Remove updates from a windows 7 computer. Remove Windows updates

A good and instructive article on how to properly remove necessary and unnecessary Windows updates. I don’t know why you need to remove the necessary updates, but the ones you don’t need may well come in handy. The article was written at the request of visitors.

Before proceeding with the removal, you should know that Windows updates are released in order to fix the vulnerabilities found in the system and make it better. Therefore, it is not recommended to remove them. Another thing is if, after such updates, the system starts to work unstable or you need to free up some space from unused updates (and there are some). But about all this in order.

First, let's figure out how to properly remove any updates installed on different versions of Windows.

How to uninstall updates in Windows XP

There is also another way to remove updates in Windows XP.

For this we go to Windows folder on the system drive and look for folders there with a blue name, something like this:

As you can see, their name starts with a $ sign. Inside is the spuninst folder, inside which is the spuninst.exe file, which must be run to uninstall the update.

How to uninstall updates in Windows 7

Start -> Control Panel -> select type view on Categories and choose system and safety:

View installed updates

We get a list, by selecting and highlighting an update from which you can delete it:

How to uninstall updates in Windows 8

In the "eight" everything is practically the same as in the "seven". I will show how to do it only if selected View on Large icons:

You can also uninstall updates via . This method does NOT work on Windows XP.

Run and enter the command:

wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:100500

where 100500 is the number of the update to be removed. Of course, you need to know it, and it is also desirable to run command line on behalf of the administrator.

Done with information about deleting all deletions. Now let's focus on if you need to remove unnecessary updates. Yes, yes, there are some. The fact is that if you have installed Windows for a long time, then it contains a bunch of unnecessary updates. Let's look at an example.
Let's assume that the system is about 3 years old. All updates are downloaded and installed properly. But after one update, more and more new ones are released, which often "overlap" old updates with their "patches". And what is done with the old ones, which have already been downloaded and "blocked" them 10 times? Yes, they are in the system, and more specifically, on the system partition of the disk, the place of which is always not enough.

I wrote about this a year ago in an article. It doesn't exist in Windows XP. You can read the article in more detail.

In addition to that article, I want to give one recommendation for cleaning up unnecessary updates (this article is not in that article).

So, go to My Computer and click on the system partition (this is where Windows is installed. There is also a special icon there and often this is a disk FROM) with the right mouse button. In the context menu, select Properties.

The information gathering process will begin. You have to wait. What time is it? Depends on system load. Sometimes a minute is enough, and sometimes ten:

After you have waited and the system has scanned all the files that can be cleaned without losing functionality, you need to scroll down the list in search of the item “Cleaning Windows updates' and put a check mark on it. You can put some other checkbox along the way (for example Memory dump files and Debug Dump Files), since the description is present at all (we read and think whether you need it). Then click OK:

If after you have chosen Disk Cleanup and you do not have an item with Windows updates to delete, then click on "Clean up system files"

and in the next window search, install and delete:

Where are Windows updates stored?

Of course, in Windows, updates must be stored somewhere. For all versions (Windows XP, 7, 8) the folder for storing updates is the same. It is located along the path:

System Drive -> Windows -> SoftwareDistribution -> Download

This is where all the folders and update files are located:

What is all this for? No, not for deletion. Deleting from here is wrong! This is more for general information, as well as to be able to back up this folder.
For example, you save everything from here, then reinstalled Windows, or went to a friend with a new OS, or some kind of error occurred - in general, there can be many situations. You will simply copy the saved updates and they will not need to be searched or installed. In short, you understand what I'm getting at.
It should be understood that not all updates from this backup may be suitable for another system. From seven to eight, of course, it will not work, and you also need to take into account.

Also, if the update folders or files contain the name express , then you need to know that such updates are not reinstalled.

That's all for me. Now you know how you can remove all Windows updates, as well as where they are located, how to disable them and create a backup copy.

Any person who heard the word “updates” for the first time will say that these are certain measures aimed at improving the product. Their task is to fix bugs and shortcomings in any program, not necessarily in Windows 7. For example, a year after the release of the application, the company decided to improve the interface and released a package of updates that the user must download and install, after which he will see these changes.

