[SOLVED] Windows update cleanup not cleaning

[dinodon]

I show 9.65 GB that needs to be cleaned. I run the disc cleanup several times
in safe mode also,and every time it shows 9.65 GB . It wont clean.
Emptied Software distribution, re set windows update, ran update troubleshooter.
More trouble than it's worth? Re-install Windows?

 

[Darkbreeze]

When you open disk cleanup, do you click on the "Cleanup system files" button and then check every item on the list before clicking OK?

I've seen this happen before (Usually when somebody has run cleanup and then got impatient and cancelled it before it finished thinking it had frozen, when in fact it just takes a LONG time to run when cleaning up update files and previous installations) and sometimes it simply cannot be fixed without reinstalling. You can do an in place upgrade, but it usually doesn't fix the problem with the Windows.old folder and update files not wanting to be removed. A clean install is usually necessary when that happens.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

 

[dinodon]

When you open disk cleanup, do you click on the "Cleanup system files" button and then check every item on the list before clicking OK?

I've seen this happen before (Usually when somebody has run cleanup and then got impatient and cancelled it before it finished thinking it had frozen, when in fact it just takes a LONG time to run when cleaning up update files and previous installations) and sometimes it simply cannot be fixed without reinstalling. You can do an in place upgrade, but it usually doesn't fix the problem with the Windows.old folder and update files not wanting to be removed. A clean install is usually necessary when that happens.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

I run as admin . I have tried checking all too.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, running as admin isn't what I meant. There are two kinds of system cleanup. One, the main screen you see if you right click any drive in file explorer and click properties followed by clicking Disk cleanup, and two, when that cleanup applet opens after you click on Disk cleanup there is a button on it that says "Cleanup system files" which has options for cleaning up items not found on the main screen. Have you tried THAT?

Have you tried simply deleting the Windows.old folder on the C: drive if there is one? That is the folder which likely contains the bulk of the 9.65GB you are seeing. Try the Cleanup system files option first, and try that second.

From my Windows 10 update and cleanup tutorial.

Click the start menu and open "Settings". OR right click the start menu and select Settings.

Open the Updates and security settings.

Click on Advanced options.

Turn on the setting for "Give me updates for other microsoft products when I update windows IF it is not already enabled.

Click the back arrow in the top left corner to return to the Windows update main page.

Click on check for updates and then let it run until no more updates are available or until it asks you to restart the system. If it asks to restart the system, then click ok or restart manually.

After restart, run Windows update again to make sure no further updates are available.

Next, open Windows explorer, navigate to the Windows folder and locate the Temp folder inside the Windows folder. Delete the contents of the Temp folder.

Open Windows explorer.

Right click on the C: drive and select properties.

Click the box that says Disk cleanup.

Check all of the boxes in the window that pops up. Click ok. In the popup box that says Are you sure you want to permanently delete these files, click Delete files.

Wait until the operation completes. You might need to move your mouse over the top of the Disk cleanup box if it seems like it's not doing anything for more than five minutes.

Now, click on Disk cleanup again. This time click on the box that says Clean up system files. Check ALL of the boxes and then click ok. Click delete files in the next box that pops up.


Next, click on the Tools tab on the Local Disk (C properties window.

Cllck the Optimize button.

Select the C: drive and then click Optimize. Wait until the operation completes.

Repeat this procedure for all connected drives one at a time.

 

[dinodon]

So, running as admin isn't what I meant. There are two kinds of system cleanup. One, the main screen you see if you right click any drive in file explorer and click properties followed by clicking Disk cleanup, and two, when that cleanup applet opens after you click on Disk cleanup there is a button on it that says "Cleanup system files" which has options for cleaning up items not found on the main screen. Have you tried THAT?

Have you tried simply deleting the Windows.old folder on the C: drive if there is one? That is the folder which likely contains the bulk of the 9.65GB you are seeing. Try the Cleanup system files option first, and try that second.

From my Windows 10 update and cleanup tutorial.

Click the start menu and open "Settings". OR right click the start menu and select Settings.

Open the Updates and security settings.

Click on Advanced options.

Turn on the setting for "Give me updates for other microsoft products when I update windows IF it is not already enabled.

Click the back arrow in the top left corner to return to the Windows update main page.

Click on check for updates and then let it run until no more updates are available or until it asks you to restart the system. If it asks to restart the system, then click ok or restart manually.

After restart, run Windows update again to make sure no further updates are available.

Next, open Windows explorer, navigate to the Windows folder and locate the Temp folder inside the Windows folder. Delete the contents of the Temp folder.

Open Windows explorer.

Right click on the C: drive and select properties.

Click the box that says Disk cleanup.

Check all of the boxes in the window that pops up. Click ok. In the popup box that says Are you sure you want to permanently delete these files, click Delete files.

Wait until the operation completes. You might need to move your mouse over the top of the Disk cleanup box if it seems like it's not doing anything for more than five minutes.

Now, click on Disk cleanup again. This time click on the box that says Clean up system files. Check ALL of the boxes and then click ok. Click delete files in the next box that pops up.


Next, click on the Tools tab on the Local Disk (C properties window.

Cllck the Optimize button.

Select the C: drive and then click Optimize. Wait until the operation completes.

Repeat this procedure for all connected drives one at a time.

Tried everything you suggested,but there is no Windows.old folder on the C: drive.
Still shows 9,65GB

 

[Darkbreeze]

Then I'd probably try the clean install as it seems something has been borked somewhere along the way.