It happens many times that window 10 Updates get broken out of the blue, and there seems to be no fix whatsoever. Windows 10 is filled with bugs and this is also one of the errors that can happen to anybody. Here I will tell you all you need to know about the Software Distribution Folder.
How To Start Windows Updates Again By Deleting The Software Distribution Folder?
If your Windows Updates is not working, it may be because of a broken Software Distribution Folder.
Inside The Software Distribution Folder
On Windows 10, the Software Distribution Folder stores the temporary files needed to install the new Windows Updates that keep your device secure and provide new improvements.
The folder can be found inside the Windows directory. It is maintained by the WUAgent.
Is It Safe To Clear The Contents Of The Folder?
Usually, you should not mess with this folder. The reason being that this folder contains the database history of the previous Windows updates that have been installed on your PC. You should not delete this folder if your intention is to free up space.
However, if Windows Updates are not working, there is a fair chance that there is something wrong with this folder. If you want to resolve some issues with your Windows Updates, you can try to clear the contents of this folder or rename this folder in order to solve your issue.
How To Clear The Folder Contents?
You cannot just delete the folder contents, as it will damage the system. Instead, you need to follow these steps:
1. Open an elevated Command Prompt. Open Run by pressing Win + R and type cmd. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open cmd with administrator privileges.
2. Type the following command to stop Windows Update Service and press Enter:
net stop wuauserv
3. Type the following command to stop the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service)
net stop bits
4. Now open file explorer and go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
5. Delete all the files and folders inside the Software Distribution Folder.
6. Once you have deleted all the files inside the folder, you need to start the services you stopped inside command prompt.
7. Open another elevated command prompt.
8. Type the following command to start the Windows Update service again:
net start wuauserv
9. Type the following command to start the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) again:
net start bits
Once you start bits service, Windows will reconfigure the Software Distribution Folder and download the necessary components again. This will reset Windows Update and your issue may be solved. If you don’t want to delete the folder, you can alternatively rename the folder to SoftwareDistribution.old to troubleshoot your problems.
To rename the folder, do the following:
1. Open an elevated Command Prompt. Open Run by pressing Win + R and typing cmd. Then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open cmd with administrator privileges.
2. Type the following command to stop Windows Update Service and press Enter:
net stop wuauserv
3. Type the following command to stop the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service)
net stop bits
4. Type the following command to rename the Software Distribution Folder:
rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
5. Type the following command to start the Windows Update service again:
net start wuauserv
6. Type the following command to start the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) again:
net start bits
7. Restart your PC.
This will force Windows to create a new Software Distribution Folder and re-download all the necessary components for Windows Update to function normally.
Side Effects Of Deletion/Renaming Software Distribution Folder
Like said above, under no circumstances should you delete anything from this folder just for the sake of freeing up space. Since this folder houses the update history library, the next time you start Windows Update after deleting or renaming the folder the libraries will be formed again and the components will be downloaded again.
You will see that Windows Update takes longer than usual to scan for and install updates to your PC because the Windows Update agent will look for datastore information and recreate it if unavailable.
Conclusion
If you are running out of space, you can consider running a disk cleanup tool like the one present built-in in Windows. But if there is an issue with the update agent, now you know how to delete or rename the Software Distribution Folder using the method given above. Comment down below if you found this post helpful or want to discuss further.