Updates in Windows 7 are usually aimed at fixing security issues, compatibility operating system with drivers and software. This also includes compatibility issues with programs that require the installation of the Microsoft .Net Framework software platform, etc.

Unfortunately, you can’t do without problems with updates - after a while they become irrelevant, as new ones appear that replace them. In this regard, there is a “dump” in the section with installed updates, and you also want to have more free space on your hard drive.

There is only one solution: remove all Windows 7 updates and reinstall only the ones you need. But what if you have a thousand of them? Windows 7 does not have a feature that allows you to uninstall all updates at once, so third-party software is indispensable here.

Problems that may arise during de-update

It is recommended to create a system restore point, since the methods discussed in this article can lead to unpleasant consequences, for example, certain programs may fail to work, the OS may start to "slow down", as a result of which the system may crash, etc. The only way to fix this is to roll back Windows 7 to the point where the updates were installed.

Not all updates will be removed, but only those that do not require user action. The remaining updates will have to be uninstalled manually.

First, consider a simpler method that will take just a few minutes of your time, while the second is a longer one that requires certain software. All these processes will not interact with the update center in any way. Just in case, temporarily disable the search for updates to successfully complete operations.

Removing Windows 7 updates through a batch file

Do you know a method for uninstalling updates via the command line? So, this method simplifies it: now you will not write the command “wusa.exe / uninstall / update number” every time - all possible updates will be automatically removed from your computer.

Let's create a file with the extension .bat (batch file). To do this, write the following code in notepad:

@echo off
color 0A
mode con: cols=40 lines=12
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
Set templist=%TEMP%\listTMP.txt
set list=%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\uninstall_updates.cmd

echo.
echo.
echo Please wait
echo.
echo.

if exist %templist% del %templist%
if exist %list% del %list%

wmic qfe get hotfixid>>%templist%

call:1 "KB" "KB:"
echo DONE
timeout /t 3 /nobreak > nul
exit /b

:1
for /f "tokens=1* delims=]" %%a in ("find /v /n "" ^<"%templist%"") do (
if not "%%b"=="" (set line=%%b) else (set line=not)

set newline=!line:%~1=%~2!
set newline=!newline:not=!

echo wusa.exe /uninstall /!newline!/quiet /norestart>>%list%
::set templist=%list%
goto:eof

Then save by ending the file name with .bat and selecting "All Files". After launching it, uninstall_updates.exe will appear on the desktop. To start the procedure for uninstalling updates, run it and wait for the process to complete (the command line window will automatically close).

In my case, when the program finished its work, only 90 modifications out of 233 remained. We can safely say that its task has been partially completed. Restart your computer to reconfigure Windows.

Uninstalling updates with Revo Uninstaller

To complete the update removal process, we need the Revo Uninstaller program. You can buy it on the developer's site for $39 or download it somewhere, it's up to you.

After launching Revo Uninstaller, we see a list of programs available for removal, but there are no updates here. To fix this, in the top menu, click on the "Tools" tab and select the section with options (Alt + O). In the navigation panel on the left, click on the “All programs” item and check the necessary settings: show system updates, show system components, click “OK” and you can notice significant changes in the list of programs - applications will appear, the name of which will contain the update number.

Select them and click Remove. Of course, this method requires certain actions from the user, but you don’t have to manually click on each component in the Windows 7 Update Center.

System update - a necessity or an overkill? Well-oiled Swiss watch mechanism or chaotic data flow? Sometimes there are situations when it is necessary to remove updates that, in theory, should stabilize the operation of Windows 10 or other systems. The reasons can be different, whether it is an incorrectly installed upgrade or unwillingness to make changes to save space on the hard drive.

How to remove the latest installed updates in Windows 10

It often happens that a freshly installed OS update harms the performance of your computer. Problems can occur for a number of reasons:

the update may have installed with errors;
the update does not support the drivers that are installed for the correct operation of your PC;
when installing updates, there were problems that led to critical errors and disruption of the operating system;
the update is outdated, not installed;
the update was installed two or more times;
Errors occurred while downloading updates;
there were errors on the hard drive on which the update is being installed, etc.

