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  3. SoftwareDistribution
  4. Download
FolderRisk: Safe

Download C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Cache of update files downloaded by Windows Update; can be emptied (services stopped) to repair a stuck update.

Updated on By AltF4 Formation

What it’s for

Windows Update drops update files here before installing them. It is the first folder to inspect, or empty, when an update fails or gets stuck, for example with error 0x80070005 (access denied).

What it contains

  • Subfolders named by identifiers (hashes) that hold the downloaded packages, often .cab, .msu or .esd files.
  • Partially downloaded files, which a new download replaces.
  • Its size follows the pending updates, and unneeded files can remain after installation.

Risks and best practices

  • The content is a cache: Windows Update downloads again whatever is missing, so emptying it is harmless. Stop the Windows Update (wuauserv) and BITS services first, otherwise files are locked.
  • Do not empty it while an update is installing or just before a pending restart.
  • Touch only this folder: its neighbor DataStore holds the update history.

Useful commands

Fenêtre de terminal
# Approximate folder size, in MB
(Get-ChildItem "$env:windir\SoftwareDistribution\Download" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object Length -Sum).Sum / 1MB


# Empty the cache (as administrator; -WhatIf to simulate)
Stop-Service -Name wuauserv, bits -WhatIf
Get-ChildItem "$env:windir\SoftwareDistribution\Download" -Force | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force -WhatIf
Start-Service -Name bits, wuauserv -WhatIf


# Service state
Get-Service wuauserv, bits | Select-Object Name, Status

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