In this article, we are going to explain a simple method to delete pending updates on Windows 10. You can use these steps to clear pending updates that are about to install on your computer. This is useful to prevent buggy updates from installing on your device or skip a new update so that it doesn’t overwrite any previous version.
Microsoft regularly pushes Windows 10 cumulative updates onto compatible devices for security and stability reasons. However, not all updates are stable enough to use across all devices. They can sometimes cause issues such as installation getting stuck or failing to install due to file error, corrupt installation directory, compatibility problem, or unknown bugs.
There could be multiple reasons if you’re encountering problems with updating Windows 10, or if a certain patch impacts the system to behave abnormally. In any case, you can simply delete the pending updates to download the files again or to skip the update altogether.
This is possible by accessing the SoftwareDistribution folder in Windows 10 and deleting its content in the form of Windows Update files.
In the guide below, learn how to apply the steps so as to clear the pending update on Windows 10 to reinstall them or skip until a stable version is released by Microsoft.
Delete Windows 10 Pending Updates
To stop problematic updates from installing on your device, perform the following steps:
- Click Start.
- Type Run and open it.
- In Run dialogue box, type the following command:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
- Select the update files or folders that you want to remove and hit Delete.
Once you’ve performed the above steps, the cumulative update files will be removed from your computer.
If you want to skip a particular update, after deleting the files, you can use the “Show or hide updates” to block the Windows update from trying to install again.
Beside cumulative update, these same steps can be used to remove a pending feature update as well.