Photo gallery: Errors when installing Windows 10 updates

Windows Update database corruption errors Duplicate Windows 10 update in the Update History Updates failed due to hard drive failure

Removing updates through the "Control Panel"

Open the "Control Panel". To do this, right-click on the Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen and select "Control Panel".
Right-click on the Start menu and open the Control Panel
In the window that opens, among the set of elements for managing your OS, we find the item "Programs and Features".
In the "Control Panel" select the item "Programs and Features"
At the top left we find the link "View installed updates".
In the column on the left, select "View installed updates"
Click on the update you need. The default is sorting by date, which means that the desired update will be among the top ones if several upgrades were installed at once, or the top one when only one was installed. It must be removed if it is because of it that problems arose. We left-click on the element, thereby activating the "Delete" button.
Select the required update from the list and delete it by clicking on the appropriate button
Confirm the deletion and restart the computer. Some updates may not require a reboot.

Removing updates via Windows Update

Open the Start menu and select the Settings item.
Select the "Settings" item by opening the "Start" menu
In the window that opens, select the Update and Security environment.
Click on "Update and Security"
On the Windows Update tab, click on Update History.
In "Windows Update" we look through the "Update History"
Click the "Uninstall Updates" button. Select the upgrade you are interested in and delete it by clicking on the appropriate button.
Click "Uninstall updates" and remove incorrect upgrades

Uninstall updates via command line

Instead of [update number], enter the numbers from the second column of the list displayed on the command line. The first command will remove the update and reboot the computer, the second will do the same, only the reboot will occur if necessary.

All updates are removed in the same way. You only need to choose which particular upgrade incorrectly affects the operation of the OS.

How to delete Windows 10 updates folder

The magic folder is named WinSxS and all updates are downloaded to it. After a long lifetime of the operating system, this directory is increasingly overgrown with data that is in no hurry to be deleted. No wonder sophisticated people say: Windows takes up exactly as much space as it is given.

Do not flatter yourself, believing that the problem can be solved with a single click on the Delete key. A simple, rough deletion of the updates folder in any version of Windows can lead to a deterioration in the operation of the OS, slowing down, freezing, refusing other updates, and other "joys". This directory should be cleared by operating system tools. This safe operation will release the maximum amount of memory.

There are several ways to optimize the updates folder:

Disk Cleanup utility;
using the command line.

Let's consider both methods in order.

The second method is even faster, but it does not clean the entire system or other disk and deals exclusively with OS updates.

How to cancel a Windows 10 update

Unfortunately or fortunately, canceling Windows 10 updates is not so easy. In simple settings, you will not find an option to refuse to receive new upgrades. Such a function is not included in the Top Ten, because the developers promise lifetime support for this system, which means they guarantee its stability. However, threats, new viruses and similar "surprises" appear daily - accordingly, your OS must be updated in parallel with them. Therefore, it is not recommended to disable system updates, although this can be done by a workaround.

Right-click on the "This PC" icon on the desktop and select "Manage".
Through the context menu of the "This PC" icon, go to "Management"
Select the "Services and Applications" tab. In it we enter the "Services".
Open the "Services" of the computer through the "Services and Applications" tab
Scroll through the list to the required service "Windows Update" and start it with a double click.
Open Windows Update properties by double-clicking
In the window that opens, change the filter in the "Startup type" column to "Disabled", confirm the changes with the OK button and restart the computer.
Change the "Startup Type" of the service to "Disabled", save the changes and restart the computer

Video: How to cancel a Windows 10 update

How to delete Windows 10 update cache

Another option for cleaning and optimizing your system is to clear cached information files. An overflowing update cache can affect system performance, constantly search for new updates, etc.

Video: How to Clear the Windows 10 Update Cache

Programs for uninstalling Windows 10 updates

Windows Update MiniTool is a free and easy-to-manage program that will help you customize your Windows 10 update environment to your liking.

