How to remove all windows 8.1 updates at once. How to remove unnecessary Windows updates and free up tons of space

Automatic Windows 8 updates are a required option and are therefore enabled by default. Eliminates previously found errors and vulnerabilities, improves the overall performance of your PC or laptop. It starts automatically - but not always at a convenient time. Due to this, some users want to disable automatic Windows 8 updates.

As you know, such a procedure can put a lot of stress on a computer (especially an old one). And if you are working on a project or playing a game, then it will interfere.

Another disadvantage is the inability to turn off the PC before the procedure is completed. What if you need to leave urgently? Don't leave the computer on. There are many similar reasons. But the solution to this problem is very simple.

How to disable automatic updates in Windows 8?

Due to the changed interface, familiar operations in Windows 8 are performed slightly differently. In particular, the control panel is not located in Start, as in the “seven,” but in the Hot Corners side menu. However, there is nothing complicated here anyway – the procedure has just changed a little.

A new window will open in which you can turn off automatic Windows 8 updates. To do this, select “Don’t check for…”. To save the settings, click OK.

Keep in mind that if you decide to disable Windows 8 Update, this will also affect the built-in antivirus. It will stop updating, which will reduce the security level of your PC or laptop. But the problem will not be relevant after installing any other antivirus.

The above method is suitable in cases where you need to disable updates on Windows 8 temporarily. That is, in order to then launch them manually - at a convenient time. If you want to disable updates in Windows 8 forever, then it is better to use another method.

To completely stop searching for updates, you must disable the service responsible for this task

So, if you want to disable Windows 8 updates on your laptop permanently, then do the following:

This method completely disables the search for updates on a computer or laptop running Windows 8, so they will no longer run.

But there is one small nuance here: when installing programs from Microsoft, this service may turn on again. That is, all settings are reset to their previous settings. Take this into account.

Do Windows 8 need updates?

Microsoft developers will definitely answer you - “Yes”. Like many PC users. It’s not for nothing that this option is enabled by default.

On the other hand, it always starts at the wrong time and constantly interferes. In this regard, there is a desire to go to Windows 8 Update and turn it off.

To stop for a while or forever is the second question. And there is no clear answer to it. The first solution is supported by the fact that patches increase the security of Windows and improve the performance of a laptop or computer. And in favor of the second one, disabling this service does not affect the operation of the PC in any way. This will be proven by thousands of users who completely blocked it and forgot about it.

Yes, at first, while the OS is raw, it is advisable to leave this service enabled. But since Windows 8 came out a long time ago, today it already works stably. Therefore, the decision to disable the search for updates in Windows 8 will not affect the security of your laptop or PC.

Windows Updates- these are additional software modules that are created by operating system developers to correct critical errors that lead to malfunctions, eliminate system security vulnerabilities, as well as add new functions to Windows and improve the stability of third-party applications. In rare cases, due to developer errors, updates may contain critical bugs and cause problems with Windows or programs installed on it. To restore normal operation, such faulty updates must be removed and in this guide we will talk about various ways to remove updates in the Windows 7 and 8 operating systems.

Configuring update download options

First, you need to keep in mind that not all updates are important and required to be installed. Many updates do not contain important fixes and improvements for the OS, but the changes they make can cause various crashes. Additionally, many optional updates are large and take up significant hard drive space.

To avoid installing unnecessary updates into the operating system, you must correctly configure Windows Update, because by default the operating system automatically downloads and installs all updates released by Microsoft without exception. However, this can be corrected by enabling the ability to independently select and install only the most important updates.

To change the rules for downloading updates, open the menu Start And log in Control Panel(in Windows 8 you can use hotkeys Win+I to open the Settings panel and in it click on the Control Panel link).

Opening Control Panel via Settings Panel in Windows 8

Opening Control Panel from the Start Menu in Windows 7

Next, go to the section System and security (The control panel must be in Category, which can be selected in the upper right corner in the drop-down list located next to the text View) .

Select an item Windows Update:

In the left vertical menu selectParameter settings:

And finally, in the window that opens, you need to select the option from the drop-down list Look for updates, but the decision to download and install is made by me.

Hide and restore unnecessary updates

Updates that are detected by the system but not yet installed and are not needed can be hidden so that they do not appear in the list for installation in the future.

