How To Change Windows Update Download Location

Why do we need to change Windows ten update download location? When y'all run Windows Update on Windows 10, it will beginning download all the required installation files onto your master difficult drive – the drive where your Windows 10 was installed and stored, unremarkably on the C:\ drive. Information technology will then install the updates from the downloaded files. When all updates are installed, the installation files will be deleted.

During the process, especially if it's a major update, if your bulldoze is already showing red and ran out of space, Windows 10 update would possibly be interrupted due to insufficient storage space to store the installation files. In this case, nosotros will accept to modify Windows ten Update download location binder to another drive with more available space in order to let the update process to proceed.

Change Windows 10 Update Download Location

What we are about to do requires administrator privileges. Brand sure you lot are logged in to your Windows 10 every bit an ambassador. Otherwise, it won't permit the organisation file renaming and process stopping which nosotros are about to do later.

Firstly, we need to stop the Windows Update service and then that it allows us to brand changes to its files. Right-click on your taskbar, then select Task Manager. Go to Services tab. Await for the service called wuauserv. Optionally, y'all can sort the proper name for easier viewing to find the service. Right-click on wuauserv and click Stop.

Stop windows update service to change download location

We'll use Symlink, or ofttimes known as Symbolic link, to modify Windows 10 update download location. A created symlink acts as a shortcut folder which refer to another folder of your preference. It'southward OK if you don't sympathize it. But follow the steps below and the symlink will be created in no time.

Change old path and create a new windows ten update download location

The default location of where Windows 10 downloads its update installation files is in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. Change this path to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution_old.

Create a new folder in the drive where you want the Windows x update downloads to be stored. The binder can be any name, for case, E:\NewWindowsUpdateLocation (or whichever bulldoze or folder's name of your liking).

New windows 10 update download location

Create Symlink to connect the ii paths

This is the footstep to brand the magic happens. Go to Windows Search or Cortana, search for control prompt. Right-click command prompt from the result and select Run as administrator. This is important as the command nosotros're entering require admin privilege.

In the command prompt, enter the following command. Supervene upon the name of the latter binder path to the new folder yous've created before.

mklink /j C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution E:\NewWindowsUpdateLocation

Mklink to change windows 10 update download location

When the command shows Junction created, it ways the symlink is successfully created. You will run across a shortcut link in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. Although it would still look similar Windows update downloads are stored in this location, but it'due south actually pointing to the new path as instructed in the created symlink.

How to change windows 10 update download location folder

Optionally, you can movement all the folders in the SoftwareDistribution_old folder to the new Windows 10 update download location you've created earlier so that Windows Update doesn't have to re-download things it had downloaded earlier again.

Files in newly created Windows Update download location

If you don't copy them over, Windows Update will download all over over again instead. If you lot decide to let Windows 10 update download afresh, you can delete all the files in SoftwareDistribution_oldas they are no longer being used.

At present, you will need to restart the Windows Update procedure you've disabled earlier. Become back to the Chore Manager. Go to Services tab and search for wuauserv. Correct-click it and click Start. Yous tin now try to run Windows Update again past going to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update. Then, click on Check for Update.

If you come across Access is denied when you enter the control in CMD, fifty-fifty though you run the command prompt every bit administrator, or if you can't rename the Software Distribution binder in C:\Windows, boot your Windows ten to prophylactic mode and echo the steps again. This should help if Windows Update tin't exist stopped in the previous session, or that yous accept problem with your admin privilege in Windows 10. Hope this guide will help y'all to change Windows ten Update download location successfully.

Description for sharing: Run out of storage space on your primary SSD hard drive? Windows Update stopped working? Here's how to change Windows ten Update download location binder to another drive or anywhere you like.