00:00Hello everyone and welcome.
00:02As IT infrastructure specialists,
00:04we understand that maintaining peak performance on our workstations is not just a preference,
00:08it's a necessity.
00:09A common bottleneck that can degrade system responsiveness is dwindling disk space,
00:15often consumed by files you might not even realize are there.
00:18Today, we re-diving into a crucial system maintenance procedure for Windows 11,
00:23reclaiming significant disk space by properly clearing the windows,
00:27update cache, and other system temporary files.
00:30This isn't just about deleting a few documents.
00:33This is a professional-grade cleanup that can restore gigabytes of space
00:37and improve your system's overall speed.
00:40Let's begin with the built-in and often underestimated utility, disk cleanup.
00:45While it may seem basic, running it with administrative privileges unlocks its full potential.
00:50First, go to your start menu and type disk cleanup.
00:53Before you click on it, right-click the application and select Run as Administrator.
00:58This is a critical step.
01:00Without administrator rights, you won't see the options for cleaning up system files,
01:04which is where the real space savings are.
01:06After authenticating, Windows will prompt you to select the drive you wish to clean,
01:10which will almost always be your C drive, the default system partition.
01:14The tool will then scan your system to calculate how much space can be freed.
01:19This might take a few moments.
01:21Once the scan is complete, you'll see a list of file types you can delete.
01:25Pay close attention to Windows Update Cleanup.
01:28This option alone can often recover several gigabytes of space.
01:32It contains copies of installed updates that are no longer needed.
01:36You should also check boxes for downloaded program files, temporary internet files, and delivery optimization files.
01:43Once you've made your selections, click OK, and then confirm by clicking Delete Files.
01:49The tool will then proceed to purge these files.
01:52This process can be lengthy, especially if it's the first time you're running it.
01:56So be patient and let it complete without interruption.
02:00Now, let's move on to a more advanced and direct method.
02:03Manually clearing the Windows Update download cache.
02:06This cache is located in the Software Distribution folder.
02:10Over time, this folder can accumulate a large number of downloaded update installation files,
02:15even failed ones consuming a substantial amount of space.
02:19However, you cannot simply delete this folder while the Windows Update service is running.
02:23Doing so can cause instability.
02:26We must first stop the service.
02:27To do this safely, open the Start menu, type Services,
02:32MES-C, and press Enter.
02:33This opens the Services Management Console.
02:36Scroll down until you find the Windows Update service.
02:40Right-click on it and select Stop.
02:42You may also need to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service, or BEATS,
02:47as it is often linked to update processes.
02:50Once these services are confirmed as stopped, we can proceed.
02:54Navigate to See Windows Software Distribution.
02:57Inside this directory, you will see several folders.
03:00The one we are most interested in is Download.
03:04This folder contains all the files Windows has downloaded for updates.
03:08You can safely delete all the contents asterisk inside asterisk this download folder.
03:13Do not delete the download folder itself, just its contents.
03:17Select all files and folders within it and press Delete.
03:21Windows may ask for administrator permission.
03:24Granted.
03:25After you have cleared the contents of the download folder,
03:28it is imperative that you restart the services we stopped earlier.
03:32Go back to the Services Console.
03:34Find Windows Update and Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
03:38Right-click each one and select Start.
03:40This step is non-negotiable.
03:42Failing to restart these services will prevent your system from receiving future updates.
03:47When you next check for updates, Windows will create fresh,
03:50new files in the Download folder,
03:52ensuring a clean and efficient update process moving forward.
03:56By performing these two procedures, running disk cleanup as an administrator,
04:00and manually clearing the software distribution download cache,
04:03you are executing a comprehensive system maintenance task
04:06that goes beyond basic file deletion.
04:08This is about managing the operational overhead of the Windows operating system itself.
04:14Regularly performing these cleanups, perhaps on a quarterly basis,
04:17will ensure your workstations remain lean, responsive, and efficient,
04:21preventing performance degradation before it impacts productivity.
04:25Thank you for watching.
04:27I trust this technical walkthrough will prove valuable in your system administration routines.
04:32Be sure to subscribe for more in-depth IT infrastructure content.
04:35Stay efficient and stay secure.
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