What is the Software Distribution folder?
The SoftwareDistribution folder usually located in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution is used by Windows Update to preload downloaded updates and hotfixes before installing them. On Windows 10 you usually find the following folder-structure but there might exist other sub-folders as well:
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Datastore
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\EventCachte.v2
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\PostRebootEventCache.V2
- C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SLS
While the SoftwareDistribution folder is managed completely by the Windows Update Agent (WUAgent) problems might occur that require a manual cleanup of its contents.
Automatically delete win download files in Windows 10
If you are facing issues with Windows Update you might try to use Windows Disk Cleanup in extended mode before moving forward with our tutorial. This might already fix incomplete or corrupted Windows Update files in the SoftwareDistribution folder by deleting them.
Is it safe to delete Windows\SoftwareDistribution-subfolders?
The method shown below to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder manually is generally safe as Windows Update will download all update files again when needed. To be sure that the issue you try to fix is related to the Windows SoftwareDistribution folder, you might want to temporarily rename it beforehand as shown below. This will preserve the files inside.
If you decide deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will lose the Windows Update history which might be usuful to trace down problematic updates. Also Windows Update will need a bit longer afterwards until available updates are shown and downloaded because the WUAgent must check and re-create the Datastore information.
How to Cleanup the SoftwareDistribution folder?
Before you can clear the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will have to stop both the Windows Update Service (wuauserv) and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (bits).
- Open an elevated Command Prompt
- Use the net stop command to terminate services
Run the command
net stop wuauservto stop the Windows Update Service andnet stop bitsfor the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
- Open file Explorer
- Delete contents/subfolders of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
- Use the net stop command to restart services
Run the command
net start wuauservto re-launch the Windows Update Service andnet start bitsfor the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
How to Rename the SoftwareDistribution folder
Renaming the SoftwareDistribution folder allows to quickly check if Windows Update files there are really causing the issue you are trying to resolve.
- Open Command Prompt
- Use the net stop command to terminate services
Run the command
net stop wuauservto stop the Windows Update Service andnet stop bitsfor the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
- Rename the SoftwareDistribution folder with one command
Run the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution folder into SoftwareDistribution.bat:
rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
To revert this, you can apply the same procedure afterwards using this command:
rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution.bak SoftwareDistribution
- Use the net stop command to restart services
Run the command
net start wuauservto re-launch the Windows Update Service andnet start bitsfor the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
How to Pause, Defer, or Delay Quality and Feature Updates
If you deleted the SoftwareDistribution Folder´s contents to free up space you might also want to delete the $SysReset folder to gain even more. If necessary you can also tell Windows Update to Pause, Defer, or Delay Quality and Feature Updates if you don´t want to download new Windows Updates immediately again after clearing SoftwareDistribution.
Last Updated on August 27, 2021 3:53 pm CEST
Windows 10: SLS folder
Discus and support SLS folder in Windows 10 Network and Sharing to solve the problem; What is SLS folder in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SLS directory for?…
Discussion in ‘Windows 10 Network and Sharing’ started by G0DS3NT, May 24, 2019.
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SLS folder
What is SLS folder in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SLS directory for?
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Which ISO to use for Windows 10 Home SL?
The Media Creation tool is I believe multi edition Home and Pro, like my MSDN ISO’s, but does not include the SL version? I don’t see it listed on MSDN either? That’s a step back IMHO, it’s an option on the Windows 8.1 MCT. An 8.0 Core OEM key (not SL) will install 10 Home. Verified that myself. I don’t know where you get that ISO? Hopefully it gets added to the MCT at some point. It’s a pain but you likely can run the MCT on each PC and chose the «Upgrade this PC now» option to get around it. Not ideal but it should work. Then see if you get 10 Home or 10 Home SL. If you get the full 10 Home, they will have a digital entitlement for it. Any clean installs after that will work with the ISO’s you have now. You just select Home and click skip key.
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Quick Access not searching Pictures folder
Summary, that last suggestion didn’t work.
- I moved the pictures to another folder temporarily.
- Then I tried to remove the Pictures folder with option one at Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials. Even after rebooting, the Pictures folder remained.
- So I tried using option two. Same thing: reboot >> Pictures folder still there.
- Since there were no troubleshooting steps for this scenario, just for the heck of it, I ran through the restore steps. Copied some pictures into the Pictures folder, ran a Quick Access search and initial problem remains: Searching all of QA doesn’t find any files in Pictures folder, running search on just the Pictures folder does. I want to run a global search and find matching files in any/all of the Documents, Music, Videos, and Pictures folders.