To do this, open again Windows Update and select the desired section: Important or Optional updates.

In the list that opens, use the left mouse button to select an update that does not need to be installed, then right mouse button open the dropdown menu with options and select Hide update.

You can restore hidden updates in the same Windows Update by selecting the appropriate link in the left vertical menu.

In the list of hidden updates that opens, you need to select the one you want and click on the button Restore, after which the update will return to the list of available for download and installation.

Clearing the disk of temporary files of downloaded updates and deleting the update history

On the local drive C, you can clear system folders that store temporary files of downloaded but not installed updates, and also delete the update history log.

To do this, open Conductor and go to:C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution . In this directory, find two folders:Download(contains update files) andDataStore(stores update history logs). Delete the files located in them using the combination Shift+Del(without moving to the trash).

How to remove installed updates

Now let's talk about different ways to remove already installed updates from the system.

Uninstall via Control Panel

To remove updates installed on the operating system, open Control Panel and go to the section Programs.

In the section Programs and components select item View installed updates.

In the list of installed updates that appears, select the one you need with the left mouse button, then right-click and select the item from the drop-down menu Delete. To complete the operation, confirm your intentions by clicking OK and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Uninstall via command line

This method is suitable for confident users and involves manually entering commands. Launch Command Prompt with administrator rights. To do this in Windows 7, click on the menu icon Start and enter the command in the search bar: cmd, then in the search results window, right-click on the icon cmd and select a team Run with administrator rights. In Windows 8, just press the key combination Win + X and in the context menu that appears, select the item Command Line (Administrator).

Running Command Prompt with Administrator Rights in Windows 7

Running Command Prompt with Administrator Rights in Windows 8

To view the list of installed updates, enter the command:wmic qfe list brief /format:table

To remove any update, enter the command: wusa /uninstall /kb:update number(For example: wusa /uninstall /kb:3185331).

How to remove all updates at once

Unfortunately, the developers did not provide such a feature in Windows functionality. It’s a pity, this function can actually be useful in some situations, since deleting a large number of updates manually is inconvenient and takes too long. Fortunately, there are several simple and affordable ways to solve this problem.

Removal via .bat file (batch file)

Create a new file using the program Notebook(right-click on an empty space on the desktop and select the option Create a text document).

Copy the following code into a blank document:

@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 "" ^ 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

Save the created file with the extension .bat by giving it any name (for example: new.bat). Pre-optional File type select an option All files. Then run the batch file.

After running the created file, a window will open asking you to wait, which will close automatically when the deletion is complete. . All updates installed on Windows 7 and 8 will be removed.

Uninstalling updates using special programs

Nowadays, a large number of different uninstaller programs and system cleaners have been developed that are quite capable of removing updates from Windows. For example, you can use the well-known program Revo Uninstaller, which can be downloaded for free on our website.

Launch Revo Uninstaller and login Settings. In this section, select the tab Uninstaller and check the boxes next to the parameters Show system updates And Show system components.

Click OK to close the settings window and refresh the list by clicking on the corresponding icon on the program toolbar. After this, Windows updates will appear in the list of installed applications. It is very easy to identify them - they are marked with a special icon and, as a rule, have a serial number KB:xxxxxxxxxxxx.

To uninstall, hold down the key Ctrl and select the required updates with the left mouse button, then click on the icon Delete.

Once the uninstallation is complete and the computer is restarted, the selected updates will disappear from the operating system.

How to remove old update files

Not many people think that every time an update is installed, Windows downloads update packages from Microsoft servers, after which it starts the process of installing and updating system files, but the package file itself, which is no longer needed, remains in the service folder. If updates are installed in a timely manner, a lot of such files accumulate and in total they can take up tens of gigabytes of space on the system disk. And if we remember that in our time ultra-high-speed SSD disks of relatively small capacity are often used to operate the operating system, the issue of freeing up space often comes up head on and deleting outdated update package files can significantly help to significantly increase the amount of free space.

To remove outdated service packs, open Conductor by clicking on the special icon next to the menu Start (or keyboard shortcut Win+E) . Right-click on drive C and select the item from the context menu Properties.

In the window that opens, click on the button Disk Cleanup.

In the next window, select a function Cleaning Windows Updates, press OK and wait for the procedure to complete.

