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Move Downloaded Windows Update Files to Save Space

Some servers arrive from the manufacturer with an OS already installed. Also in some instances, the system drive (C:) is for some inexplicable reason is very small. The act of downloading updates via Windows updates can easily run your system drive out of space. Here is an easy way to send the downloaded files to another location, and clear up some space on your system drive.

  1. Stop the Automatic Updates service. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
    2. Right-click the Automatic Updates service.
    3. Click Stop. The service will take a moment to stop.
  2. Make a Folder on non-C Drive called \windows\SoftwareDistributionRelocated
  3. Move all files and folder in C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution to D:\windows\SoftwareDistributionRelocated
  4. Delete the C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution folder
  5. Make a link between C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution AND D:\windows\SoftwareDistributionRelocated
    1. Right Click on Start\All Programs\Accessories\Command Prompt and Run as administrator
    2. MkLink /D C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution D:\windows\SoftwareDistributionRelocated
  6. Start the Automatic Updates service. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
    2. Right-click the Automatic Updates service, and then click Start.

About this post

Posted: 2010-10-13
By: dwirch
Viewed: 14,504 times

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Software Hack/Tweak

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AnonymousCoward posted this comment on 2015-02-23:

This article is genuinely helpful for Windows 7 and Server 2008, but the inclusion of Windows 2003 Server is not accurate.  Neither Windows XP nor Windows 2003 Server includes the command "Mklink", so the Junction command from SysInternals can be used instead.

dwirch posted this comment on 2015-02-23:

Good catch! I've updated the article, removing Windows 2003 from the tag list.

AnonymousCoward posted this comment on 2016-01-13:

I tried to add \windows\SoftwareDistributionRelocated , it says you cant add the symbols

AnonymousCoward posted this comment on 2020-10-06:

How can you ensure it is working? logs etc?

dwirch posted this comment on 2020-10-06:

If you run Windows Update, and new updates are found, the new files will be downloaded to the new location.

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