The issues of installing updates of the tenth version of Windows, however, like any other of this family, concern many users, since the process of downloading and installing them does not always go smoothly. The appearance of many errors can sometimes be eliminated if you know exactly where the Windows 10 update files are saved. In the same way, you can reinstall some update packages manually or cancel their installation, so you need to consider managing these processes in the context of determining the location of downloaded files and what exactly actions with them can be performed.
Where are Windows 10 updates downloaded?
So, for starters, let's deal with issues regarding the immediate location for saving files of downloaded update packages. Where Windows 10 updates are downloaded, most ordinary users do not know. In fact, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the download folder available in user documents and intended by default to download certain content from the Internet is not involved in the process of downloading and installing system updates. So there you can not look for updates. But then where do the Windows 10 updates swing?
To do this, the system provides a special folder SoftwareDistribution, located in the main directory of the operating system. True, it also contains the Download directory, designed to download the contents of packages, but after they are automatically unpacked, downloaded files combined into folders can be located directly in the specified software folder. What actions with all of these components can be performed, we will consider a little later, but for now briefly dwell on packages that are downloaded to the hard drive when switching to Windows 10 with systems of a lower rank.
Where are Windows 10 update files downloaded when upgrading from older OS?
For these purposes, a special directory is created, which, like the directory described in the previous case, is not visible to the user, since it is hidden. Where are Windows 10 updates downloaded in this case?
This is the Windows directory. ~ BT. In the case of a transition authorized by the user from an outdated OS to the tenth version, the system provides for rollback, and the folder of the old Windows.old system is stored for thirty days. But here's what is interesting: files for installing assembly updates (upgrades) of the tenth modification are also placed in the same directory. In other words, they are, in a sense, the files of the new system. Therefore, it is better not to touch this directory without need. On the other hand, if you completely disable the installation of updates even for assemblies (but after the necessary components have been downloaded), you can get rid of this folder quite simply, but it is advisable to perform this operation not in manual mode, but using the "C" disk cleaner ( system partition) with additional activation of cleaning system files, where the corresponding item is marked in the list. But it should be noted that critical updates in the form of Anniversary Update and later will not be installed subsequently. And this may affect the performance of some installed programs, for which such updates are needed initially.
Practical use of ReportingEvents log file and folder with downloaded updates
So, where Windows 10 updates are stored, figured out. Now let's look at the practical side of applying such knowledge. First of all, attention should be paid to the text log file itself, which opens in the most ordinary Notepad.
It just indicates all the information regarding the download and installation of update packages, and with a description of the errors and failures for each of them. Thus, if the report indicates that during the installation of a package errors occurred, knowing its number, the update can be reinstalled independently. To do this, go to the Internet resource of the Microsoft update catalog, search for the number of the failed package (before it enter the abbreviation “KV”, which marks all packages, optional), and then download the desired package in MSU format and install it by running the downloaded file .
Note: it is not possible to perform manual installation from the directory with the saved data, because there are not installation files, but cached data.
But if there was a need to reinstall the entire system, previously files from the SoftwareDistribution folder can be copied to removable media (and only those packages that you consider necessary), so as not to wait for verification and installation of all updates after the installation of the system itself is completed. Pay special attention to the moment that if the package name contains the word “EXPRESS”, such files and directories can not be copied, but safely skipped (anyway, manual installation of the manual type is not provided for them).
How to undo updates by the simplest method?
As for canceling the installation of updates, there should not be any special difficulties. The most primitive, but not always appropriate, is the standard rollback method to the previous state.
The nuance is that when you return to a certain point (date), absolutely all updates that were installed after that will be deleted, that is, you will not be able to selectively get rid of, for example, unnecessary or failed updates.
Manual update uninstallation
Such actions can be performed directly in the programs and components section, which is located in the standard (and not new) “Control Panel” (control in the “Run” menu).
In it, go to the point of viewing installed updates, highlight the desired one and press the delete button. In the same way, you can get rid of any package simply by using special uninstall programs like iObit Uninstaller.
In them you can find a special section with a list of recently installed updates, in which, as in the previous case, you need to select the package and click the delete button. The use of uninstallers is advantageous in that they are able to get rid of all residual components, since the built-in tools of the system very often leave a lot of unnecessary entries in the system registry, as well as files and directories associated with the main package or application to be deleted.
Actions with the directory for saving updates
But when deleting the folder itself described above, knowledge of where Windows 10 updates are downloaded will come in handy. It goes without saying that when you try to simply remove it from the "Explorer", you will receive a message stating that you must first stop the directory related process. This applies to the Update Center service.
You can only deactivate it in the services section (services.msc), first pressing the stop button and then setting the launch to a disabled type. If this is not done, even actions directly in the update management section will be ineffective. The completion of the process in the "Task Manager" will also lead to nothing, because after some period of time (very small) the process will start again on its own.