Windows 에서 업데이트를 설치 하는 것은 쉬운 과정이지만 모든 것을 관리하는 백그라운드 메커니즘은 상당히 복잡합니다. 또한 인터넷 에는 (Internet)Windows Update 와 관련된 문제를 처리하는 방법에 대한 잘못된 정보가 많이 있습니다.
가장 큰 오해 중 하나는 C:\Windows 에 저장된 SoftwareDistribution 폴더를 삭제하기만 하면 모든 (SoftwareDistribution)Windows 업데이트를 한 번에 설치할 수 있다는 것 입니다. 이것은 완전히 잘못된 것입니다. 예, 약간의 공간(500MB에서 몇 GB까지)을 절약할 수 있지만 폴더를 삭제해도 설치된 업데이트가 제거되지는 않습니다.
또한 절대적으로 필요한 경우가 아니면 SoftwareDistribution 폴더(SoftwareDistribution folder) 를 삭제하는 것은 좋지 않습니다. 사용 가능한 모든 Windows 업데이트(Windows Updates) 에 대한 대규모 데이터베이스가 있는 DataStore 라는 하위 폴더가 있습니다. 이 데이터베이스 의 크기 는 수백 MB 가 될 것입니다. (MBs)이 데이터베이스를 삭제하면 컴퓨터의 Windows 업데이트 기록(Windows Update history) 이 제거 됩니다.
이것을 나 자신에게 증명하기 위해 나는 테스트를 했다. 제어판(Control Panel) 을 열고 Windows 업데이트(Windows Update) 를 클릭한 다음 왼쪽 메뉴에서 업데이트 기록 보기(View Update History) 를 클릭했습니다 .
![업데이트 기록 검토](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I4D3y5mpTno/YjcqjI27qFI/AAAAAAAAsFY/WNT5ckdtWEUJv5eR1ry61eDFcXLtiq0LgCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwCXdzMJo7Wy553Aab3IZfOcw-mLQTdmC4hM2tdUzSWs4kfq4JkoKacm2dcmiXk_lz8R0wls265Moyy3wuNaVsnq-WRgFjO_g6jIIA0z4UcLfbp5OSpexjAMt1MPlFLsqd11iAcc2q3-vnx2pbUltMYmtCvDHn8913LB0YagLYUztW6LL99jHPxoNDfJV-VRQw1VU6BzKNgZigC1RnuEe_Z1OKbhBf5_Os7MrqGIJN8PSviPXrUAxQVJPkJV0J9TYOsa0KL5Y5KDXH5I0JOltaY5xDdlJq0pSEUYuMc34yqT9IZHXVxomR9MPmvM0KXWAOVQMvqqCuV0YaEOlvZakcX5oQ_f7-rpZXL2VMObbH-GM4TiplrfKmfFxHplCqA6PaiKPNwpIKRY6yejrQRKB7wrgbFZz6rLPDaNHbT2uVjnNMrdL5H-gWEn3XTzoL1Qn51kZCcfLC5L1qmSoK0uQK7ZDR3eT3dAaqQHSI0aPeKW3GcnREgQYRdljNChhFutZpWHKZvIzbesmhsvphyR609wQ9kmts6IC_BuC_O7TMsj35HzoCsCP9QlXujZLExO7mrwLuBQjCqqtuxizkyA9_9mgzkeDk8xyBwzVKh8C4GTmKyzd-LbNX_CUazBZpV4bWInTWPlDCEoN2RBg/s0/I2O6H9FohSvqe9NiTFlKsWRfduI.jpg)
이 화면은 상태(Status) , 중요도(Importance) 및 설치된 날짜(Date Installed) 와 함께 설치된 업데이트의 전체 목록을 제공합니다 . SoftwareDistribution 폴더(SoftwareDistribution folder) 를 삭제하면 이 대화 상자는 업데이트를 설치한 적이 없는 것처럼 완전히 비어 있습니다. 그것을 보여주기 전에 업데이트 를 제거하는 방법을 알려주는 상단 의 설치된 업데이트 링크를 클릭하십시오.(Installed Updates)
![윈도우 업데이트 기록](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O6gaHPT707Y/YjcxC8Kx0JI/AAAAAAAAu9I/UYEaqjulNVYLxypSUqrPAp0BgchpShpwwCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhxcrfjNL0kpApMdsYcrhR6ibP9yFPgid8tif1XJf590Y_S6I5KKOmSt3l5FGY4xSNyvZdonIyhAy17tqtmX612OyJ04O3L0FlnNcNc0C54eOcYAIPck3FI_krYDif6TAC-yzKxFLqijseiFajZsn5zZb5ikZDEoD98WADPb77Q8xJjOH9YzrQe3CB3fICtjnubLwJfl_5qf96x98EvSIMovAxNksn1luuo0L_dnicCPkBgBf5wN0-gtGg1mLEXM8O7RQ9uZx49lRm7ceAFzzMt_6Cq2w-eXXuubN_kNKoT7juKeFa2-L0zW6YGXdHX_H-uPut3z-kosp-leDwO3y29zBsAOH0aOENAJ-JGeAnRJ7TKv4t2I6l2cfc-lF9kRTKX6aYwsM79CQqNoNt61sae4bD0zEcPXA9px0izvU6TWFBY_0eJV8U_jRs_hFuQGd3mv42XGA9AF9USp0pq4reDvfzEUbUScBDJxV2FH0gc74fjQOnfl4a2FntrUFG4TIrLZdM1piJaWyZ1PgX8v43nHC1Hi9uMmXsWiYFo5NX1MHFRWVJnhLyCAzaIwxq_hg3o27aMIgAeS-fQ5cwlLgvZliezsqr04t33qG12AvR8NX8glkuNvFAGVed6Q_NgxRGKhvGXPVRSd4G8WMKCg3ZEG/s0/QCSXYpIPPjrlpwpU2c_WeA887wE.jpg)
보시다시피 현재 Office , Windows , Silverlight 등에 대해 수백 개의 업데이트가 설치되어 있습니다. 이제 폴더 삭제에 대한 아래 지침을 따르면 업데이트 기록 보기(View Update History) 대화 상자 로 돌아갈 수 있습니다. 비어있는.
