Can't cleanup backup update files.

[Phone Man]

Here is an article when this feature was added to Windows 7. should work the same with Windows 8.

If nothing is found for Windows Update Cleanup to perform, it will not show up as an option.

Breaking News! Reduce the size of the WinSxS Directory and Free up Disk Space with a New Update for Windows 7 SP1 Clients - Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

Jim

 

[Nuccii]

Were your Windows Update files already cleared out. I just did a cleanup of mine, rebooted, and tried the cleanup again. The option to clean Windows updates did not appear this time around. Hence nothing to clean, the option does not appear.

 

[Edwin]

There will be no Update 'backups' to delete if they haven't been superseded by a later update.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Just wondering, how do you know, that there still some backups left? Have you used TreeSize or something? Well, if you have done WinSxS and Disk cleanup, there is not much you can do, only wait, there is probably some time limit, when you can remove those files safely it like Temp folder. I use WiseCare's slimdown to clean system files, but I guess it only removes stuff from SoftwareDistribution folder, but you can give it a go.

 

[CountMike]

Just wondering, how do you know, that there still some backups left? Have you used TreeSize or something? Well, if you have done WinSxS and Disk cleanup, there is not much you can do, only wait, there is probably some time limit, when you can remove those files safely it like Temp folder. I use WiseCare's slimdown to clean system files, but I guess it only removes stuff from SoftwareDistribution folder, but you can give it a go.

Well, first, I never cleaned them up and it was disabled in Task Scheduler then I noticed that all the updates were available for restoring. Tried one unimportant one and it got uninstalled and restored without problems so their backups must be on the disk somewhere. WinSxS has 6.3 GB and is considerably (like double) bigger than couple of month ago when I checked last. Since I never did clean it up and it didn't do it automatically I wanted to do it like I usually did it in Win7 SP1 but this time it didn't work. It's not a big deal really, have a lot's of space on SSD left but intrigued me none the less.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Well if it makes you feel a bit better I did a clean setup about a week ago and I have run all possible cleanups, even now and they did not clean a single KB anymore, my WinSxS has also 6GB, so I think, that it is OK.

 

[CountMike]

Well if it makes you feel a bit better I did a clean setup about a week ago and I have run all possible cleanups, even now and they did not clean a single KB anymore, my WinSxS has also 6GB, so I think, that it is OK.

OK, tnx, what must be, must be, I guess.

 

[joe234]

Get some 3rd party software or set the computer aside for 2 weeks.
Meanwhile regardless of which you choose plan on reinstalling the OS every 2 years or adding 5-10 gigs of space per year.

(or get any Linux/BSD variant and never have this problem again)

 

[A Guy]

I used this on 7for years, and still use it on 10

Dism++ | New Windows Utility

I don't know if 8 has the Servicing/LCU folder like 10. I have to clean that manually, but I have external backups, and am not concerned with reset, etc.

A Guy