Windows Updates - Remove Outdated Updates in Windows 7

How to Remove Outdated Windows Updates Using Disk Cleanup in Windows 7​

   Information

Microsoft released an update on October 8, 2013 that allows you to remove outdated Windows Updates using Disk Cleanup in Windows 7.

This update adds a new plugin to the Disk Cleanup wizard. After you install this update, you can use the Windows Update Cleanup option to delete Windows updates that you no longer need.

Notes

• The Windows Update Cleanup option is available only when the Disk Cleanup wizard detects Windows updates that you do not need on the computer.
• To enable you to roll back to previous updates, updates are stored in the WinSxS store even after they are superseded by later updates. Therefore, after you run the Disk Cleanup wizard, you may be unable to roll back to a superseded update. If you want to roll back to a superseded update that the Disk Cleanup wizard deletes, you can manually install the update.

Running Windows Update Cleanup will reduce the size of the WinSxS folder (component store) and gain more hard drive space.

Source: Update is available that enables you to delete outdated Windows updates by using a new option in the Disk Cleanup wizard in Windows 7 SP1

   Note

Be sure you are running Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

Instructions:

1. If you have not already, you will need to download and install the update from Windows Update or from the Microsoft Download Center links below.
32 Bit:

Download



64 Bit:

Download


2. Open Disk Cleanup.

   Note

You need to run Disk Cleanup as Administrator or select "Clean up system files" in Disk Cleanup.

3. Tick the "Windows Update Cleanup" box.

4. Select OK.

5. Reboot your computer, so the changes will be applied.


That's it! You can run this every time you need to clean up old Windows Update files. Post down below if you have any questions or comments!

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Open and Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add "Disk Cleanup" to Context Menu in Windows
• How Use the Windows 7 SP1 Disk Cleanup Tool to Recover Lost Disk Space
• How to Uninstall a Windows Update in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Uninstall Windows Update from Console Level

 

[howiewowie]

still there is no WUC box run as administrator

 

[Slartybart]

Happens to me all the time, Bear

No need to apologize, we're all here to help.

This might help.
When you use Cleanmgr right tick on it and select Run as Administrator.

Sorry Slartybart I was typing while you were posting.

 

[howiewowie]

also tried right click cleanmgr run as administrator no luck

 

[howiewowie]

how can I know that I have full administrator control? that might be my problem

 

[Slartybart]

go to Control Panel -> User Accounts [Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts]
If it says Administrator next to your login icon, then you are an administrator.

Please explain more clearly what you mean by: also tried right click cleanmgr run as administrator no luck
did you not see the option, or did it not allow you to run as....

If you're a standard user and try to run as an administrator, it should ask you for the admin password.

 

[Slartybart]

Confirmation needed: Disk Cleanup, Windows Update Cleanup

While doing some other maintenance, I ran Disk cleanup.
The run status shows "Scanning: Windows Update Cleanup", but the WUC checkbox was not displayed.

This leads me to believe that Disk Cleanup does not present the Windows Update option if there is nothing found during the scan for Windows Update cleanup.

Confirmation needed: run Disk Cleanup, clean Windows update files, run disk cleanup.

oops sorry I meant Disk Cleanup it doesn't not have a windows update box when it opens I hit disk cleanup all on C: I only have one drive C:
when disk cleanup starts running it shows reading Service Pack Backup Files then System error memory dump files then Windows Update Cleanup it has a box to check for SPBF and Semdf but none for WUC

... Did you already try manually installing the 64-bit update from step 1?

it shows it was already installed

still there is no WUC box run as administrator

how can I know that I have full administrator control? that might be my problem

 

[howiewowie]

yes I have full control

 

[Slartybart]

Ok, that's good. My post above yours was to say that I am experiencing the same thing as you. The only difference is that I did see the checkbox at one time.

So I was asking other members to confirm my suspicion that if there are no WU to clean, then disk cleanup doesn't present the option to tick. In other words, this behavior might be by design.

Perhaps you can wait for a few Defender updates and then try Disk Cleanup and let us know if the WUC option is available.

yes I have full control

 

[Neolantis]

Very cool, just ran it...thanks!