![빈 업데이트 기록](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EHJIwdNrVp4/YjdUgQpMZbI/AAAAAAAAxQk/uj5GbjYaErAuw0gwaeNgHadqwLZSqT4ngCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhyA7Kl1nmuuE8YbfjpS9M3y-4uTVj7wwni_pQolcgJ95qTiO-uLPhHKnju5WtDUoCrh2GRhIuYn7H3A46WuR-NxwSiz3saC40lwEhLnEYSN1u049dY0D67l2CYyjg9Y07wRfnE24PF602JMWQ1tdO-7rwnXCbH-aen2ea7CQo1ODnAY1BCnUqtOf3xImHqFiNG3S8Q2NwO2TMd0tE1PbEUe3d5YJbd5HYjzbMmBiGMhVyvwZzVxKv1vF6EyEneYOXYpGLPPH2NpymJra9dKyL2eURnGuZzKwpReiu5BpQLzp-hh87uSJSlyCQ7ayU5pcMdJssGrsEJh5C-WsErMEJ0tE_FqLyDYX9EQ_MunDF7n3WJGQfXpQv5pjBA8MziUg9apzX0jdHDVVZJig8mgsk-81NqKeyDpZur2nn6PNvOlsduvCBq6Pgr51EQrrqOG5FNe5uiW36h5-u_yykFWzomxUoJ5SZkrxNrRvDqgntZvuPVxqE97MLOzC2UMF7kEWnA8HOkgWS4DRgY5vw2HYe0vwyFUDZbgDKOdbw0wn573JdoDAEeF7eTzjYqswz6pOpZDT0yyKKczaWxJPtWMgZ6yH18L_euilSbnLknCwvQX6JL3-DCrNUOD7sWAloZMYvFekGONPDCe4d2RBg/s0/THXILGIzAwhQvp1eo3YuODrQcZY.jpg)
그러나 설치된 업데이트(Installed Updates) 를 다시 클릭하면 이전에 나열되었던 모든 업데이트가 여전히 나열되어 있는 것을 볼 수 있습니다. 실제 업데이트가 아닌 단순히 업데이트의 로그 기록을 삭제했기 때문입니다.
이 대화 상자에서는 실제로 업데이트를 제거할 수 있지만 한 번에 하나씩만 제거할 수 있습니다. 업데이트를 클릭한 다음 제거 (Simply click)를(Uninstall) 클릭하기만 하면 됩니다 . 안타깝게도 시스템 복원(Restore) 을 사용하지 않는 한 모든 업데이트를 한 번에 제거할 수 있는 방법은 없습니다 .
![업데이트 제거](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OMPfb-9Q5wM/YjccNANFl2I/AAAAAAAADjI/yXKOzPXXX9gLa0v9exXClMEtUPvciQ02wCEwYBhgLKvEDABHVOhxeSqmKu1BtuATYSULyy9OK0vUZJMh4EEreX9rzJid57_Lr5itgoyxzXecCdHil_kcjllNp636SB8ECcTxmI--8us7mIs7_4fcnjy5EcSKFLsehZVlA79dQvMROYqrbbfCkZz25BePPjbkt5vMp0a-Ffrw5A99b5RlKddBRMXeM9g_FOe-xFzRbvRW7TYY6HykLA9PekQsEvOV8jpg0SHFKFaAgGIgHmS8N7Z4b0t8oAyxaq09z-wMB1q859mpaUbsnf4wcrBa-aLiovkCSe0-odM-A-9luIU_P030lCRFTGU9BY0zVaY2-1KUD4qSF0CxrUZ63BI5AN1rY-GLaYkrr6q6sLymszIx_5ReHwutHRLMCol2Y3bqo8_EmWqm1xKORC4FaaCfGnEFVJB_wg7045IZzS73d4lf5GevtJPILvrX6AAn4MdBndWPI54Il_GyriQm-PvgqlWRU8VIZSbskQDSr606f1DhUT0lFbEm55jRTZO5fxh4ah9Me-2zfxCotjHRzCLkIkXarR56jt-M2SgQLbI-FEfyKwUTPXJ4v_RR4iPWc90tJKVi01D3pbDGX5WGBgfwItEcVTJrbT3YKakmk0mweSX3-I0kynawDx1NIRHydgBsBNyU99ZZWyYdyYcFCu2SsV1d5Oa8w3tXckQY/s0/budPKN77YiNwlEAC07ph0yc9VJU.jpg)
시스템 복원(Restore) 을 사용 하고 컴퓨터를 이전 복원 지점 으로 복원하면 해당 (restore point)복원 지점(restore point) 이후에 설치된 모든 업데이트가 사라집니다. 그러나 모든 업데이트를 제거하려면 OS가 설치된 직후에 생성 된 복원 지점(restore point) 이 필요합니다 . 해당 시점에 복원 지점(restore point) 이 생성된 경우에도 일반적으로 시간이 지나면서 새로운 복원 지점(restore point) 을 위한 공간을 확보하기 위해 이전 항목이 삭제됩니다 .
