Windows updates failed, Want to delete all failed update files in history location

Hallo,

Going to the Control Panel/Programs/Uninstall programs gives you a list of programs you can uninstall or modify  … Settings gives the same possibility : Settings/Apps/Apps and features. Programs figure in Start/All apps that gives a list allowing you to uninstall the app in question. The list refers to programs at the root of the system C: Program Files or Program Files(x86) being respectively 64/32 bit reference. Sometimes the system gets lost with no reference to installed programs on the list of installed programs. Windows Store apps are complicated but an antivirus figures in one/both folders with a direct reference or in Common files … with a bit of luck, the antivirus figures in Start/All apps and a right click gives you a reference to programme file. Deleting can work or not, depends ... but deleting the alias to the program isn't sufficient. An other way is to reinstall the antivirus updating all references then unistall.

Hi Ronk109,

If the updates got installed successfully the next time, then you can directly jump to method 2 which include steps to erase Windows Update history. After following the steps, the update history will be completely wiped out. By erasing the update history, you’ll just lose the update record entry and not exactly the updates. You can still find the history of the installed updates under the option Installed updates in Windows Update window.

Hope this information is helpful and let me know if you need any further assistance.

Mouneshwar R – Microsoft Support

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Useless answer!  .  I have an update from 7/10/18 which takes 15 minutes to "install" and I get the message that inbstallation cannot be completed and the changes are being removed for another 10 minutes.

How do I remove an update that failed to install?

At the top of this thread there is a way to delete (or rename) the folder in which the updates are downloaded. Sometimes it does pay to delete the files and start over. I have copied and pasted below the answer I found when this occurred for me. 

"In searching this problem I discovered that you can go to Windows(C:) Windows and change the name of the SoftwareDistribution folder to SofwareDistribuiton.old. Restart the computer and go to Windows Update and it will download the update as if it were fresh. When I have had issues I have actually deleted the files in the SoftwareDistribution folder and that allowed me to start over as well.

I discovered my two answers from the following links; 1) (Best Answer) https://www.windowscentral.com/how-clear-softwaredistribution-folder-windows-10 follow links on page. My next link; 2)https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-files/is-it-safe-to-delete-files-under/8d98d924-b0b1-4f2b-bb4b-13f38126c5. 

You can copy and paste these links and follow the format"

Thank you again. Merry Christmas