Many computer specialists consider this method to be the fastest, most effective and safest, which is quite logical - the operating system will deal with its outdated system files better than any third-party utilities.

Everyone has encountered automatic Windows updates.
In my case, this experience turned out to be negative and I removed the automatic update function of Windows 8.1, which I recommend to everyone. But first of all, you need to figure out why they are needed at all.

Experts write that they are necessary for the normal functioning of the operating system, namely:

All this is understandable, the system is being improved and it seems like it should work better and faster.

But what's really going on? Due to the constantly increasing number of updates, the computer slows down and begins to freeze. It is simply impossible to work with such a load on your shoulders.

Initially, I had Windows 8 on my laptop - it was heavy and clumsy, but when it was updated to the new version 8.1, working became easy and pleasant. Until the updates downloaded almost every day reached a critical mass.

After installing the latest innovations, it became impossible to work at all - programs froze, when opening the browser, a black screen appeared, blocking work, and when loading the computer, a window began to pop up, notifying about an error in the operation of one of the system programs - Catalyst Control Center host application.

You can find out how to resolve an error in the operation of Catalyst Control Center

In a word, everything is the opposite - instead of improvement, a complete stop of work.

Then I uninstalled the latest installed updates and the computer began to work normally.

How to get rid of updates?

For your convenience, you can work with two windows at the same time, separating them with hot keys: WIN+Left Arrow – browser window, WIN+Right Arrow – second window.

1. First of all, you should clear the “Download” folder where they are downloaded.
Path: Drive C ⇨ Windows ⇨ Software Distribution ⇨ Download.

2. Then delete the last downloads, after which the computer began to freeze (if you remember the approximate date of this “event”).
Path: Control Panel ⇨ Programs and Features ⇨ Installed updates (link at top left).

To make it easier to find interfering updates, regroup them under installation date: right mouse button, select Sort ⇨ Installed. Delete what you need, but do not overload the computer.

3. The next step is to cancel the automatic download of updates.
Control Panel ⇨ Update Center ⇨ Enable or disable automatic updates. Select "Don't check for updates (not recommended)."


Now reboot your computer.
It follows that updates are also contraindicated for unlicensed copies of Windows.

Good day. This week the site received a new record for traffic - 5407 unique visitors per day, for which we thank you very much. Although I rarely write lately, the site is still growing :)

Now let's talk about our problem. What is this WinSxS folder? This is the folder in which the Windows updates and components file is stored. Why does she weigh so much? Hmm... In fact, it weighs much less :) Files from Windows, System32 folders are projected into this folder using , which is why all file managers show such a large size - they do not see the difference between real files and symbolic links. Based on the same, it is highly not recommended to go into this folder through Explorer and try to delete everything manually. There are several standard tools that will help you clean this folder safely and efficiently. And, by the way, as updates are installed, it constantly grows, so it is recommended to repeat these steps periodically. By the way, I recommend using method No. 2.

Method number 1. Cleaning Windows updates using the Disk Cleanup utility (also works on Windows 7 SP1 with the KB2852386 update installed).

A very simple method and does not require any decisions from the user. But file evaluation works mediocrely, it makes mistakes both up and down. But this is not very important to us.

1) We need the “Run” utility, so press the key combination Win+R and enter cleanmgr in the window that opens.

3) Wait for the free space estimate and click the “Clean up system files” button.

4) Check the box for “Clean up Windows updates”. And click OK. The process of cleaning update files will begin.

But this way you can only delete part of the files; more precise cleaning can be done using method No. 2.

Method number 2. Clear Windows updates, disabled features, and Windows cache stored in the WinSxS folder using the DISM utility. (I recommend)

This method allows you to clear not only update files, but also all other garbage from the WinSxS folder.

1) Open the command line as administrator, to do this press the keyboard shortcut Win+X and select " Command Line (Administrator)«.

As you can see, 4.77GB of everything occupied is located in the Windows folder and is in no way superfluous, since these are files necessary for the operation of the system. But backup copies (needed in case your system does not boot after installing updates) and the cache with temporary files can be cleared. Well, let’s carefully read the penultimate line “ Component Store Cleanup Recommended: Yes". Therefore, let's move on to the next step.

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

That's all. I hope you found this article useful, click one of the buttons below to tell your friends about it. Also subscribe to site updates by entering your e-mail in the field on the right.