그러나 시스템 복원(System Restore) 에 할당된 공간이 많다면 한 번에 몇 개월 분량의 업데이트를 롤백할 수 있습니다.
폴더의 내용을 삭제한 후에는 제어판(Control Panel) 을 통해 Windows Update 를 다시 방문하여 업데이트를 확인해야 합니다. 전체 데이터베이스가 처음부터 구축되며 Windows 에 매우 오랜 시간 동안 업데이트 확인 중이 표시되는 것을 알 수 있습니다. (Checking for updates)OS에 적용되는 모든 업데이트 목록을 다시 다운로드하여 현재 시스템에 설치된 업데이트와 비교해야 하기 때문입니다.
SoftwareDistribution 폴더 삭제
이 폴더를 제거하려면 먼저 Windows 업데이트(Windows Update) 및 Windows 에서 (Windows)BITS 서비스 를 중지해야 합니다 . 이렇게 하려면 시작 (Start ) 을 클릭 하고 검색 상자 에 services.msc 를 입력 합니다.
![서비스 msc](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bhcgq1gWZpY/YjceYzvF0wI/AAAAAAAApmQ/tFZKyq28CcAeL_ZabqGCIyUernWEHJO8QCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhx6X5i_8Az7IZXV3nb-PxX1CSUHSFmSc6oq9vMrVLAbkuNkObNOx3wv8obBV9AhzeiTlD78bCwmRvOTWK6NxsO3KVaKRhu0GcC2-gQqplQ4oq48y5ES2OxM57FQOPj7TTSh85yzCb1G0Jvfmg0dRTuWcf1hBXCZJClrDNE2tqRNmjUClvACg8pnm2lMUeUV9sRv-61UT4BFvPub4bkJRzhSZo-lIQf88tdgqR4NXC36JYfvFUVcdYifCuvaIBbuDlAvnDamnMayhUWKLv_r_ZD_R93UUSIupOOtPlKpzEKe_McqWU4WCD0Y7Z8MXIGmAUamlCPkmmPnhPKy8s8rmW4CqRIKN8W29cYUdLYZ9ZXaF9u6ttm7UKPEztnyVUX0dxFBv8wLKPJI3GdgQ_CZCSkMpF3L8H6yXYHlCJjxk5Zv6OwC_viVRMRaodnvZv1masoT0jn1nct-tqNkGPdTVoOY3dJ8jiLz-F5-8FtIxNDMtNqEkD0lXuwR7iAdsGlTn9t2ZXQgB2WWLJS1z1BaE5HUh0k4y7Ih1Nn8Vff5um66JDZaSmxdUNtWVQZBdG8e05deeWdbRTEB01NVcNrlB_JirUo3wudC4080_bI5DDRtDgmwuUp8mbcIDP3XsJznVtAzUJ4DhTILjuGVMJzQ3JEG/s0/gEgZjCu2lNWRdNOY_5egLKBNJuY.jpg)
그런 다음 Windows Update 서비스를 마우스 오른쪽 버튼으로 클릭하고 중지(Stop) 를 클릭합니다 . BITS(Background Intelligent Transfer Service)(Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)) 서비스 에 대해서도 동일한 작업을 수행합니다 .
![Windows 업데이트 서비스 중지](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hUJi2n2Jpuo/YjbydBs5uNI/AAAAAAAAhhY/iEqFqpdt2jIfIKRw0A8Pq0JCacvdlE98wCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwW0CBk7YkolKRhlb6URWa_IgJhlV6Uh5HTXSA46rtPZTzcTVDH5E3Inr1300PCuFmPfzlhV9-wZ0cgm5eyq7ZHFxRZXVbHy0npWVZFQ1PONMxdTopZNqunXwLBLiLb67ib1SygjFUxfYmkgsM2KWbfxsJ0dJUmw1O8_eCdFnl3uawCEzgsMAIg1Qc5NZzeL_r4wLfEjXahBctYEmz8PuHb0PPtvGp-r6YtKLJySOhlKEvT2KQlPP_m8uuAu4nd9hM73lCbqdlSPO8Zq50PdX0wx8st7wB0bPkCKfKneQLRTuZCoubxrSAYYcR0TPzO_mZA9q14hTQoKUUP0yEF1F69JKIE4VMhscEvH2o_SFK7IDwFOJoGP2ZHxPnq1oEr-THgN0QuqzqlZwBKlRjYLmCuyWmtQEJcFb0y83vg4HNMcHMnH4lEEvT9qrp3Mqtom7UIrB2jajclGsNQdwU2a7PVl9MgQ1x74JGCA2gUeIiNlJDd9HgeDJzjAFR5NnV04Ho1gVSVvXEJNT-wQ-v1MGrgxZvOE1OzaWw9ezHrC91jfyv8d8BV4tQ7x9Ll0_Vn7OfNGviasNi0v1rdTERPCA9bQI_7ffue7P4Pk2Q2IPY6_4g-aCGST5HqVmLuxaNKxzTo79CRHjCziNyRBg/s0/39G9cvAo8EdzLWLTvUSTEAvbWqY.jpg)
이제 아래 표시된 다음 폴더로 이동하면 거기에 나열된 여러 폴더를 볼 수 있습니다. 우리가 이야기할 주요 기능은 Downloads 및 DataStore 입니다.