Windows Update MiniTool - a program for working with Windows updates

This utility looks for current updates, can remove old ones, reinstall upgrades, and much more. Also, this software product allows you to opt out of updates.

Revo Uninstaller is a powerful program similar to the Windows Add/Remove Programs service.

Revo Uninstaller is a program for working with software and OS updates

This is a functional application manager that allows you to track how and when the operating system or any individual application was updated. Among the advantages is the ability to remove updates and applications in a list, and not one at a time, which significantly reduces the cleaning time of your device. The disadvantages include a complex interface and a common list for programs and updates, which is divided in the Windows service.

Why is the update not being removed?

The update cannot be removed only because of an error or a series of errors that occurred during the installation or operation of the update patch. The Windows system is not perfect: every now and then there are problems due to the load on the OS, inaccuracies in the network, viruses, hardware failures. So, critical errors during the installation of an update can be located in the registry, in which the update data is recorded, or in the hard disk sector where the update files are stored.

How to remove non-removable updates

There are no standard methods for removing "unremovable" items. The occurrence of such a situation means that there are critical errors on your device that prevent the operating system from working correctly. It is necessary to take a whole range of measures to solve this problem:

scan your computer for virus programs with several defender programs;
carry out complex diagnostics of the hard disk with specialized programs;
run a utility to clean the registry;
defragment hard drives;
start the Windows Recovery service from the installation disk.

If all these measures did not lead to the desired result, contact the specialists or reinstall the operating system. The last measure, albeit a drastic one, will definitely solve the problem.

Updating the system is not a big deal. However, to keep your computer performing at its best, you need to make sure that all updates are installed on time and correctly.

Hello, my dear friends, readers and associates in the computer field!

Recently, I installed several updates for the system and noticed that it started to slow down a lot. The speed of work has decreased, videos have begun to slow down, and I generally keep quiet about games, the frame rate drawdown is generally terrible. To solve this problem, I had to remove some service packs. And I decided to tell you how updates cleanup works in windows 7, and how it can speed up your computer! Go!

What can it give?

Let's imagine you installed an update, and now the system is loading endlessly. this is a definite bug. Or another situation, after installing the service pack, a conflict occurs when starting the game, which refers to the graphics library. Also not comme il faut, agree? Unfortunately, sometimes updates are installed crookedly, or they are downloaded with broken segments, or initially they were not made with high quality.

All this can greatly damage the system. It will start to slow down, some software will stop opening, the processor load will be maximum, and the temperature inside the case can rise significantly.

In such difficult cases, you should intelligently remove updates one by one until you see a significant increase in speed and stability. This can also be done manually, but it is very difficult, and for users who do not have specialized skills, such an operation is not possible. But there is an easier and more reliable option. That's what we'll look at below.

Through the control panel

The standard method, which will be pulled by everyone who has ever reinstalled Windows. So we open start and go to control Panel.

Go to the section programs.

You can do everything differently. Open the run line and write the command there - wuapp.

In the update center, click on this line here.

An interface will open with all installed service packs and updates.

We select the necessary left button and press the appeared button delete.

Or choose any and press the same button in the top line.

A warning window will appear, in it we click " Yes».

We are waiting for the end of the process.

That's all.

Through the command line

Opening the menu start and go to tab all programs.

Now right-click on the command line tab and select from the list run as administrator.

In the black command line window, enter the following command - wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:*******. Instead of asterisks, you need to specify the serial number of the microsoft update package. For example - KB4025341.

As soon as the package is found, it will be offered to demolish it.

By the way, if you enter the command - wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:4025341 /quiet, files will be deleted in the background without warning the user.

Removing via Disk Cleanup

What to do if neither the first nor the second option worked out for you? We poke on the button start and open My computer.

On the logical partition with the operating system, right-click. Next we go to properties such.

Choose a tab general and then click on the button disk cleanup.

Now we click on cleaning system files.

The process of counting all the data will go.

Now put a tick in these spirit sections and click OK.

In the window that appears, click on removal.

There will be a cleaning of the hard drive.