Any update, especially if it affects system files, is a potential threat to system stability. Despite the fact that updates are tested both by Microsoft itself and by administrators themselves, situations when installing an update leads to complete system inoperability do occur from time to time. What to do in this case? We will talk about this in this article.

The main problem, which is also an undoubted advantage, of Windows systems is their diversity. It is almost impossible to calculate the number of possible combinations of hardware and software running on it, therefore, no matter how carefully you test updates, there can always be a combination of hardware and software that turns out to be incompatible with a given update. Most often, problems are associated with third-party drivers or low-level software running at the kernel level.

A separate discussion concerns unlicensed systems. Most often, activation is bypassed by patching and replacing the kernel. This in itself is unsafe and fraught with potential problems, and with updates that affect the kernel, you risk a system failure, which has happened more than once. Various amateur builds available on the Internet are also susceptible to this drawback; many builders immediately include a patched kernel in the system or forcefully launch the activator immediately after installation, without checking the presence and validity of the system key.

This happened last Patch Tuesday. Next security update KB3045999 for Windows 7, when rebooting, it resulted in a “blue screen of death” (BSOD).

Users burst out with further reproaches to Microsoft for releasing “buggy” updates, but it soon became clear that only systems with a patched kernel were susceptible to the error. Nevertheless, the problem also affected quite law-abiding users who were too lazy to assemble it and, in order not to download gigabytes of updates, simply downloaded a suitable assembly from the network.

We will not discuss the moral and legal aspects of using unlicensed software; let everyone decide this issue on their own, but rather consider ways to restore the system.

Installation disc or Windows PE

This is the most accessible, although not the easiest, method. Any disk from a compatible system will do, the only condition is compliance with the bit capacity. You should also remember about backward compatibility, i.e. to restore Windows 7, you can use disks not only from Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, but also Windows 8 / Server 2012. In some cases, you can try to use a disk from an earlier system, but not all options may be available, for example, It will not be possible to implement the instructions below with a disk from Windows Vista / Server 2008.

If you are using Windows PE, then it must also be created based on the current version of the OS or a later one, and the bit depth must also be the same.

Let's boot from the installation disk and on the screen offering OS installation, select the item System Restore.

The utility will detect the installed OS and offer to proceed with automatic system recovery, there are few options here, so click Next.

But there is absolutely no need to wait for the wizard to finish his work, especially since he won’t be able to help us, so on the next screen we click Cancel.

Then take your time and select the link in the window that appears Show additional system recovery options.

Now you have the opportunity to exit to the command line, which you should use.

If you booted from Windows PE, you will be taken to the command line immediately.

Then you should clarify which letter the system disk received. With standard markup, this will be the letter D, the letter C will be the service section. To check, let's do:

Once you are sure that it is indeed the system drive, you can proceed to the next steps. Before doing this, it would be a good idea to clarify the name of the problematic update; as a rule, this is easy to do using the Internet. Then we get a list of all installed packages with the following command:

DISM /Image:D:\ /Get-Packages

In the output we find the number of the required update and copy the package name; if it is unknown, then delete all packages with the date of the last update.

To copy the name of a package on the command line, select it and press the key Enter, just right-click to insert.

To remove a package, run the command:

DISM /Image:D:\ /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_KB3045999~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1

where as an option PackageName provide the package name obtained in the previous step.

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset

A set of diagnostic and recovery tools ( Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (MSDaRT) is a tool based on ERD Commander from Sysinternals and available through Software Assurance (SA) subscription, but it is not difficult to find on the Internet. To work with Windows 7 you will need at least version 6.5 of MSDaRT, version 8.0 is current

We boot from the MSDaRT disk, remember that compliance with the bit depth is a mandatory requirement, and on the first screen, after selecting the language (in our case, version 8.0 is used), select Diagnostics:

Then Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset:

After which a window will open in front of you with a selection of available tools, we are interested in Hotfix Uninstall or Removing patches.

Working with the wizard is not difficult; select one or more updates and delete them:

As you can see, working with MSDaRT is much more convenient than with the command line, but it requires preparing for possible emergency situations in advance.

In both cases, after removing the problematic update, you should reboot and carefully analyze the reasons for the failure. We hope that this material will help you quickly restore system functionality after an unsuccessful update.