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
![소프트웨어 배포 폴더](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XaSHlacPRLs/YjbmdTlLTXI/AAAAAAAAho0/bobDnEiXgN8AOciMPll3jp_VgKl6Pz52wCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwW0CBk7YkolKRhlb6URWa_IgJhlV6Uh5HTXSA46rtPZTzcTVDH5E3Inr1300PCuFmPfzlhV9-wZ0cgm5eyq7ZHFxRZXVbHy0npWVZFQ1PONMxdTopZNqunXwLBLiLb67ib1SygjFUxfYmkgsM2KWbfxsJ0dJUmw1O8_eCdFnl3uawCEzgsMAIg1Qc5NZzeL_r4wLfEjXahBctYEmz8PuHb0PPtvGp-r6YtKLJySOhlKEvT2KQlPP_m8uuAu4nd9hM73lCbqdlSPO8Zq50PdX0wx8st7wB0bPkCKfKneQLRTuZCoubxrSAYYcR0TPzO_mZA9q14hTQoKUUP0yEF1F69JKIE4VMhscEvH2o_SFK7IDwFOJoGP2ZHxPnq1oEr-THgN0QuqzqlZwBKlRjYLmCuyWmtQEJcFb0y83vg4HNMcHMnH4lEEvT9qrp3Mqtom7UIrB2jajclGsNQdwU2a7PVl9MgQ1x74JGCA2gUeIiNlJDd9HgeDJzjAFR5NnV04Ho1gVSVvXEJNT-wQ-v1MGrgxZvOE1OzaWw9ezHrC91jfyv8d8BV4tQ7x9Ll0_Vn7OfNGviasNi0v1rdTERPCA9bQI_7ffue7P4Pk2Q2IPY6_4g-aCGST5HqVmLuxaNKxzTo79CRHjCxiNyRBg/s0/-yNF3nVU28NYcN_YDVSPu2aV4N4.jpg)
하드 드라이브 공간(drive space) 만 되찾으 려면 다운로드(Download) 폴더 의 내용만 삭제해야 하지만 이론상 실제로는 필요하지 않습니다. 다운로드 폴더(Download folder) 에는 실제로 다운로드되었지만 아직 설치되지 않은 모든 업데이트가 들어 있습니다. 업데이트가 설치되면 10일 이내에 제거됩니다. 따라서 이론적으로 모든 Windows(Windows) 업데이트 를 설치한 직후 해당 폴더의 크기가 축소되어야 합니다.
DataStore 폴더에는 컴퓨터에 대한 전체 Windows 업데이트(Windows update) 기록이 있는 데이터베이스가 포함되어 있습니다. 삭제되면 위에 표시된 것처럼 업데이트 기록 대화 상자(history dialog) 가 비어 있지만 모든 업데이트는 계속 유지됩니다. 지시가 없거나 Windows Update 가 완전히 손상되어 잘못 구성된 경우가 아니면 DataStore 폴더(DataStore folder) 를 삭제하면 안 됩니다.
특정 폴더와 ReportingEvents 파일(ReportingEvents file) 은 삭제하지 못할 수 있습니다 . 폴더를 삭제할 수 없는 경우 폴더를 열고 안에 있는 모든 내용을 삭제하면 됩니다. 저에게는 DataStore 폴더(DataStore folder) 를 삭제하려고 할 때 오류가 발생 하여 폴더 안으로 들어가서 데이터베이스 파일(database file) 과 폴더의 다른 모든 파일을 삭제했습니다.
Windows 업데이트 확인
SoftwareDistribution 폴더(SoftwareDistribution folder) 를 제거한 경우 Windows Update 로 다시 이동하여 업데이트를 확인해야 합니다. 업데이트 기록이 없어진 이후로 업데이트 확인을 수행한 적이 없다고 표시됩니다.
