Solved Disk Clean-up replacement for 'Windows Update Clean-up' files


wiganken

wiganken

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I know that Disk Clean-up is being deprecated but I find it useful for deleting 'Windows Update clean-up' files. After yesterday's Patch Tuesday updates there are 3.99GB of files found for deletion. See photo.
I am trying to ditch Disk Clean-up (because of its deprecation) and use Settings>Storage instead to find the same thing but I can't see 'Windows Update clean-up' files anywhere.
I also use 'Privacy Eraser Free' but this has no option to search for and delete Windows Update files.

Surely there must be a way to find and delete 'Windows Update clean-up' files other than using Disk Clean-up? Ideally using Windows tools but would consider a 3rd party cleaner as long as it can find and delete these specific files. 4GB is disk space I would like to reclaim.

Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

WU Clean-up.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    GMKtec K11
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated AMD Radeon 780M (4.00 GHz)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 2250HM
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED 14" Laptop - UX3405CA-QL192W
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 - 255H processor
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Arc 140T onboard graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 (16:10 WUXGA resolution) OLED Touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
Here are a couple of ways to clear the Windows Update files:

5 Methods to Delete Windows Update Files in Windows 10

Here are 5 different methods to delete Windows Update files in Windows 10. This helps you remove the updates downloaded by you and temporary update files.
www.ilovefreesoftware.com www.ilovefreesoftware.com

These are for Windows 10, but should be usable in Windows 11 also.

HTH
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    G-Skill RipjawsV F4-3600C18 (16GB x 2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RX 5700 XT Gaming OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE278 (x 2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256GB
    Samsung 970 Pro NVMe 512GB (x 2)
    ST10000VN0004 10TB (x 2)
    ST10000VN0008 10TB (x 2)
    ST4000VN000 4TB (x 2)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000
    Case
    Corsair Carbide 400R
    Cooling
    AMD Wraith Prism (Stock)
    Keyboard
    Logitech G213
    Mouse
    Logitech G502
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps down / 40Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox - Chrome - Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender - Clamwin
wiganken said:
I am trying to ditch Disk Clean-up (because of its deprecation) and use Settings>Storage instead to find the same thing but I can't see 'Windows Update clean-up' files anywhere.
...
Can anyone point me in the right direction please?
Click to expand...

Settings, System, Storage, Temporary files:

Windows Update Clean-up.png

@Brink: This should be in a tutorial, but I can't find it anywhere.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
I wonder if that one is just a subset of Disk Cleanup?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7/10/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    I'm a computer enthusiast so have quite a few systems that I run. More like an advanced hobby.
I still use the original disk cleanup for this in Windows 11 23H2. If it ain't broke: Don't fix it. It's no longer in disk properties but still in the start menu. Run it as admin to cleanup system files like Windows Update.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Precision 7875
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7955WX, 4.5 GHz, 16c 32t
    Motherboard
    Dell Precision 7875 System Board
    Memory
    64GB DDR5 4800 ECC Registered, Quad channel
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Inno3D
    Sound Card
    Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell UltraSharp U3415W
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    SK hynix PC801 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD 1TB first SSD
    Corsair MP600 Pro NH PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD 8TB second SSD
    PSU
    Dell 1350 Power Supply for Precision 7875
    Case
    Dell Precision 7875
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (Qwerty US)
    Mouse
    3M EM500GPL
    Internet Speed
    150mbit down, 15mbit up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Eset
    Other Info
    Full specs
    https://tweakers.net/gallery/23645/inventaris/?inv_id=3451440
I don't have Windows Update Clean-up in either my Disk Cleanup or my System > Storage > Temporary Files. Wonder why. When I load Disk Cleanup (Admin), it shows in the status bar that Windows Update Cleanup is being checked, but then there's no WUC in the list.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
@BruceR - Thanks. That works for me. I never thought to look in 'Temporary files'.

@Wisewiz - Have you been tweaking your Windows OS? That might explain why you don't see 'Windows Update Clean-up'. Just a thought. I don't know how to fix it though.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    GMKtec K11
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated AMD Radeon 780M (4.00 GHz)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 2250HM
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED 14" Laptop - UX3405CA-QL192W
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 - 255H processor
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Arc 140T onboard graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 (16:10 WUXGA resolution) OLED Touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
BamaInArk said:
I wonder if that one is just a subset of Disk Cleanup?
Click to expand...
I think it's directly equivalent.

Wisewiz said:
I don't have Windows Update Clean-up in either my Disk Cleanup or my System > Storage > Temporary Files. Wonder why. When I load Disk Cleanup (Admin), it shows in the status bar that Windows Update Cleanup is being checked, but then there's no WUC in the list.
Click to expand...
Neither can clean up what is no longer there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
BruceR said:
Neither can clean up what is no longer there.
Click to expand...
Truer words were never spoken. But there are many entries in the list with 0 values.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
BruceR said:
Settings, System, Storage, Temporary files:

View attachment 83668

@Brink: This should be in a tutorial, but I can't find it anywhere.
Click to expand...
Here you go: :shawn:

www.elevenforum.com

Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to free up drive space with Disk Cleanup in Windows 11. You can use Disk Cleanup on a regular basis to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can free up drive space and help your PC run better. It can delete temporary files and system...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Brink said:
Here you go: :shawn:

www.elevenforum.com

Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to free up drive space with Disk Cleanup in Windows 11. You can use Disk Cleanup on a regular basis to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can free up drive space and help your PC run better. It can delete temporary files and system...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Click to expand...

Thanks. I apparently searched Tutorials for clean-up instead of cleanup.

In Option Two the Downloads folder is no longer included (which appears in screenshots at Steps 6 and 7).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
Wisewiz said:
Truer words were never spoken. But there are many entries in the list with 0 values.
Click to expand...
Fair point for Disk Cleanup. I don't think you ever get zero values under Temporary Files in Settings.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
BruceR said:
In Option Two the Downloads folder is no longer included (which appears in screenshots at Steps 6 and 7).
Click to expand...
You can still use the Delete files in my Downloads folder if they have been there for over Storage Sense setting to automatically delete them.

www.elevenforum.com

Turn On or Off Storage Sense in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Storage Sense to automatically free up system drive space for your account in Windows 11. Storage Sense can automatically free up drive space for you by getting rid of items that you don't need, like temporary files and items in your Recycle...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Is Disk Clean-up still going to be removed from Windows 11? I still use it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Stigg said:
Is Disk Clean-up still going to be removed from Windows 11? I still use it.
Click to expand...
Still available for now at least.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
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