That article dates from 2015 and I’m guessing is out of date. I hope it didn’t create potential future problems in my registry.
Bottom line: I’m still looking for a fix.
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SLS folder
Downloads folder is the Documents folder
Hi Chris,
Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.
I suggest you to Restore to Default the folders and document settings and see if it helps.
Step 1:
Please follow below steps and check if it helps.
- Go to Download folder.
- Right click on the Download Folder and go to Properties.
- In Properties go to Location tab.
- In location Tab Click on Restore Default.
Step 2:
Please follow below steps and check if it helps.
- Go to Documents folder.
- Right click on the Document folder and go to Properties.
- In Properties go to Location tab.
- In location Tab Click on Restore Default.
After performing above steps change the settings as you required and check if it helps.
Hope these information helps, please get back to us for future support, we’ll be glad to assist you further.
Thank you.
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What is the SoftwareDistribution folder and what is it used for? Although many users are not aware of this folder, so let’s shed some light on the importance of the SoftwareDistribution folder. This folder is used by Windows to temporarily stores files needed to install the latest Windows Updates on your device.
Windows updates are important as it provides security updates & patches, fixes a lot of bugs and improves your system performance. SoftwareDistribution folder is located in the Windows directory and is managed by WUAgent (Windows Update Agent).
Do you think that deleting this folder is ever required? On what circumstances, you would delete this folder? Is it safe to delete this folder? These are some questions that we all come across while discussing this folder. On my system, it is consuming more than 1 GB space of C drive.
Why would you ever delete this folder?
SoftwareDistribution folder should be left alone but there comes a time when you may need to clear the contents of this folder. One such case is when you’re unable to update Windows or when Windows updates which are downloaded & stored in the SoftwareDistribution folder are corrupt or incomplete.
In most of the cases, when Windows Update stops working properly on your device and you are getting an error message, you need to flush out this folder to solve the problem. Moreover, if you find that this folder is accumulating a large chunk of data taking more space of the drive, you can manually clear out the folder to free up some space on your drive. However, if you face Windows Update issues such as Windows Update not working, Windows Updates fails, Windows Update stuck while downloading the latest updates, etc. then you need to delete SoftwareDistribution folder on Windows 10.
Is it safe to delete SoftwareDistribution folder?
You don’t need to touch this folder under any normal circumstances, but if the content of the folder is corrupted or not synchronized causing issues with Windows updates then you need to delete this folder. It is completely safe to delete this folder. However, you need to first make sure that you are experiencing a problem with your Windows Update. Next time when Windows Update files are ready, Windows will automatically create this folder and download the update files from the scratch.
How to Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder on Windows 10
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
To delete SoftwareDistribution folder from your device, you need to either open the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell
1.Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell with Administrator access. Press Windows key + X and select the Command Prompt or PowerShell option.
2.Once PowerShell opens, you need to type below-mentioned commands to stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
3.Now you need to navigate to SoftwareDistribution folder in C drive to delete all its components:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
If you are not able to delete all files because some files are in use, you just need to restart your device. Upon rebooting, you need to again run the above commands again and follow the steps. Now, again try to delete all the content of the SoftwareDistribution folder.
4.Once you have deleted the content of the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to type the following command to activate the services related to Windows Update:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
An alternate way to Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder
1.Press Windows Key + R then type services.msc and hit Enter.
2.Right-click on Windows Update service and select Stop.
3.Open File Explorer then navigate to the following location:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
4.Delete all the files and folders under SoftwareDistribution folder.
5.Again right-click on Windows Update service then select Start.
6.Now to try to download the Windows updates and this time it will without any issues.
How to Rename SoftwareDistribution folder
If you’re worried about deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder then you can simply rename it and Windows will automatically create a new SoftwareDistribution folder to download the Windows updates.
1.Press Windows Key + X then select Command Prompt (Admin).
2.Now type the following commands to stop Windows Update Services and then hit Enter after each one:
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
3.Next, type the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution Folder and then hit Enter:
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
4.Finally, type the folowing command to start Windows Update Services and hit Enter after each one:
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Once you have completed these steps, Windows 10 will automatically create a folder and download the necessary elements for running Windows Update services.
If the above step is not working then you can boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode, and rename SoftwareDistribution folder to SoftwareDistribution.old.
Note: The only thing which you may lose in the process of deleting this folder is the historical information. This folder also stores the Windows Update history information. Thus, deleting the folder will delete the Windows Update history data from your device. Moreover, the Windows Update process will take more time than it used to take earlier because WUAgent will check and create the Datastore information.