There we go to the block administration and after looking for a block services.

Now in the line of the explorer we prescribe this path. Copy carefully - C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\

We do this in both folders.

Conclusion

Well, that's all, now you know what to do if you need to demolish updates that slow down your computer. I tested all these methods myself, they are one hundred percent working and any of them will help you. Here's a great video on the subject.

Well, with that, I will end this article. Share it on social projects with friends and interest groups. Subscribe to the blog, and you will always know about the publication of new articles. All the best and see you on the site!

Updates help ensure that the system is as efficient and secure as possible, keeping it up-to-date with changing external events. However, in certain cases, some of them can harm the system: contain vulnerabilities due to developer flaws or conflict with the software installed on the computer. There are also cases that an unnecessary language pack has been installed that does not benefit the user, but only takes up space on the hard drive. Then the question arises of removing such components. Let's find out how you can do this on a computer running Windows 7.

You can delete both updates already installed in the system, and only their installation files. Let's try to consider various ways to solve the tasks, including how to cancel the update of the Windows 7 system.

Method 1: "Control Panel"

The most popular way to solve the problem under study is to use "Control Panels".

Click "Start". Go to "Control Panel".

Go to section "Programs".

In the block "Programs and Features" choose "View Installed Updates".

There is another way. Click Win+R. In the shell that appears "Run" type in:

click OK.

opens "Update centre". On the left side, at the very bottom, there is a block "Cm. also". Click on the inscription "Installed Updates".

A list of installed Windows components and some software products, mainly from Microsoft, opens. Here you can see not only the name of the elements, but also the date of their installation, as well as the KB code. Thus, if it is decided to remove a component due to an error or conflict with other programs, remembering the approximate date the error occurred, the user will be able to find a suspicious item in the list based on the date it was installed in the system.

Find the item you want to remove. If you need to remove exactly the Windows component, then look for it in the group of elements "Microsoft Windows". Click on it with the right mouse button ( PKM) and select the only option - "Delete".

You can also select a list item with the left mouse button. And then press the button "Delete" located above the list.

A window will appear asking if you really want to delete the selected object. If you act consciously, then press "Yes".

The deletion procedure is in progress.

After that, a window may start (not always), which says that for the changes to take effect, you need to restart the computer. If you wish to do so immediately, please press "Reboot Now". If there is no great urgency in fixing the update, then press "Restart later". In this case, the component will be completely removed only after a manual restart of the computer.

After the computer is restarted, the selected components will be completely removed.

Other components in the window "Installed Updates" are deleted in the same way as deleting Windows items.

It is important to note that if you have automatic installation enabled, then the removed components will be loaded again after a certain time. In this case, it is important to turn off the automatic action feature so that you can manually select which components should be loaded and which should not.

Method 2: "Command line"

The operation studied in this article can also be performed by entering a specific command in the window "Command line".

Click "Start". Select "All programs".

Move to directory "Standard".

click PKM on "Command line". Choose from the list "Run as administrator".

A window appears "Command line". You need to enter the following command into it:
wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:*******

Instead of symbols «*******» you need to install the KB code of the update you want to uninstall. If you do not know this code, as mentioned earlier, you can see it in the list of installed updates.

For example, if you need to remove the security component with the code KB4025341, then the command entered on the command line will take the following form:

wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:4025341

After entering, press Enter.

Extraction begins in the standalone update installer.

At a certain stage, a window appears where you must confirm the desire to extract the component specified in the command. For this click "Yes".

The offline installer performs the procedure for removing a component from the system.

After completing this procedure, you may need to restart your computer for a complete uninstall. You can do it in the usual way or by pressing the button "Reboot Now" in a special dialog box, if it appears.

In addition, when deleting with "Command line" you can use additional installer attributes. You can view a complete list by typing in "Command line" following command and pressing Enter:

A complete list of operators that can be used in "Command line" while working with the offline installer, including when removing components.

Of course, not all of these operators are suitable for the purposes described in the article, but, for example, if you enter the command:

wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:4025341 /quiet

an object KB4025341 will be removed without dialog boxes. If a reboot is required, it will happen automatically without user confirmation.

