Markus is the founder of WinBuzzer and has been playing with Windows and technology for more than 25 years. As an alternative option, we'll also show you the steps to rename the folder, in case you only want to test if the folder's content is the one causing problems. This will prevent Windows from re-downloading any updates. Your private and sensitive information is put at risk and you may become the victim of identity theft. If you decide deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you will lose the Windows Update history which might be usuful to trace down problematic updates. So, when it comes to changing or modifying these files on a Windows computer, one must know that changing some components can cause problems but some files can be modified to emphasize some expected changes. How to Reset Windows Update Components on Windows 10 How to Remove the Trojan Banker | Techwalla Thus, it is strongly recommended that you back up your crucial files before or after upgrading to Win11 with a robust and reliable program like MiniTool ShadowMaker, which will assist you to protect your increasing data automatically on schedules! Required fields are marked *. Press Windows key + X and select the Command Prompt or PowerShell option. Either rename SoftwareDistribution\Download to retain its contents, or you delete all files and folders contained within SoftwareDistribution\Download. 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. So, if you have any problems that are not allowing you to run the Windows updates, you might want to check this folder or make necessary changes to this folder to fix the issue with your Windows update feature. Is it safe to delete SoftwareDistribution folder? This will preserve the files inside. How Do I Reset Windows Updates' Software Distribution Folder What is the SoftwareDistribution folder and what is it used for? So, each of these files has significant usage and they can be found distributed all over the C drive with their significant functions, they work in unison with other files to make the Windows operating system and the apps running on it run smoothly. Now, youll need to rename the existing folder to something different. This can also solve some system update-related problems like Windows update not working, Windows update fail to install, Windows update stuck, etc. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. 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. is created but now I get error c8000266. Press Delete. North America, Canada, Unit 170 - 422, Richards Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 2Z4, Asia, Hong Kong, Suite 820,8/F., Ocean Centre, Harbour City, 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Most of what we know is based on several years of empirical observations. Log on an account with administrator privileges. 5.Again right-click on Windows Update service then select Start. So, if you ask, can I rename or delete the software distribution folder on your computer, the answer is yes, it is completely alright to manipulate the software distribution folder on Windows OSes but you just have to make sure that you do it the right way and not mess with other folder or files on the system. It is used to save files temporarily that may be required to install Windows Update (WU) on your computer. SoftwareDistribution folder should be left alone but there comes a time when you may need to clear the contents of this folder. Now, type in net start wuauserv and hit enter. The Trojan Banker is a backdoor virus that allows hackers to connect remotely to your computer. In File Explorer, browse to C:\Windows . V.- Type Exit in the Command Prompt to close it. Clicking Start, type cmd into the search box, right-click on the Command Prompt result, and then select the Run As Administrator command. How to Cleanup the SoftwareDistribution folder? However, it's a small price to pay to get your device to update again. Windows as an OS is very extensive and there are several components in the OS making it run smoothly and efficiently with effective updates over the years, Microsoft has perfected the Windows OS. Windows updates are important as it provides security updates & patches, fixes a lot of bugs and improves your system performance. 2.Right-click on Windows Update service and select Stop. it wont let me rename the folder it keeps saying the folder is open else where. We show you how to cleanup or rename the Windows software distribution folder which might help fix Windows Update issues you cannot resolve otherwise. Make sure tocreate a restore point just in case something goes wrong. Click the 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. If Windows Update isn't working, it could be caused by a problem with the SoftwareDistribution folder, and here we'll show you how to fix it. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Type the following one after. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process, Difference Between Internet Explorer & Windows Explorer, How to Remove the Recycler Virus From a USB. Now, type in rename c:windowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak and hit enter. Once the name is selectedif you're renaming a file, not the file extensionyou can start to type a new name. Here is how: Start>Run ; type cmd and press enter ; type net stop wuauserv and press enter ; type rename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.oldand press enter; type net start wuauserv and press enter ; type exit and press enter ; Verify that the new software distribution folder created when you restart the update . Now, type in net stop bits and then hit enter to run the commands. Typically I have no issues renaming the SoftwareDistribution folder once the Windows Update service is off, but I have a few boxes that can't be renamed even after rebooting these boxes. Open a Windows 11 Command platform, CMD or PowerShell, input the below commands one by one and follow each command-line with an Enter. How to Rename Software Distribution Folder Windows 11? Navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. Once youve made sure everything is functioning, you can always come back and delete the old folder later. If your Windows 11 update downloading stuck at 100%, you can use the solution mentioned in this post to solve the issue. I need some help. New York, Delete Software Distribution folder To delete the contents of the Software Distribution folder, in Windows 11/10, from the WinX Menu, open Command Prompt (Admin). Visit our corporate site. Overall, there is no problem associated with the process. Process to create Batch Script to START/ STOP services and rename any Bored using the outdated operating system? The Software Distribution folder is a folder located in the Windows directory. You dont 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. Log on an MiniTool Partition Wizard optimizes hard disks and SSDs with a comprehensive set of operations. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager and click the Services tab. 1. run command prompt in elevated mode (start - type "cmd" - right click on command prompt app and select "run as administrator") 2. type "net stop wuauserv" 3. type "net stop bits" 4. open the folder "c:\windows" and locate SoftwareDistribution folder, rename or delete as you please. Besides, you will have a longer detection time the next time you conduct a Windows update. MiniTool Affiliate Program provides channel owners an efficient and absolutely free way to promote MiniTool Products to their subscribers & readers and earn up to 70% commissions. Launch a command prompt as an administrator. WiFi 5 vs WiFi 6 vs WiFi 7: Which is Better, 100 Best Impactful Comments for Girls Pics on Instagram. As long as the folder is listed as read-only it will not allow you to edit the info. One such case is when youre unable to update Windows or when Windows updates which are downloaded & stored in the SoftwareDistribution folder are corrupt or incomplete. Support us On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/codescoderVisit: http://www.codescoder.com/Connect on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/codescoderSoftware Di. However, you need to first make sure that you are experiencing a problem with your Windows Update. (You really should be backing up regularly, anyway.) I would suggest you to manually reset the Windows Update Components. On Windows 10, the "SoftwareDistribution" folder is an essential component for Windows Update, which temporarily stores files needed to install new updates to keep your device secure and with the latest fixes and improvements. Brady Gavin has been immersed in technology for 15 years and has written over 150 detailed tutorials and explainers. local_offer Community Spice Batch File star 4.5 Spice (5) Reply (9) On what circumstances, you would delete this folder? I need to rename a few folder in c:\Windows\ but it keeps saying that access is denied. Video of the Day Step 2 Click on the "Processes" tab. The first thing youll do is to create a new folder for the downloads on a different drive. In the opened folder, look for the folder named "SoftwareDistribution". Powershell - rename folder in C:\Windows\ - Stack Overflow Note: Before going any further, you shouldback up your computer just in case anything goes wrong while altering things in system folders. He's covered everything from Windows 10 registry hacks to Chrome browser tips. 3.Open File Explorer then navigate to the following location: 4.Delete all the files and folders under SoftwareDistribution folder. Now, in the C drive, the software distribution folder must be named as SoftwareDistribution.bak. So you never really are stopping it long enough to rename the folder. Windows failure after Rename software distribution backup folders Now, type in net start bits and hit enter. So, practically tampering with these files can be lethal, and without these files, the OS wouldnt operate. A new SoftwareDistribution item with a shortcut icon is added to the C:\Windows folder. Its a pretty safe process, but better being safe than sorry. 2. Click the Start Button, click "All programs", and click "Accessories". Windows will automatically try to use a different drive if your system drive is full, but with a few steps, you can also force Windows to download updates somewhere else. 6 Ways to Rename Files and Folders in Windows 10 - How-To Geek 8. While sometimes the folder may grow, it's only recommended to use these instructions only when necessary. 6. Windows takes care of removing update files at some point after theyve been installed, but oftenespecially in the case of major updates like the October 2018 Updateit keeps those files around for a while in case you want to uninstall the updates or roll back your version of Windows. 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). Repair corrupt Outlook PST files & recover all mail items. How to Change the Windows 10 Update Download Folder Location - How-To Geek Delete or rename the SoftwareDistribution folder NOTE: If deleting, it would be a good idea to copy or backup this folder first; Start the BITS and Windows Update Services. The Software Distribution folder in Windows operating system is a folder located in the Windows directory and used to temporarily store files that may be required to install Windows Update on your computer. Choose the update for your system and download it. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. I'm running poweshell as admin. Type the number of your update and then click the Search button. From now on whenever Windows Update downloads files, they should be stored in the newly created folder. How To Rename Software Distribution Folder & Catroot2 - Windows Report Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Search menu. [SOLVED] WSUS - Software Distribution folder won't delete Some program continues to keep DataStore folder active, preventing me from applying any of the fixes involving the renaming For more details, please refer to the below contents ideated by MiniTool official website. Although many users are not aware of this folder, so lets shed some light on the importance of the SoftwareDistribution folder. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc and switch to the Services tab. Software Distribution folder is an essential component for Windows Update on Windows 10. Follow these steps: Run command prompt as administrator. We select and review products independently. In CMD, run 'net stop wuauserv', then run 'net stop bits'. Thats becauseyoull be creating a new symlink folder and Windows doesnt let you have two folders of the same name, even though one is only pointing to the new folder you created in step one. net stop cryptSvc If you cant delete some files because they are in use, just restart your PC, rerun the above commands, and redelete those files. Use Command Prompt 1. It is thus required by Windows Update and maintained by WUAgent.While you do not want to touch this folder under normal conditions, you may need to empty its contents should you find that your systems Datastore and the Download folder have got de-synchronized, resulting in your Windows Updates not working properly. What Is the $SysReset Folder and Can I Delete It in Windows 10? net stop wuauserv mklink /j c:\windows\softwaredistribution d:\other\desired\location net start wuauserv Share Improve this answer Follow 3.Next, type the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution Folder and then hit Enter: ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old 2. it then allowed me to rename the directory structure afterwards. So, this is how simply you can rename the software distribution folder on your Windows 10/11 computer. The key role of this folder on Windows computers is to store Windows update files for a temporary period, and any issue that is causing the OS to not update properly can be linked with this folder. Now, again try to delete all the content of the SoftwareDistribution folder. How To Clear The 'SoftwareDistribution' Folder On W10, W11 & Make Step 1 Press "Ctrl," "Shift" and "Esc" keys at the same time to launch the Task Manager. 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 10/8/7.To read a step-by-step guide on how to rename or delete Software Distribution folder in Windows 10, click on https://www.thewindowsclub.com/software-distribution-folder-in-windows As for the whole folder, its also OK to delete it for it will recreate itself automatically. The method shown below to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder manually is generally safe as Windows Update will download all update files again when needed. and fourth, assuming it hasn't been realised already, yes, that used space on the Temporary files item corresponds to software distribution, as looking . To delete the content inside the SoftwareDistribution folder, do the following: Once you completed the steps, Windows 10 will reconfigure the folder and re-download all the necessary components. If you're having trouble getting into Safe Mode, we can manually try and delete some of the files: 1: Stop the Windows Update Service and Background Intelligent Transfer Services Your email address will not be published. 4.Finally, type the folowing command to start Windows Update Services and hit Enter after each one: net start wuauserv To update your system to the latest release, there must be enough space on your hard drive for the update files. You can also open the folder containing the file using File Explorer. >General tab - "Read-only" is selected Now, in the command prompt terminal, type in net stop wuauserv and hit enter. In general, after all files required to install Windows update are used, it is safe to delete them from the Software Distribution folder. Press the ENTER key Upon rebooting, you need to again run the above commands again and follow the steps. Now to reset update components, you can also choose to delete the software distribution and catroot folders as follows: 1. Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. Can't rename softwaredistribution folder. - Microsoft Community What is the Software Distribution folder? If Windows Update is freezing during the download process, the easiest way to solve the problem is to rename the software distribution folders where Windows 10 stores the downloaded data. Here's how. We suggest copying instead of moving the contents for now just in case something doesnt work. net stop wuauservnet stop bitsrename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.baknet start wuauservnet start bits Here's my process: 1) Reboot the box in question 2) From an elevated command prompt: --net stop wuauserv He is holding a Masters degree in International Economics and previously worked as Lead Windows Expert for Softonic.com. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder to open it. This has been the way of the OS and from the initial stage of Windows OS, the C drive has been the default drive for all OS activities and this has significantly provided integrity in the development of the OS.
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how to rename software distribution folder
