The Windows Update download cache lives in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. If you only need disk space, start with Windows Storage or Disk Cleanup. Clear the download folder by hand only when you are troubleshooting an update and have stopped the Windows Update service; Windows may need to download the files again.
First let Windows choose the files
A folder name containing “Download” is not a reason to delete it. Windows uses this folder while obtaining updates, and it can contain files for an update that has not finished. Check whether an update is downloading, installing, or waiting for a restart before cleaning. In Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Windows Update. In Windows 10, open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If installation is in progress, let it finish and restart when requested.
To see how much space is available, open File Explorer > This PC and note the free space on the Windows drive. This gives you a useful comparison after cleaning. The size shown beside a cleanup category is an estimate, so do not assume the final increase in free space will match it exactly.
On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Review Temporary files and select only the categories you understand, then choose Clean up. You can also open Start > Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files and review the available categories there. The labels depend on what Windows has found; an update cleanup category may not appear on every PC. Read the description and leave other categories, especially Downloads and Previous Windows installation(s), unselected unless you mean to remove them.
On Windows 10, type Disk Cleanup in the Start search box, open it, and select the Windows drive. Choose Clean up system files, select that drive again, and wait for the scan. Review Windows Update Cleanup if it appears, clear any unrelated preselected boxes you do not want, and then choose OK > Delete Files. Microsoft's drive space instructions describe these built-in paths. System-file cleanup can remove files used to uninstall older update versions; review the category before confirming. There is no simple undo after the cleanup has completed.
Return to File Explorer > This PC to compare free space. If the category was absent or the change was small, that is not proof the tool failed. Windows might have no eligible files there, or a different folder might be using the space. The Windows Temp guide explains another location that needs its own rules.
What is inside SoftwareDistribution Download
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution is part of Windows Update's working area. Its Download subfolder holds downloaded update content; the parent also contains other update data. The folder is different from your personal C:\Users\<your-name>\Downloads folder, and it is different from the Delivery Optimization cache. Clearing one does not mean you have cleared the others.
The files can return after cleanup. Windows may download a pending update again, and later updates create new content. Deleting a partially downloaded package to make room can therefore cost time and network data without fixing the reason the drive is full. If your aim is ordinary storage maintenance, prefer the Windows cleanup interface above and investigate the largest folders before repeating a manual reset.
Do not delete the entire SoftwareDistribution directory as a routine space-saving step. In particular, do not select its DataStore subfolder merely because it is nearby. A Windows Update component reset is a troubleshooting operation, not a general-purpose cleanup routine. Microsoft's Windows Update troubleshooting guide gives the broader reset procedure when an update is failing.
If an update is failing, clear the download folder deliberately
Try the Windows Update troubleshooter before manually clearing the cache. On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run. On Windows 10, open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run the troubleshooter. Restart if the troubleshooter requests it, then retry Windows Update. A stalled download can have causes other than cached files.
If the problem persists and you decide to clear downloaded update files, use the following narrower procedure. Save your work, wait for any installation to finish, and sign in with an administrator account. Do not do this during an active update or a restart requested by Windows Update.
- Press Win + R, type
services.msc, and press Enter. In Services, find Windows Update, right-click it, and select Stop. If it is already stopped, leave it stopped for the next step. - In File Explorer's address bar, enter
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Downloadand press Enter. Confirm the address bar shows that exact folder. Select the items inside it with Ctrl + A and press Delete. Keep theDownloadfolder itself, its parent folder, andDataStorein place. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows shows one. - Return to Services, right-click Windows Update, and select Start. If the service was not running before you began, a restart can also return Windows services to their normal state. Open Windows Update and choose Check for updates when you are ready to retry.
The risk is losing downloads already in progress or needing to download an update package again. The deleted data is a cache, but this procedure does not reverse an update that already installed. If Windows reports that a file is in use, do not force removal by taking ownership of system folders. Start the service again, restart the PC, and use the troubleshooter or Microsoft's more complete update repair instructions. If the items were sent to the Recycle Bin and you need them back before retrying, restore only the items you removed from this folder; otherwise let Windows download fresh copies. Emptying the Recycle Bin is optional and permanent.
Avoid confusing three cleanup targets
Windows Update Cleanup in Disk Cleanup and the contents of SoftwareDistribution\Download are related to updating Windows, but they are not interchangeable labels for one folder. One is a Windows-selected cleanup category; the other is a specific working directory. Likewise, Delivery Optimization keeps reusable download data for Windows and other Microsoft content. Its cleanup option is explained in the Delivery Optimization cache guide.
Check the free-space figure again after Windows Update runs. An update that downloads again may use some of the space you just recovered. If C: continues filling up, compare storage categories and large folders over time instead of repeatedly wiping the same cache. The cause could be installed programs, personal files, temporary files, or a different cache. A cleanup that helps once is not necessarily a fix for recurring growth.
Reviewing update cleanup with AiCleanDisk Pro
AiCleanDisk Pro lists Windows Update cache among its auto-clean items and shows a risk level for each item. It asks for confirmation before cleaning, and the dialog identifies operations that do not use the Recycle Bin. Scanning the system drive and auto clean, apart from the AI auto-clean category, are free. Scanning other drives, AI folder analysis, AI auto-clean items, and folder moving require a license. For an update that is currently failing, follow the Windows troubleshooter first and review any proposed cache cleanup before confirming it.