If your Disk Cleanup is stuck on ‘Windows Update Cleanup’, there is an easy fix. Follow the steps below to get your disk cleanup working again.
If you’ve run the Disk Cleanup tool in Windows and found that it’s stuck on the “Windows Update Cleanup” step, you’re not alone. This is a common problem, and there’s an easy fix.
Simply run the Disk Cleanup tool again, and this time, don’t select the “Windows Update Cleanup” option. Run through the tool and let it finish. Once it’s done, go back and select the “Windows Update Cleanup” option, and it should now work as expected.
Table of Contents
What is Windows Update Cleanup?
Windows Update Cleanup is a feature in Microsoft Windows that helps clean up the files that are related to Windows Updates. It helps remove files that are no longer needed, such as old versions of Windows Updates, and it can also help free up space on your hard drive. The Windows Update Cleanup feature is turned on by default, but you can turn it off if you want to.
How to fix Disk Cleanup stuck at ‘Windows Update Cleanup’?
If your Disk Cleanup tool is stuck on the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ option when you try to run it, there is a simple fix that can help you get it unstuck and working again.
The first thing you need to do is open the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, search for ‘Command Prompt’ in the Start menu, right-click on the first result, and then select the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
Once the Command Prompt is open, type the following command and press Enter:
net stop wuauserv
This command will stop the Windows Update service. Once the service has been stopped, you can now restart Disk Cleanup and it should no longer be stuck on the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ option.
Conclusion
If your Disk Cleanup is stuck at the “Windows Update Cleanup” stage, there are a few things you can try:
1. Restart your computer and try again.
2. Try running Disk Cleanup in Safe Mode.
3. If you have a lot of data on your hard drive, try running Disk Cleanup from a command prompt with the /sageset and /sagerun switches. This will allow you to select which files to delete and should help speed up the process.
4. You can also try using a third-party disk cleanup tool such as CCleaner.
If none of these methods work, it is possible that there is something wrong with your Windows Update installation. Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter or resetting Windows Update.
Further Reading
If your Disk Cleanup is stuck on the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ step, it is likely because you have a lot of outdated or unneeded files taking up space on your hard drive. While it is safe to delete these files, they can accumulate over time and cause your computer to run slower.
There are a few things you can do to fix this issue:
1. Run the Disk Cleanup tool as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the Disk Cleanup shortcut and select ‘Run as administrator’.
2. Delete the files in your C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder. This folder stores all the files that have been downloaded for Windows Updates. By deleting these files, you will force Windows to download them again the next time you run an update.
3. Use the Windows Update Cleanup feature in the Disk Cleanup tool. This will delete all the files that are no longer needed for updates.
4. Use a third-party disk cleanup tool. There are many different options available, so choose one that suits your needs.
If you follow these steps, you should be able to fix the Disk Cleanup tool and get it working properly again.
Contact Information
If your Disk Cleanup is stuck on ‘Windows Update Cleanup’, there are a few things you can do to fix the issue.
First, try running Disk Cleanup in Safe Mode. To do this, restart your computer and then press F8 while it is booting up. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. From here, select ‘Safe Mode’ and press Enter. Once your computer has booted into Safe Mode, run Disk Cleanup again.
If that doesn’t work, you can try and manually delete the files that Disk Cleanup is stuck on. To do this, open the Command Prompt (press Windows+R to open the ‘Run’ dialog, type ‘cmd’ into the box and press Enter) and type the following commands:
cd %windir%\SoftwareDistribution
net stop wuauserv
del /f /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Downloads
ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Downloads Downloads.old
net start wuauserv
This will stop the Windows Update service, delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder (which is where Windows Update stores its files) and then restart the service.
If you still can’t get Disk Cleanup to work, you may have to delete the files manually. The files that Disk Cleanup is stuck on are usually temporary files that can be safely deleted. To do this, open File Explorer and navigate to the following location:
C:\Windows\Temp
From here, you can delete all of the files in the Temp folder. Be careful, though, as some of these files may be needed by programs on your computer. If you’re not sure which files can be deleted, you can use a program like BleachBit to safely delete them.
Hopefully, one of these solutions will fix the issue and you’ll be able to use Disk Cleanup again.