![업데이트 확인](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6xmt7LZ9qGY/YjdanKNH4II/AAAAAAAAxOc/1JqwGWrwxxkLl1p3hZQP5ahXIk7lnHKOQCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhwXhoxRfnCMzWoHOZ2642jZ_nuj0EzODXF5t1Q7BvL6a7rrN0krzmheUzsmY-MFPIvNElQtdb00p33blXdN7JKeWt40N8Z0Vjt0E5MzyV5q3K7ry34pqpX8okL7_Y21dPg0-ZjOB9BNW7cIeN7NeCNqh7dU4NQvftqlAepEp8qUf80-MONtpq3m9Tz54R59CdV0sSzvnmgh58TofhWiCd-3XY6S45gXs9apEd7wD9e7eQRv-OlfefiD1J7nhsO-VNpIePZXuYt8wH91-7xNeqMUsNvU8riJ4kEeaOdNAmzHs2vMofp2hexnesEIn4hQ49RORjmXR1EllxdTXA-_mnNBIqgBmt5sVi3ma-ytXDvYiGIu86LJm_BC3FpwKW6cZcBvMvhHvy8-0WwbqbpsqXyJZ5YLV2dWHiLbyifFEMd2GK8QlsVqaUZMn4nvXUyhp57e8xJd31k1YO35UcfL9WGPPd7j_bA0i0uYnC7fJa64Ibqw2Ap1gC7pmjiDzLiwvrkOm49a_jHa1qL7wtyHlrwJwnCAg1GXbJE3SP1tqSPSRxAvQRhkBLcZef3d-lfmexy1KCeGwg7Vp2gvonUpPrdxWONogD5_RueQHuhrQ9djY0v663ay1mkH7t7DID1nzRqWKoC8qdPME3pZMOPl3ZEG/s0/y4zMouCW8NlEWDLtQPiLL49qnaw.jpg)
업데이트 확인 버튼을(Check for updates) 클릭 하고 데이터베이스가 재생성되는 동안 잠시 기다릴 준비를 하십시오.
결론
따라서 여기서 요점은 시스템에 정말 오래된 복원 지점이(restore point) 저장되어 있지 않으면 모든 Windows 업데이트(Windows Updates) 를 한 번 에 제거할 수 없다는 것 입니다. 둘째, 공간을 절약하려는 경우 SoftwareDistribution 폴더에서 (SoftwareDistribution)Downloads 폴더 만 삭제해야 합니다 . 또는 단순히 모든 최신 업데이트를 설치하고 자동으로 제거되는지 확인하려면 10일을 기다려야 합니다.
셋째, 몇 개월 동안 새 업데이트를 표시하지 않는 등 Windows Update(Windows Update) 에 문제가 있는 경우 에만 DataStore 폴더를 삭제해야 합니다 . 이렇게 하면 Windows Update 의 작동 방식과 파일 저장 방식 을 더 잘 이해할 수 있기를 바랍니다 . 질문이 있으면 의견을 게시하십시오. 즐기다!
How to Uninstall and Reinstall Windows Updates
Even thoυgh inѕtalling updates in Windows is аn easy process, thе mechanism in the background that manages it all is fairly сomplicated. There is also a lot of misinformation on the Internet about how to deal wіth problems relatіng to Windowѕ Update.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that all Windows updates can be installed at once by simply deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder stored in C:\Windows. This is completely wrong. Yes, you might save some space (anywhere from 500 MB to several GB’s), but deleting the folder will not remove any installed update.
In addition it’s a bad idea to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder unless it is absolutely required. There is a subfolder called DataStore that has a large database of all the Windows Updates available. This database will probably be a couple of hundred MBs in size. Deleting this database simply removes the Windows Update history for the computer.
To prove this to myself, I did a test. I opened Control Panel, clicked on Windows Update and then clicked on View Update History in the left hand menu.
![review update history](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I4D3y5mpTno/YjcqjI27qFI/AAAAAAAAsFY/WNT5ckdtWEUJv5eR1ry61eDFcXLtiq0LgCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwCXdzMJo7Wy553Aab3IZfOcw-mLQTdmC4hM2tdUzSWs4kfq4JkoKacm2dcmiXk_lz8R0wls265Moyy3wuNaVsnq-WRgFjO_g6jIIA0z4UcLfbp5OSpexjAMt1MPlFLsqd11iAcc2q3-vnx2pbUltMYmtCvDHn8913LB0YagLYUztW6LL99jHPxoNDfJV-VRQw1VU6BzKNgZigC1RnuEe_Z1OKbhBf5_Os7MrqGIJN8PSviPXrUAxQVJPkJV0J9TYOsa0KL5Y5KDXH5I0JOltaY5xDdlJq0pSEUYuMc34yqT9IZHXVxomR9MPmvM0KXWAOVQMvqqCuV0YaEOlvZakcX5oQ_f7-rpZXL2VMObbH-GM4TiplrfKmfFxHplCqA6PaiKPNwpIKRY6yejrQRKB7wrgbFZz6rLPDaNHbT2uVjnNMrdL5H-gWEn3XTzoL1Qn51kZCcfLC5L1qmSoK0uQK7ZDR3eT3dAaqQHSI0aPeKW3GcnREgQYRdljNChhFutZpWHKZvIzbesmhsvphyR609wQ9kmts6IC_BuC_O7TMsj35HzoCsCP9QlXujZLExO7mrwLuBQjCqqtuxizkyA9_9mgzkeDk8xyBwzVKh8C4GTmKyzd-LbNX_CUazBZpV4bWInTWPlDCEoN2RBg/s0/I2O6H9FohSvqe9NiTFlKsWRfduI.jpg)
This screen just gives you a full list of installed updates with the Status, Importance and Date Installed. When we delete the SoftwareDistribution folder, this dialog will be completely empty as if you have never installed any updates. Before I show you that, click on the Installed Updates link at the top where it tells you how to remove an update.
