You can clear the Delivery Optimization cache with Windows Disk Cleanup when you need space. Select only Delivery Optimization Files and review the confirmation before deleting them. This removes cached download content; it does not turn off Windows Update, and future downloads may create cache files again.
Clear the cache with Disk Cleanup
Use the Windows cleanup interface rather than deleting a service folder in File Explorer. You do not need a separate cleaner or a registry change for this task.
Check what you are about to remove
Save your work first. If Windows is downloading or installing an update, let it finish before housekeeping so you can judge the result without an update changing disk usage at the same time. Open File Explorer, select This PC, and note the free space on the system drive, usually C:.
That starting value is useful for comparison, but it is not a promise of how much this particular cleanup will recover. Other programs may write files while you work. Treat the estimate beside the cleanup category as the relevant figure, rather than assuming that a large Windows directory is all disposable cache.
Select the specific cleanup category
- Open Start, search for Disk Cleanup, and open the application.
- If it asks which drive to clean, choose the drive containing Windows, usually C:, then select OK.
- In the Disk Cleanup tab, find Delivery Optimization Files.
- Clear other selected checkboxes so this run removes only that category.
- Select Delivery Optimization Files, read its displayed size, then select OK.
- Review the confirmation and select Delete Files.
The removal does not offer an undo operation in Disk Cleanup. Do not expect these files to appear in the Recycle Bin. Windows can download content again when it needs it, but that is not a restoration of the exact deleted cache; it can require another download. If you need to preserve the current cached content, cancel before confirming.
Microsoft documents this procedure in its Delivery Optimization support guide.
Check the result
When cleanup finishes, return to File Explorer > This PC and compare the system drive's free space. You can reopen Disk Cleanup to see what it now lists for Delivery Optimization Files. Record the before and after figures if you want to judge whether this category was worth cleaning on your machine.
A small result is a reason to investigate other space usage, not to delete more Windows folders. The broader Windows disk cleanup guide covers other places to review. Keep this operation separate from cleanup categories with different consequences.
What this cache is for
Delivery Optimization handles downloads for Windows updates, Microsoft Store apps, and other Microsoft content. It can retain downloaded content for reuse. The cache therefore has a purpose even when an update has already finished.
Think about it as a tradeoff between keeping reusable download data and recovering local storage. If you have enough free space, leaving it under Windows management is reasonable. If you need space now, the named Disk Cleanup category gives you a specific action without asking you to identify individual service files.
This is not a folder for your own documents or a list of applications to uninstall. Removing cached content is also different from uninstalling an update. Do not use this cleanup as a substitute for diagnosing an update that fails to install.
Why the cache can come back
Cache growth after another download does not by itself mean cleanup failed. You removed the content that was eligible at that moment; subsequent activity can create new content.
Windows manages cache retention, and administrators can configure cache age and size limits. The Microsoft Delivery Optimization policy reference describes these controls. A work or school device may have settings chosen by its administrator.
For a personal computer, start by comparing free space before and after cleanup and checking again after later update activity. Avoid making daily deletion a routine simply because the word cache appears in a folder name. Repeated removal can exchange a little temporary storage relief for repeated downloads.
If the drive keeps filling up, compare the largest folders across more than one observation. Do not assume Delivery Optimization explains every change. Installed applications, personal files, and unrelated caches need their own review.
If the category is missing or cleanup frees little space
First confirm that Disk Cleanup is looking at the Windows drive. Cleaning a different data drive will not answer how much update download cache is available on the system drive.
If Delivery Optimization Files is absent, do not infer a folder path from an online example and force-delete it. A missing category is not permission to take ownership of service directories. Leave this particular cache alone and investigate the space consumers that your tools can actually identify.
Likewise, a small displayed size sets a limit on what this operation can achieve. Selecting unrelated categories just to make the total larger changes the task. Read each category separately before deciding whether it belongs in a later cleanup.
On an organization-managed computer, ask the administrator about recurring cache growth or disabled settings. Do not bypass a policy with a registry edit. The people managing updates may intentionally retain content for other devices.
Avoid changing update settings just to clear storage
Deleting cached files and changing download-sharing preferences are separate decisions. For this storage task, finish the Disk Cleanup procedure before considering any configuration change.
Do not disable a Windows service, move a service directory with a junction, or alter folder permissions to keep the category permanently empty. Those changes introduce a maintenance problem that the cleanup procedure does not require. Keep the question narrow: how much space does the named category offer, and is recovering it useful today?
If downloads themselves are the concern, review the applicable Windows settings and official documentation as a separate task. A storage estimate cannot tell you whether a particular network-sharing choice suits your connection.
Reviewing this category with AiCleanDisk Pro
AiCleanDisk Pro includes Delivery Optimization cache in its auto-clean items. Each item has a risk level, and a confirmation dialog appears before cleaning; review that item's warning rather than assuming every cleanup operation has the same recovery behavior. System-drive scanning and auto clean, except the AI auto-clean category, are free. Scanning other drives, AI folder analysis, AI auto-clean items, and folder moving require a license. License access costs $4.99 for 30 days, $16.90 for six months, or $19.90 for one year, with one-time payments and no automatic renewal.