This step-by-step tutorial demonstrates how to clear Windows Update history in Windows 10 and Windows 11. This can help fix Windows Update errors by clearing the Windows Update logs and file cache, as well as freeing up disk space. Several methods are covered, including deleting the files using the File Explorer and Command Line, as well as advice for automating the process.
What is Windows Update history?
Windows 10 and Windows 11 are regularly updated with new features, bug fixes, and security patches via the Windows Update service. These updates are automatically managed and installed by Windows so that you don’t have to intervene to keep your system up-to-date and secure, but sometimes Windows Update can run into trouble and stop working properly.
Windows Update history shows you what updates have been installed, and when, so that you can confirm which updates have installed successfully, and troubleshoot issues. You can view Windows Update history in Windows 10 and Windows 11 by following these steps:
- Right-click on the Start button and open the Settings app
- Select Update & Security
- Click on Update history
From here, you can see the details about recently installed updates. You are also able to uninstall some updates, useful if you need to try to resolve system issues. The data used to show you Windows Update history is also used by Windows to manage the update process. Note that in some cases, Windows will clear the update history and logs automatically, usually after a feature update.
Why clear Windows Update history?
In some cases, Windows Update may start to fail if its history and log files have become corrupted. Clearing the Windows update history and file cache forces Windows Update to start from a fresh state and for new update files to be re-downloaded, which can resolve these issues.
Deleting the Windows Update cache files manually also frees up disk space, which can help resolve general system problems.
Preparations before clearing Windows Update history
Before you clear the Windows Update history (and delete the log/cache files) you should perform a full system backup, so that if something goes wrong you can revert your Windows PC to a working state.
It is also recommended to try to run Windows Update manually before clearing the history, to see if it resolves any issues. If there is a pending feature update, this may also clear the history for you as part of the update process. Once you have successfully cleared the Windows update history and cache, you should run Windows Update again manually to ensure that updates resume installing correctly.
Step-by-step: How to Clear Windows Update history in Windows 10 and Windows 11
All the methods for clearing the Windows Update history covered below require that you be logged in as an Administrator. Be aware that clearing the Windows Update history does not uninstall the associated updates.
Using the Windows File Explorer to clear Windows Update history
To manually delete the Windows Update history on Windows 10 and Windows 11 using the File Explorer, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start button and click Run
- In the Run dialog, enter services.msc and press OK
- In the list of services, find the Windows Update and Update Orchestrator Service (USO) entries
- Right-click on each service and click Stop
- Clear the Windows Update history logs and file cache by deleting the contents of the folder C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
- Clear the USO data by deleting the contents of the folder C:\ProgramData\USOPrivate\UpdateStore\
- Optionally, navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\WindowsUpdate and delete the contents of this file to remove additional log files
- Return to the services.msc tool, and restart the Windows Update service by right-clicking on it and selecting Start
You can check that the Windows Update history was successfully cleared by viewing it in the Settings app.
Using the command line and automation to clear Windows Update history
PowerShell is available in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, offering a more powerful command line interface than the older Windows Command Prompt. The below command clears the Windows Update history and cache:
# Stop the Windows Update and USO service
Stop-Service -Name wuauserv -Force
Stop-Service -Name usosvc -Force
# Delete Update history and USO files
Remove-Item -Path “$env:windir\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\*” -Recurse -Force
Remove-Item -Path “$env:ProgramData\USOPrivate\UpdateStore\*” -Recurse -Force
# Delete the Windows Update logs (optional)
Remove-Item -Path “$env:windir\Logs\WindowsUpdate\*” -Recurse -Force
# Restart the Windows Update service
Start-Service -Name wuauserv
Start-Service -Name usosvc
Note that this command only works for Windows 10 version 2004 (released in 2020) and above. If you run into permission errors, make sure you are running PowerShell as an administrator.
This command can be added to a text file and saved as clear_update_history.ps1 to create a PowerShell script that can then be automated to clear the Windows Update cache on a regular schedule. Automating this process is often done to speed up troubleshooting but is generally inadvisable for most users as Windows Update is designed to operate without manual intervention.
Keeping Windows Update running smoothly in enterprise environments
Managing updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices at scale can be challenging. When an update fails, clearing the update history and related log and cache files for each machine individually is mistake-prone and inefficient.
Endpoint management with NinjaOne solves this by giving you the tools to centrally manage the update process for fleets of Windows, Apple, Android, and Linux devices. You can monitor the status of updates, roll back unsuccessful updates, and remotely troubleshoot Windows update problems without having to physically access each machine individually.