![windows update history](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O6gaHPT707Y/YjcxC8Kx0JI/AAAAAAAAu9I/UYEaqjulNVYLxypSUqrPAp0BgchpShpwwCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhxcrfjNL0kpApMdsYcrhR6ibP9yFPgid8tif1XJf590Y_S6I5KKOmSt3l5FGY4xSNyvZdonIyhAy17tqtmX612OyJ04O3L0FlnNcNc0C54eOcYAIPck3FI_krYDif6TAC-yzKxFLqijseiFajZsn5zZb5ikZDEoD98WADPb77Q8xJjOH9YzrQe3CB3fICtjnubLwJfl_5qf96x98EvSIMovAxNksn1luuo0L_dnicCPkBgBf5wN0-gtGg1mLEXM8O7RQ9uZx49lRm7ceAFzzMt_6Cq2w-eXXuubN_kNKoT7juKeFa2-L0zW6YGXdHX_H-uPut3z-kosp-leDwO3y29zBsAOH0aOENAJ-JGeAnRJ7TKv4t2I6l2cfc-lF9kRTKX6aYwsM79CQqNoNt61sae4bD0zEcPXA9px0izvU6TWFBY_0eJV8U_jRs_hFuQGd3mv42XGA9AF9USp0pq4reDvfzEUbUScBDJxV2FH0gc74fjQOnfl4a2FntrUFG4TIrLZdM1piJaWyZ1PgX8v43nHC1Hi9uMmXsWiYFo5NX1MHFRWVJnhLyCAzaIwxq_hg3o27aMIgAeS-fQ5cwlLgvZliezsqr04t33qG12AvR8NX8glkuNvFAGVed6Q_NgxRGKhvGXPVRSd4G8WMKCg3ZEG/s0/QCSXYpIPPjrlpwpU2c_WeA887wE.jpg)
As you can see, I have a couple of hundreds updates currently installed for Office, Windows, Silverlight, etc. Now if you follow the instructions below for deleting the folder, you can go back to View Update History dialog and you will see it’s now empty.
![blank update history](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EHJIwdNrVp4/YjdUgQpMZbI/AAAAAAAAxQk/uj5GbjYaErAuw0gwaeNgHadqwLZSqT4ngCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhyA7Kl1nmuuE8YbfjpS9M3y-4uTVj7wwni_pQolcgJ95qTiO-uLPhHKnju5WtDUoCrh2GRhIuYn7H3A46WuR-NxwSiz3saC40lwEhLnEYSN1u049dY0D67l2CYyjg9Y07wRfnE24PF602JMWQ1tdO-7rwnXCbH-aen2ea7CQo1ODnAY1BCnUqtOf3xImHqFiNG3S8Q2NwO2TMd0tE1PbEUe3d5YJbd5HYjzbMmBiGMhVyvwZzVxKv1vF6EyEneYOXYpGLPPH2NpymJra9dKyL2eURnGuZzKwpReiu5BpQLzp-hh87uSJSlyCQ7ayU5pcMdJssGrsEJh5C-WsErMEJ0tE_FqLyDYX9EQ_MunDF7n3WJGQfXpQv5pjBA8MziUg9apzX0jdHDVVZJig8mgsk-81NqKeyDpZur2nn6PNvOlsduvCBq6Pgr51EQrrqOG5FNe5uiW36h5-u_yykFWzomxUoJ5SZkrxNrRvDqgntZvuPVxqE97MLOzC2UMF7kEWnA8HOkgWS4DRgY5vw2HYe0vwyFUDZbgDKOdbw0wn573JdoDAEeF7eTzjYqswz6pOpZDT0yyKKczaWxJPtWMgZ6yH18L_euilSbnLknCwvQX6JL3-DCrNUOD7sWAloZMYvFekGONPDCe4d2RBg/s0/THXILGIzAwhQvp1eo3YuODrQcZY.jpg)
However, if you click on Installed Updates again, you will see that all the updates that were listed before and still listed there. This is because we simply deleted the log history of the updates and not the actual updates.
This dialog is where you can actually uninstall an update, but only one at a time. Simply click on an update and then click Uninstall. Unfortunately, there is no way to remove all updates at once unless you use System Restore.
![uninstall an update](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OMPfb-9Q5wM/YjccNANFl2I/AAAAAAAADjI/yXKOzPXXX9gLa0v9exXClMEtUPvciQ02wCEwYBhgLKvEDABHVOhxeSqmKu1BtuATYSULyy9OK0vUZJMh4EEreX9rzJid57_Lr5itgoyxzXecCdHil_kcjllNp636SB8ECcTxmI--8us7mIs7_4fcnjy5EcSKFLsehZVlA79dQvMROYqrbbfCkZz25BePPjbkt5vMp0a-Ffrw5A99b5RlKddBRMXeM9g_FOe-xFzRbvRW7TYY6HykLA9PekQsEvOV8jpg0SHFKFaAgGIgHmS8N7Z4b0t8oAyxaq09z-wMB1q859mpaUbsnf4wcrBa-aLiovkCSe0-odM-A-9luIU_P030lCRFTGU9BY0zVaY2-1KUD4qSF0CxrUZ63BI5AN1rY-GLaYkrr6q6sLymszIx_5ReHwutHRLMCol2Y3bqo8_EmWqm1xKORC4FaaCfGnEFVJB_wg7045IZzS73d4lf5GevtJPILvrX6AAn4MdBndWPI54Il_GyriQm-PvgqlWRU8VIZSbskQDSr606f1DhUT0lFbEm55jRTZO5fxh4ah9Me-2zfxCotjHRzCLkIkXarR56jt-M2SgQLbI-FEfyKwUTPXJ4v_RR4iPWc90tJKVi01D3pbDGX5WGBgfwItEcVTJrbT3YKakmk0mweSX3-I0kynawDx1NIRHydgBsBNyU99ZZWyYdyYcFCu2SsV1d5Oa8w3tXckQY/s0/budPKN77YiNwlEAC07ph0yc9VJU.jpg)
If you use System Restore and restore the computer to a previous restore point, any updates that were installed after that restore point will be gone. To remove all updates, though, you would need a restore point created right after the OS was installed. Even if a restore point was created at that point, older ones normally get deleted over time to make space for newer restore points.
