Where Do Windows 10 Updates Download To

To update your organization to the latest release, there must be enough infinite on your difficult drive for the update files. Windows will automatically effort to use a different drive if your organisation bulldoze is full, simply with a few steps, y'all tin can also force Windows to download updates somewhere else.

By default, Windows will store any update downloads on to your main bulldoze, this is where Windows is installed, in the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder. If the system drive is likewise full and you have a dissimilar drive with enough infinite, Windows will often try to use that space if it can. Windows takes care of removing update files at some point afterwards they've been installed, merely often—especially in the case of major updates like the Oct 2018 Update—information technology keeps those files effectually for a while in case you desire to uninstall the updates or curl back your version of Windows.

Since these updates can oft take up a lot of space—16-twenty GB in some cases—y'all might want Windows to download them to a different drive, particularly if you're using something like a solid state drive where disk infinite is at a premium. Yous'll accept to spring through a few hoops to make it work. We'll be shutting downwards the update service, using the Command Prompt to create a symlink (a virtual link to a new folder then Windows all the same thinks it'due south using the original folder), and so restarting the update service. It'southward non complicated, though, and we'll walk you through the steps.

Note: Before going whatsoever farther, y'all should support your computer only in example anything goes wrong while altering things in organization folders. (Y'all really should be backing up regularly, anyway.) It's a pretty safe process, but better being rubber than distressing.

Step One: Create a New Update Download Folder

The outset thing you'll do is to create a new folder for the downloads on a different drive. This is where Windows volition store any future update downloads.

In File Explorer, notice the location you desire to use, right-click anywhere, point to the "New" submenu, then click the "Binder" control.

Next, name the folder to whatever you want. We've named ours "NewUpdateFolder," and information technology's located on the D:\ drive.

Step Two: Stop the Windows Update Service

Next, you have to stop the Windows Update service to prevent it from updating anything while you change things around and because in the next pace, yous'll be renaming the old update binder. The Windows Update service won't let yous practice that if it's running.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Chore Manager and click the "Services" tab.

Scroll down until you detect thewuauserv service about the bottom of the list. Right-click it and then click "Stop."

Footstep Three: Rename the Erstwhile Download Folder

Now, you'll need to rename the existing folder to something different. That'southward considering yous'll be creating a new symlink folder and Windows doesn't permit you accept two folders of the same name, fifty-fifty though one is just pointing to the new folder you created in stride one.

In File Explorer, scan to C:\Windows . Right-click the "SoftwareDistribution" folder there and so click the "Rename" command. You lot'll be prompted for permission to do this; click "Yep."

The easiest thing to do is to only stick "Old" at the front or back to signify this isn't the electric current folder we'll be working with. If prompted for permission again, click "Yes."

Step Four: Create a Symbolic Link to the New Folder

At present that you lot've created the new folder you want the downloads to go and renamed the old "SoftwareDistribution" folder to get it out of the way, you need to show Windows how to find the new folder. To practise this, we employ what'southward called a Symbolic Link, or symlink. These act much the same mode a shortcut does; they point to a existent folder somewhere else on your reckoner.

Commencement, run Control Prompt as an administrator. Clicking Outset, blazon "cmd" into the search box, right-click on the "Command Prompt" result, and and so select the "Run Equally Administrator" control.

At the prompt, type the following control (replacing "d:\NewUpdateFolder" with the full path to the folder yous created in pace i).

mklink /j c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution d:\NewUpdateFolder

After you run the command, you should run across a reply stating "Junction Created For" followed by the paths you specified.

A new "SoftwareDistribution" item with a shortcut icon is added to the C:\Windows binder.

Notation: If the mklink  control didn't piece of work or you lot received an error, try restarting your figurer into Safe Mode and repeating the previous steps.

RELATED: How to Boot Into Safety Mode on Windows 10 or 8 (The Easy Way)

Now, re-create the contents of the old "SoftwareDistribution" folder (the one yous renamed in stride iii) into the newly created symbolic link. This volition forestall Windows from re-downloading any updates.

We suggest copying instead of moving the contents for at present just in example something doesn't piece of work. Once you've made sure everything is operation, you tin can ever come back and delete the quondam binder afterward.

Step Five: Start the Windows Update Service Once more

The final step is to showtime the Windows Update Service support.

Open Job Director by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc and switch to the "Services" tab.

Curlicue downward until you find thewuauserv service near the lesser of the list, right-click it, and so click the "Outset" control.

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From now on whenever Windows Update downloads files, they should be stored in the newly created folder.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/393423/how-to-change-windows-10-updates-download-folder-location/#:~:text=By%20default%2C%20Windows%20will%20store,that%20space%20if%20it%20can.

Posted by: ryersonpronegrot.blogspot.com

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