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  3. SoftwareDistribution
  4. DataStore
FolderRisk: Caution

DataStore C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore

Windows Update database (update history and state, Datastore.edb file); resetting it erases the update history.

Updated on By AltF4 Formation

What it’s for

DataStore holds Datastore.edb, the ESE database that Windows Update uses to track update state and keep its history. It is one of the SoftwareDistribution items that Windows Update troubleshooting pages suggest resetting as a last resort, when update detection stays stuck.

What it contains

  • Datastore.edb: installation history, state of detected updates and agent settings.
  • A Logs subfolder with the database transaction logs (.log, .jrs, .chk files).
  • The Windows Update service reads and writes the database, so the file is locked while the service runs.

Risks and best practices

  • Resetting the folder (renaming it, with services stopped) forces Windows Update to rebuild the database. The history shown in Settings is lost and a full scan starts again. This can unblock a stuck detection, but it is not trivial.
  • Rename the folder rather than delete it, so you can roll back. Never delete files one by one: the database would become inconsistent.

Useful commands

Fenêtre de terminal
# Content and size
Get-ChildItem "$env:windir\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object FullName, Length, LastWriteTime


# Update history (without touching the database)
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10


# Reset by renaming (as administrator; -WhatIf to simulate)
Stop-Service -Name wuauserv, bits -WhatIf
Rename-Item "$env:windir\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore" "DataStore.old" -WhatIf
Start-Service -Name bits, wuauserv -WhatIf

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