Still, if you have a lot of space allocated to System Restore, you might be able to roll back a couple months worth of updates at once.
Once you delete the contents of the folder, you will need to revisit Windows Update via Control Panel and check for updates. The entire database will be built from scratch and you may notice that Windows shows Checking for updates for a very long time. This is because a list of every update applicable to the OS has to be downloaded again and then compared to the updates currently installed on the system.
Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder
In order to remove this folder, you first have to stop the Windows Update and BITS services in Windows. To do this, click on Start and type in services.msc into the search box.
![services msc](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bhcgq1gWZpY/YjceYzvF0wI/AAAAAAAApmQ/tFZKyq28CcAeL_ZabqGCIyUernWEHJO8QCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhx6X5i_8Az7IZXV3nb-PxX1CSUHSFmSc6oq9vMrVLAbkuNkObNOx3wv8obBV9AhzeiTlD78bCwmRvOTWK6NxsO3KVaKRhu0GcC2-gQqplQ4oq48y5ES2OxM57FQOPj7TTSh85yzCb1G0Jvfmg0dRTuWcf1hBXCZJClrDNE2tqRNmjUClvACg8pnm2lMUeUV9sRv-61UT4BFvPub4bkJRzhSZo-lIQf88tdgqR4NXC36JYfvFUVcdYifCuvaIBbuDlAvnDamnMayhUWKLv_r_ZD_R93UUSIupOOtPlKpzEKe_McqWU4WCD0Y7Z8MXIGmAUamlCPkmmPnhPKy8s8rmW4CqRIKN8W29cYUdLYZ9ZXaF9u6ttm7UKPEztnyVUX0dxFBv8wLKPJI3GdgQ_CZCSkMpF3L8H6yXYHlCJjxk5Zv6OwC_viVRMRaodnvZv1masoT0jn1nct-tqNkGPdTVoOY3dJ8jiLz-F5-8FtIxNDMtNqEkD0lXuwR7iAdsGlTn9t2ZXQgB2WWLJS1z1BaE5HUh0k4y7Ih1Nn8Vff5um66JDZaSmxdUNtWVQZBdG8e05deeWdbRTEB01NVcNrlB_JirUo3wudC4080_bI5DDRtDgmwuUp8mbcIDP3XsJznVtAzUJ4DhTILjuGVMJzQ3JEG/s0/gEgZjCu2lNWRdNOY_5egLKBNJuY.jpg)
Next, right-click on the Windows Update service and click on Stop. Do the same thing for the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) service too.
![stop windows update service](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hUJi2n2Jpuo/YjbydBs5uNI/AAAAAAAAhhY/iEqFqpdt2jIfIKRw0A8Pq0JCacvdlE98wCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwW0CBk7YkolKRhlb6URWa_IgJhlV6Uh5HTXSA46rtPZTzcTVDH5E3Inr1300PCuFmPfzlhV9-wZ0cgm5eyq7ZHFxRZXVbHy0npWVZFQ1PONMxdTopZNqunXwLBLiLb67ib1SygjFUxfYmkgsM2KWbfxsJ0dJUmw1O8_eCdFnl3uawCEzgsMAIg1Qc5NZzeL_r4wLfEjXahBctYEmz8PuHb0PPtvGp-r6YtKLJySOhlKEvT2KQlPP_m8uuAu4nd9hM73lCbqdlSPO8Zq50PdX0wx8st7wB0bPkCKfKneQLRTuZCoubxrSAYYcR0TPzO_mZA9q14hTQoKUUP0yEF1F69JKIE4VMhscEvH2o_SFK7IDwFOJoGP2ZHxPnq1oEr-THgN0QuqzqlZwBKlRjYLmCuyWmtQEJcFb0y83vg4HNMcHMnH4lEEvT9qrp3Mqtom7UIrB2jajclGsNQdwU2a7PVl9MgQ1x74JGCA2gUeIiNlJDd9HgeDJzjAFR5NnV04Ho1gVSVvXEJNT-wQ-v1MGrgxZvOE1OzaWw9ezHrC91jfyv8d8BV4tQ7x9Ll0_Vn7OfNGviasNi0v1rdTERPCA9bQI_7ffue7P4Pk2Q2IPY6_4g-aCGST5HqVmLuxaNKxzTo79CRHjCziNyRBg/s0/39G9cvAo8EdzLWLTvUSTEAvbWqY.jpg)
Now navigate to the following folder shown below and you will see several folders listed there. The main ones that we will talk about are Downloads and DataStore.
