    2. Also, just to confirm, you’re not planning to roll back to a previous Windows version, correct? Once update cleanup is done, rollback files may be removed.

    Use Disk Cleanup (Recommended):

    • Press Windows key + S.
    • Type Disk Cleanup and open it.
    • Select your C: drive.
    • Click Clean up system files.
    • Check Windows Update Cleanup.
    • Click OK, then Delete Files.
    • This removes old update files that Windows no longer needs.

    Use Storage Settings (Windows 10/11):

    • Go to Settings > System > Storage.
    • Click Temporary files.
    • Check Windows Update Cleanup (and other items you want removed).
    • Click Remove files.

    Use Microsoft PC Manager: https://pcmanager.microsoft.com

    I really hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

    Regards,

    John J.D.

    Was this answer helpful?

    8 people found this answer helpful.
  2. Bulldog 1,935 Reputation points
    2026-03-03T23:51:13.35+00:00

    The safest way to accomplish this is to use Windows' own Disk Cleanup tool. Just click on the Start menu and start typing d i s k c l etc. until the icon for the Disk Cleanup tool appears. Right-click on the icon and choose to run the tool as an Administrator, which will offer you the ability to safely remove the files needed to undo updates. You'll regain many gigabytes of disk space!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

  3. AI answer

    2026-03-03T23:22:30.1166667+00:00

    On Windows 11, old Windows Update files (including previous Windows installations and temporary update data) can be removed using Storage settings and Cleanup recommendations.

    To remove old update files and other temporary system files:

    1. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage.
    2. Select Cleanup recommendations.
    3. Go through each category, especially:
      • Temporary files (this can include Windows Update cleanup and other update-related temp files)
      • Large or unused files
      • Files synced to the cloud
      • Unused apps
    4. Check the items you want to remove. Windows will show how much space will be freed.
    5. Select the Clean up button for each section.

    To remove a previous Windows installation (Windows.old), if present:

    1. Open Settings.
    2. Go to System > Storage.
    3. Select Cleanup recommendations.
    4. If shown, check Previous Windows installation(s).
    5. Select the Clean up button that shows the file size.

    Note: Deleting the previous Windows installation removes the option to roll back to the earlier version of Windows and cannot be undone.

    If Storage Sense is enabled, it can also automatically free up space by removing temporary files and other unneeded items. For more details, see Manage drive space with Storage Sense from the Storage section.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.