Method 3: Disk Cleanup

But updates are in Windows 7 not only in the installed state. Before installation, they are all loaded onto the hard drive and stored there for some time even after installation (10 days). Thus, the installation files take up space on the hard drive all this time, although in fact the installation has already been completed. In addition, there are times when a package is downloaded to the computer, but the user, updating manually, does not want to install it. Then these components will simply “hang out” on the disk uninstalled, only taking up space that could be used for other needs.

Sometimes it also happens that the update was not fully downloaded due to a failure. Then it not only unproductively takes up space on the hard drive, but also prevents the system from being fully updated, since it considers this component to be already loaded. In all these cases, you need to clear the folder where Windows updates are downloaded.

The easiest way to delete downloaded objects is to clean up the disk through its properties.

click "Start". Next, move on the inscription "A computer".

A window opens with a list of storage media connected to the PC. click PKM on the drive where Windows is located. In the vast majority of cases, this section C. Select from the list "Properties".

The properties window launches. Go to section "General". Click there "Disk Cleanup".

An estimate is made of the space that can be cleared by removing various insignificant objects.
A window appears with the result of what can be cleared. But for our purposes, we need to click on "Clean up system files".

A new estimate of the amount of space that can be cleared is launched, but this time taking into account system files.
The cleanup window opens again. In the area of "Delete the following files" the various groups of components that can be removed are displayed. Objects to be deleted are marked with a checkmark. All other items are unchecked. To solve our problem, you need to check the boxes next to the items "Windows Update Cleanup" and "Windows Update Log Files". Opposite all other objects, if you no longer want to clean anything, you can uncheck the boxes. To start the cleaning process, press OK.
A window is launched asking if the user really wants to delete the selected objects. It also warns that the deletion is irreversible. If the user is confident in his actions, then he must click "Delete Files".

After that, the procedure for removing the selected components is performed. After its completion, it is recommended to restart the computer yourself.

Method 4: Manually deleting downloaded files

Also, components can be removed manually from the folder where they were uploaded.

In order for nothing to interfere with the procedure, you need to temporarily disable the update service, as it can block the process of manually deleting files. click "Start" and go to "Control Panel".

choose "System and safety".

Next click on "Administration".

In the list of system tools, select "Services".

You can switch to the service control window without using "Control Panels". Call utility "Run" by clicking Win+R. Drive in:

click OK.

The service management window will open. Clicking on the column title "Name", arrange the service names in alphabetical order for easy retrieval. Find "Windows Update". Check this item and click "Stop Service".

Now run "Conductor". Copy the following address into its address bar:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\

Click Enter or click on the arrow to the right of the line.

AT "Explorer" opens a directory containing several folders. We are particularly interested in catalogs Download and "data store". The first folder stores the components themselves, and the second folder stores the logs.

Go to folder Download. Select all its contents by clicking Ctrl+A, and delete using the combination Shift+Delete. It is necessary to use this particular combination because after applying the pressing of a single key Delete the content will be sent to the Trash, that is, it will actually continue to occupy a certain disk space. With the same combination Shift+Delete will be permanently deleted.

True, you still have to confirm your intentions in a miniature window that will appear after that by clicking the button "Yes". The deletion will now take place.

Then move to the folder "data store" and in the same way, that is, by applying pressing ctrl+a, and then Shift+Delete, delete the content and then confirm your actions in the dialog box.

After this procedure is completed, in order not to lose the opportunity to update the system in a timely manner, move again to the service management window. Check "Windows Update" and press "Start Service".

Method 5: Uninstalling downloaded updates through the "Command line"

Downloaded updates can also be deleted using "Command line". As in the previous two methods, this will only remove installation files from the cache, and not roll back installed components, as in the first two methods.

In the examples described above, we saw that it is possible to remove both already installed updates by rolling them back, and boot files that are downloaded to the computer. Moreover, for each of these tasks, there are several ways to solve it at once: through the Windows graphical interface and through "Command line". Each user can choose a more suitable option for certain conditions.