Overall, there is no problem associated with the process. It is a small price to pay for getting your device updated with the latest Windows Updates. Whenever you notice Windows Update problems such as Windows Updates files missing, not updating properly, you can opt for this method to restore the Windows Update process.
Recommended:
- Remove Activate Windows Watermark from Windows 10
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I hope the above steps were helpful and now you can easily Delete SoftwareDistribution folder on Windows 10, but if you still have any questions regarding this tutorial then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.
“SoftwareDistribution” is a directory in the Windows operating system that temporarily stores the Windows Update files before installing them on your system. However, occasionally, the files don’t always get deleted from the SoftwareDistribution folder.
They either get left behind, gradually taking up more and more space on the hard drive, or cause issues for the newer Windows updates to install.
Either way, there may come a time when you will need to manually clear out this folder and make space for new files. But is safe to do so, or will it corrupt your operating system?
In this article, we discuss whether or not it is safe to clean up the SoftwareDistribution folder, and if it is, how to do it?
Table of Contents
What is the SoftwareDistribution Folder
As mentioned earlier, the SoftwareDistribution folder stores Windows Update files temporarily. This folder can be found at the following path:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
It has the following subdirectories and files:
- DataStore
- Download
- PostRebootEventCache.V2
- SLS
- ReportingEvents.txt
The SoftwareDistribution folder is automatically managed by the Windows Update Agent (WUAgent), therefore it does not need any external involvement. However, you may need to interfere when there is something wrong with it.
Is it Safe to Cleanup the SoftwareDistributon Folder
Although it is recommended to stay clear of the SoftwareDistribution folder, one may need to clean it up from time to time, when needed.
The SoftwareDistriution folder stores temporary files for Windows Updates and other hotfixes. These are usually downloaded through Windows Update. If you remove them, then they will be downloaded again. Therefore, it is safe to clean up the SoftwareDistribution folder.
That said, there are a few caveats about cleaning up the aforementioned folder which you should be intimated about beforehand.
If you clean the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will lose all history data of the recently-installed Windows updates. This will then make pinpointing a problematic update difficult.
Moreover, it will take longer and more bandwidth to re-download all the required files for the updates, since the WUAgent will need to recreate the Datastore directory information.
Other than that, it is completely safe to clear out the SoftwareDistribution folder.
If you are still having second thoughts about the operating system’s safety and reliability, then we suggest that you create a system restore point before proceeding with the cleanup, or, you can adapt the SoftwareDistribution folder renaming method instead of deleting it.
When Should You Cleanup SoftwareDistribution Folder
As we mentioned earlier, it is recommended to steer clear of the SoftwareDistribution folder and only manipulate it when absolutely necessary. Therefore, do not rename or delete it without a reason.
You can clean up the SoftwareDistribution folder if you are experiencing an issue with Windows updates. For example, if an update is getting stuck, or won’t install at all. You can also do so when you encounter an error code relating to Windows updates, like error code 0x80070424. Or any other issue with Windows Update.
Now that you understand what the SoftwareDistribution folder is about, when to clean it out, and that it’s safe to do so, let us show you 2 safe methods to clean up the SoftwareDistribution folder.
How to Rename the SoftwareDistribution Folder
The safest approach is to simply rename the default SoftwareDistribution folder. When you rename it, Windows will automatically create a fresh folder with new subdirectories and files.
Moreover, this way, you can always restore the old folder if needed. However, it will not resolve the issue of a large SoftwareDistribution folder and clear out any disk space. Therefore, this method can only be applied if you have sufficient available disk space.
Since the SoftwareDistribution folder is being utilized by the “Windows Update” and the “Background Intelligent Transfer Service” services, these 2 will first need to be stopped.
Follow these steps to successfully rename the SoftwareDistribution folder:
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Launch an elevated Command Prompt.
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Run the following cmdlets to stop the “Windows Update” and the “Background Intelligent Transfer Service” services.
Net Stop wuauserv Net Stop bits
Stop dependent services -
Now immediately run the following cmdlet to rename “SoftwareDistribution” to “SoftwareDistribution.old”.
Rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
Rename the SoftwareDistibution folder -
Now run the following cmdlets to start the stopped services.
Net Start wuauserv Net Start bits
Start the dependent services
Now try reinstalling the Windows update (or whatever it was you were having trouble with) and see if the new, fresh SoftwareDistribution has helped in any way.
If this did not work for you, then always clean up the existing SoftwareDistribution folder using the steps given in the next section below.