Glad I found this site!

 

[derekimo]

So I was asking other members to confirm my suspicion that if there are no WU to clean, then disk cleanup doesn't present the option to tick. In other words, this behavior might be by design.

Yes, I just checked it and there were none to cleanup so no option to tick.

This tutorial could use a couple screenshots in the first post.

 

[Slartybart]

Thanks for the confirmation Derek: Disk Cleanup only offers a list item and checkbox for Windows Update Cleanup if the scan finds superseded Windows Updates.

So I was asking other members to confirm my suspicion that if there are no WU to clean, then disk cleanup doesn't present the option to tick. In other words, this behavior might be by design.

Yes, I just checked it and there were none to cleanup so no option to tick.

This tutorial could use a couple screenshots in the first post.

 

[howiewowie]

thanks for the help my system just out of the blue began to work on 11/17/13 and it removed windows updates it did not need and cleared out 5 Gb now when I open disk cleaner it is there now with windows updates check box...windows does tricks sometimes ever since I known it from win 3.1

 

[howiewowie]

no check box

Thanks for the confirmation Derek: Disk Cleanup only offers a list item and checkbox for Windows Update Cleanup if the scan finds superseded Windows Updates.

So I was asking other members to confirm my suspicion that if there are no WU to clean, then disk cleanup doesn't present the option to tick. In other words, this behavior might be by design.

Yes, I just checked it and there were none to cleanup so no option to tick.

This tutorial could use a couple screenshots in the first post.

yes it was the same for me and I just forgot about it for approx. 2-4 weeks yesterday I was cleaning up disk and a question popped up asking me if I wanted to remove windows updates not needed of course I checked ok well the check box is there now when or if I want to use it...it wasn't there before

 

[rskotecha]

I tried the option "Windows Update Cleanup" multiple times, after clicking OK, it runs for a while and the window disappears. After reboot, I don't see any Windows Update Cleanup related messages on screen. Even after reboot, when I run disk cleanup, it shows the amount of space that can be cleaned up by Windows Update Cleanup same as earlier.

Any idea, what could be wrong with the Windows Update Cleaning.

Thanks

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Shawn my 256GB SSD is filling up rapidly and I have cut the programs to the bone run CC done the disk clean up and looking for other stuff to clean came across old unwanted updates but I don't have an option in disk clean up for that. Is this because I have a corrupted install? I hope not because I am up to number five now because of problems of one sort or another

Sorry mate just found it under system clean up

 

[Brink]

Hey John,

If you haven't already, make sure that you did step 1 to install this option.

Next, it looks like you need to click on the Clean up system files button to elevate Disk Cleanup to have the option available.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok Shawn I found that update stuff in Clean up system files and to be honest there was less than 3MB in there the majority of stuff seems to reside in program files and there really is only stuff I use.

Seems odd to me that the larger the drives get the quicker one fills them - remembering when we used to have 80MB drives and having a job to fill even a third of them. But I suppose the programs have got that much larger eh?

PS Meant to say I already had that update on the machine it is just that it seems to be chewing through disk space and really I have the same programs on all of the machines just it has been a problem child for a long time.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, it does seem like the bigger the drive, the faster they fill up.

 

[thelma]

remove outdated updates

Hello Brink, I read through this tutorial that dates from 8 October 2013 ( Using disk clean-up to remove outdated updates ).

I have some questions about that. First, Who decides that a certain update is outdated? I think they are never outdated really.
When they find out that some update was wrong or had a mistake in it they don't say take it away, they send a new one to correct the old one.

Also if you remove old updates, you don't have you'r update history in tact anymore. Does that matter ?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Actually Thelma and I stand to be corrected but updates install stuff that slightly corrects the existing file/s and the left over bits or overwritten files - whatever are cleared out by running the disk clean up anyway I think Brink will let you know in far greater detail than I can. My only worry with this is one loses restore points but I could be wrong on that too.

The other issue re that 10 update Brink can let you know which tutorials he referred me too or at least the one I couldn't remember.