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
![software distribution folder](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XaSHlacPRLs/YjbmdTlLTXI/AAAAAAAAho0/bobDnEiXgN8AOciMPll3jp_VgKl6Pz52wCEwYBhgLKuoDABHVOhwW0CBk7YkolKRhlb6URWa_IgJhlV6Uh5HTXSA46rtPZTzcTVDH5E3Inr1300PCuFmPfzlhV9-wZ0cgm5eyq7ZHFxRZXVbHy0npWVZFQ1PONMxdTopZNqunXwLBLiLb67ib1SygjFUxfYmkgsM2KWbfxsJ0dJUmw1O8_eCdFnl3uawCEzgsMAIg1Qc5NZzeL_r4wLfEjXahBctYEmz8PuHb0PPtvGp-r6YtKLJySOhlKEvT2KQlPP_m8uuAu4nd9hM73lCbqdlSPO8Zq50PdX0wx8st7wB0bPkCKfKneQLRTuZCoubxrSAYYcR0TPzO_mZA9q14hTQoKUUP0yEF1F69JKIE4VMhscEvH2o_SFK7IDwFOJoGP2ZHxPnq1oEr-THgN0QuqzqlZwBKlRjYLmCuyWmtQEJcFb0y83vg4HNMcHMnH4lEEvT9qrp3Mqtom7UIrB2jajclGsNQdwU2a7PVl9MgQ1x74JGCA2gUeIiNlJDd9HgeDJzjAFR5NnV04Ho1gVSVvXEJNT-wQ-v1MGrgxZvOE1OzaWw9ezHrC91jfyv8d8BV4tQ7x9Ll0_Vn7OfNGviasNi0v1rdTERPCA9bQI_7ffue7P4Pk2Q2IPY6_4g-aCGST5HqVmLuxaNKxzTo79CRHjCxiNyRBg/s0/-yNF3nVU28NYcN_YDVSPu2aV4N4.jpg)
If you are trying to regain hard drive space only, then you should only delete the contents of the Download folder, though in theory this should not really be necessary. The Download folder actually holds all the updates that have been downloaded, but not yet installed. Once they are installed, the updates are removed within 10 days. So theoretically, that folder should shrink in size soon after you have installed all the Windows updates.
The DataStore folder contains the database with the full Windows update history for the computer. Once it is deleted, the update history dialog will be blank like I had shown above, but all your updates will still remain. You should really never delete the DataStore folder unless you are told to do so or if Windows Update is completely corrupt and misconfigured.
Note that you may not be able to delete certain folders and the ReportingEvents file. In the case where you can’t delete a folder, just open the folder and delete all the contents inside. For me, I got an error when trying to delete the DataStore folder, so I just went inside the folder and deleted the database file and all the other files in the folder.
Check for Windows Updates
If you did remove the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will want to go to Windows Update again to check for updates. It will show that you have never perform a check for updates since the update history is now gone.
![check for updates](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6xmt7LZ9qGY/YjdanKNH4II/AAAAAAAAxOc/1JqwGWrwxxkLl1p3hZQP5ahXIk7lnHKOQCEwYBhgLKu8DABHVOhwXhoxRfnCMzWoHOZ2642jZ_nuj0EzODXF5t1Q7BvL6a7rrN0krzmheUzsmY-MFPIvNElQtdb00p33blXdN7JKeWt40N8Z0Vjt0E5MzyV5q3K7ry34pqpX8okL7_Y21dPg0-ZjOB9BNW7cIeN7NeCNqh7dU4NQvftqlAepEp8qUf80-MONtpq3m9Tz54R59CdV0sSzvnmgh58TofhWiCd-3XY6S45gXs9apEd7wD9e7eQRv-OlfefiD1J7nhsO-VNpIePZXuYt8wH91-7xNeqMUsNvU8riJ4kEeaOdNAmzHs2vMofp2hexnesEIn4hQ49RORjmXR1EllxdTXA-_mnNBIqgBmt5sVi3ma-ytXDvYiGIu86LJm_BC3FpwKW6cZcBvMvhHvy8-0WwbqbpsqXyJZ5YLV2dWHiLbyifFEMd2GK8QlsVqaUZMn4nvXUyhp57e8xJd31k1YO35UcfL9WGPPd7j_bA0i0uYnC7fJa64Ibqw2Ap1gC7pmjiDzLiwvrkOm49a_jHa1qL7wtyHlrwJwnCAg1GXbJE3SP1tqSPSRxAvQRhkBLcZef3d-lfmexy1KCeGwg7Vp2gvonUpPrdxWONogD5_RueQHuhrQ9djY0v663ay1mkH7t7DID1nzRqWKoC8qdPME3pZMOPl3ZEG/s0/y4zMouCW8NlEWDLtQPiLL49qnaw.jpg)
Click the Check for updates button and be prepared to wait a while as the database is being recreated.
Conclusion
So the main point here is that you cannot really get rid of all Windows Updates at once unless you have a really old restore point saved on the system. Secondly, you should only delete the Downloads folder in the SoftwareDistribution folder if you are looking to save space or simply install all the latest updates and wait 10 days to see if they are removed automatically.
Thirdly, you should only delete the DataStore folder if something is really wrong with Windows Update like not showing any new updates for several months, etc. Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of how Windows Update works and how the files are stored. If you have any questions, post a comment. Enjoy!