How to Cleanup the SoftwareDistribution Folder
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Launch an elevated Command Prompt.
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Run the following cmdlets to stop the “Windows Update” and the “Background Intelligent Transfer Service” services.
Net Stop wuauserv Net Stop bits
Stop dependent services Do not close the Command Prompt.
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Now navigate to the following path using File Explorer:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
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Select everything by pressing the CTRL + A hotkeys, and then click Delete.
Delete everything in SoftwareDistribution folder Alternatively, you can also run the following cmdlet in Command Prompt to clear out the SoftwareDistribution folder silently:
del c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution /q /s -
(Conditional) If asked for administrative permission, click Continue.
Provide administrative privileges -
Now run the following cmdlets in the Command Prompt to start the stopped services.
Net Start wuauserv Net Start bits
Start the dependent services
You will now have a clean and good-as-new SoftwareDistribution folder for a fresh start.
Closing Thoughts
Although one does not usually need to make modifications to the SoftwareDistribution folder, we found that people are looking for automated methods to clean out the folder. Some recommendation that we saw was to delete the “Temporary Windows installation files” from the Windows Settings app.
Let us inform you that doing so will not clean up the SoftwareDistribution folder. It may free up some space on your hard drive, but it will simply remove the “Windows.old” folder, and have no effect on the SoftwareDistribution folder.
The SoftwareDistribution folder in the Windows operating system is located in the Windows directory and is used to temporarily store files that may be required to install Windows Update on your computer. It is thus required by Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent.
SoftwareDistribution folder location
The Software Distribution folder in Windows 11/10/8/7 is situated in the following location in File Explorer:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
On my computer, its size is around 1 MB, but its size could vary.
Is it safe to delete SoftwareDistribution folder
While you do not want to touch this folder under normal conditions, you may need to empty its contents should you find that your system’s Datastore and the Download folder have been de-synchronized, resulting in your Windows Updates not working properly.
It is generally safe to delete the contents of the Software Distribution folder once all files required by it have been used for installing Windows Update. Even if you delete files otherwise, they will be automatically downloaded. If you were to delete the folder itself, it would be automatically re-created, and the required WU components would be downloaded automatically.
However, this data store also contains your Windows Update History files. If you delete them you will lose your Update history. Moreover, the next time you run Windows Update, it will result in a longer detection time.
If your Windows Update is not working properly or not working at all or if you find that the size of this folder has really grown large, then you can consider deleting the Software Distribution folder in Windows 11/10.
If it is just the size, then if you use Disk Cleanup Tool and opt to Clean up System Files on your System Drive, and then Windows Update components & Delivery Optimization files , you will find that the size of this folder will get substantially reduced. But if you are facing Windows Update issues, then you flushing this folder has been known to help fix several issues like Windows Update not working, Windows Updates fail to install, Failure configuring Windows updates, Windows Update stuck downloading updates, We couldn’t complete the updates, Windows keeps installing the same update and so on.
To delete the contents of the Software Distribution folder, in Windows 11/10, from the WinX Menu, open Command Prompt (Admin). Type the following one after the other and hit Enter:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
This will stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
Now browse to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and delete all the files and folders inside.
You may press Ctrl+A to Select All and then click on Delete.
If the files are in use, and you are unable to delete some files, restart your device. After rebooting, run the above commands again. Now you will be able to delete the files from the mentioned Software Distribution folder.
After you have emptied this folder, you may restart your computer or you may type the following commands, one at a time in the CMD, and hit Enter to restart the Windows Update related Services.
net start wuauserv
net start bits
Now that folder has been flushed, it will now get populated afresh.
Rename SoftwareDistribution folder
If you wish to rename the Software Distribution folder, open an elevated command prompt window, type the following commands one after the other, and hit Enter:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
rename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
net start wuauserv
net start bits
Alternatively, you may also boot Windows into Safe Mode, and rename SoftwareDistribution to SoftwareDistribution.bak or SoftwareDistribution.old.
TIP: Our portable freeware FixWin allows you to reset this and most other Windows settings or functions with a single click.
I hope you find the post useful.
What is the DataStore folder in Windows?
The DataStore folder in Windows stores temporary files and LOG files associated with Windows update and Update history. It is located inside the SoftwareDistribution folder.
Want to learn more about the following folders?
$SysReset folder | $Windows.~BT & $Windows.~WS folders | | Windows.old folder | Catroot & Catroot2 folders | REMPL folder | $WinREAgent folder | System32 and SysWOW64 folders.