Where are Win 8 updates stored?

Clint

Cisco
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Where are the Win 8 updates stored? Are they deleted after they are installed? I can't seem to find them.
 

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Hi Clint,

Not sure what your goal is but the Windows Updates are listed (individually) and available for removal here:

Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a Program (link) > Click view installed updates (top-left)
Screenshot (102).png


The Windows Update remnants can be manually purged via running Disk Cleanup here:
Screenshot (103).png


Hope this helps and answers your question. Good luck.
 

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Hi Clint,

Not sure what your goal is but the Windows Updates are listed (individually) and available for removal here:

Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a Program (link) > Click view installed updates (top-left)
View attachment 28968


The Windows Update remnants can be manually purged via running Disk Cleanup here:
View attachment 28969


Hope this helps and answers your question. Good luck.

Yes I knew that was there and you could uninstall them. My reason for wanting to know where they are is when I down load the win 8.1 update next week, I want to save it to disk for future installations.
 

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This News article is about Windows 7, but I think it may be relevant here:
Microsoft rolls out a new hotfix for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 | ZDNet

Note that:
  • In Windows 7, Updates seem to be stored in the WinSxS folder
  • However Service Packs clean this up; and
  • In some ways, Windows 8.1 will be like a Service Pack, so it won't necessarily be stored there and may empty the WinSxS folder

Given Windows 8.1 is a different beast to a Windows update item, it's not clear where it will be stored, if indeed it's stored anywhere. It may be a place to look though.
 

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Open Run.
Type in:

%windir%\softwaredistribution\download

Click OK.

They will be there unless you cleaned them out.


As My2Cents said, the stored updates may be useless in 8.1.
 

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Windows\Software distribution\Download. Might not be much use as they have often been extracated to mum and express files.

Best way is d/l each one from WU - go to support info and you will get .msu files, possibly an .exe or two.

2013-10-10_013118.jpg
 

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He isn't looking for the 8.0 updates.

when I down load the win 8.1 update next week, I want to save it to disk for future installations.

I don't know if that will an exe like an sp or several different ones. Either way, I will be trying to do the same thing.
 

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I just looked in my WinSxS folder. I have 1650 sub folders in it. They have files like .dll, .sys etc. There would be no way to do install from that. I don't see a way to even recognize Win 8.1 update if I saw it. From what I have read it's big and I have a slow connection. That's why I want to save it to a disk if I have to do a reinstall.

8.1.png
 

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He isn't looking for the 8.0 updates.

when I down load the win 8.1 update next week, I want to save it to disk for future installations.

I don't know if that will an exe like an sp or several different ones. Either way, I will be trying to do the same thing.

Ok, now I get it; however, his opening post was misleading

Where are the Win 8 updates stored?

and his intent was unknow at that time so it sent me off on the wrong track. I'll delete my posts that are not applicable and I hope you both are tech-savy enough to find out how to do that, and if so, please share your success with others. Good luck.
 

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He isn't looking for the 8.0 updates.

when I down load the win 8.1 update next week, I want to save it to disk for future installations.

I don't know if that will an exe like an sp or several different ones. Either way, I will be trying to do the same thing.

Yes, That's what I'm talking about.
 

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I expect you will be able to get it separately from the download catalogue thing or the store. It is probably a giant executable file.

If they aren't doing isos for the general public, it is pretty easy to make your own. I do it all the time.

If it is a massive exe you can do reverse integration and capture - it is much, much easier than it sounds. Beginners can do it. It takes a while, tho.
 

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He isn't looking for the 8.0 updates.

when I down load the win 8.1 update next week, I want to save it to disk for future installations.

I don't know if that will an exe like an sp or several different ones. Either way, I will be trying to do the same thing.

Yes, That's what I'm talking about.

When you get it installed, you could use Macrium Reflect to image all your local drives or just Windows.

If you choose to do an image, do it before adding things to it.
Except you might want to run Windows Update before doing the image.
Or not.

I imaged all my local drives & tested the usb image & everything was restored & automatically activated Windows.

I hope this is useful. :)

If not,I apologize for wasting your time.
 

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If they aren't doing isos for the general public, it is pretty easy to make your own. I do it all the time.

If it is a massive exe you can do reverse integration and capture - it is much, much easier than it sounds. Beginners can do it. It takes a while, tho.
Those sound like interesting approaches - how would I do it?
 

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@my2cents
" his opening post was misleading


Where are the Win 8 updates stored?

The reason that I ask where the Win 8 updates are stored is, I'm running Windows 8. I'm going to download windows 8.1 update. I would assume that it would be put in windows 8 update folder.
 

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@my2cents
" his opening post was misleading


Where are the Win 8 updates stored?

The reason that I ask where the Win 8 updates are stored is, I'm running Windows 8. I'm going to download windows 8.1 update. I would assume that it would be put in windows 8 update folder.

Maybe, maybe not? Microsoft is calling it an update but it is more than just your regular update done though Windows update. Technically its more than even a service pack. Its a full OS upgrade. Windows updates are saved so you can undo them, its actually the files that have been replaced during the update. As far as I know there is no going back once you update to 8.1 though the store. I would think what ever gets downloaded will only be temporary and gone once you have updated to 8.1. I'm not saying don't try, I'm just saying it may be harder than you think to save what you want.
 

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find a way to do this?
we just got a laptop with win8... and since we are not using a microsoft acct we cant use the store... so I have been trying to find the full 8 to 8.1 patch exe..

curious if you found it....
 

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It isn't really a patch.exe. It seems to be the full installation media (minus boot.wim).
 

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It isn't really a patch.exe. It seems to be the full installation media (minus boot.wim).

thanks for the reply.. not trying to hijack or junk up his thread.. was hoping there was an easy way other than the store... oh well...
 

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Try Wsusoffline, which can save updates as files or as ISOs which can be applied again later or onto other PCs using a simple client program: WSUS Offline Update - Update Microsoft Windows and Office without an Internet connection

As far as I know, windows update uses C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\ to temp download, record, and log any new updates.
C:\Windows\WinSxS stores some installation files. Also, check out c:\ProgramData\Package Cache\ for some cached downloads.
 

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Is it possible to save C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\ folder, and after reinstalling windows, copy back that folder to original location, and windows update will install those updates?
 

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