Change target drive for update downloads

I have an old computer with an 8gb c: drive. I have added a second drive
(D, which after moving all files that I can easy move to it has 50GB free.
My c: drive after extensive cleaning as 128mb free. Windows download is using
a bout 1GB of this (size of the software distribution directory and its
subs). How can I change windows to use my d: drive for updates? I have set
updating to prompt mode so that I can choose which items I need.

In an ideal world I would reformat the hard drive and start again, but I
have ten years or more of software, some of whcih the original disks have now
"disappeared ".

What happendss if I clean out the Software distribution Directory?

--
Tony Green

Although the deltas and binaries for the updates are being downloaded to
SoftwareDistribution, the temp location they are being *run* from is on
the drive with the most free space, the D:\ drive.
You can't change the Default behavior as to where the updates are *first
downloaded to* unless you move the root directory to the D:\ drive,
which would not be advisable.

Since the SD directory on C:\ is now 1 GB than something is amiss.
Over time, the Download subfolder of SD should be automatically flushed
of it's contents by a setting in the registry.

Assuming this is XP or Win2K, you can stop the Automatic Updates service
(if BITS is running you'll need to stop that, too) and then rename
SoftwareDistribution to SoftwareDistribution.old.
Restart the AU service (BITS can be set to Manual) and then click the
Windows Update icon on the Start Menu or use IE and visit the
Windows/Microsoft Update sites.
When the updating components are reinstalled by AU or at the update
sites the SD directory will be recreated.

If updating functions properly you can safely delete the
SoftwareDistribution.old directory.

NOTE: If you do delete SoftwareDistribution.old the history shown on the
update sites will also be **deleted**. The data is stored in
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.e db <-- this file


MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



ADG wrote:

> I have an old computer with an 8gb c: drive. I have added a second drive
> (D, which after moving all files that I can easy move to it has 50GB free.
> My c: drive after extensive cleaning as 128mb free. Windows download is using
> a bout 1GB of this (size of the software distribution directory and its
> subs). How can I change windows to use my d: drive for updates? I have set
> updating to prompt mode so that I can choose which items I need.
>
> In an ideal world I would reformat the hard drive and start again, but I
> have ten years or more of software, some of whcih the original disks have now
> "disappeared ".
>
> What happendss if I clean out the Software distribution Directory?
>

Many thanks I have my drive space back now, and I am only getting new
updates. I will keep an eye on this dir. and post again if it starts to groow
again without clearing down
--
Tony Green


"MowGreen" wrote:

> Although the deltas and binaries for the updates are being downloaded to
> SoftwareDistribution, the temp location they are being *run* from is on
> the drive with the most free space, the D:\ drive.
> You can't change the Default behavior as to where the updates are *first
> downloaded to* unless you move the root directory to the D:\ drive,
> which would not be advisable.
>
> Since the SD directory on C:\ is now 1 GB than something is amiss.
> Over time, the Download subfolder of SD should be automatically flushed
> of it's contents by a setting in the registry.
>
> Assuming this is XP or Win2K, you can stop the Automatic Updates service
> (if BITS is running you'll need to stop that, too) and then rename
> SoftwareDistribution to SoftwareDistribution.old.
> Restart the AU service (BITS can be set to Manual) and then click the
> Windows Update icon on the Start Menu or use IE and visit the
> Windows/Microsoft Update sites.
> When the updating components are reinstalled by AU or at the update
> sites the SD directory will be recreated.
>
> If updating functions properly you can safely delete the
> SoftwareDistribution.old directory.
>
> NOTE: If you do delete SoftwareDistribution.old the history shown on the
> update sites will also be **deleted**. The data is stored in
> WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.e db <-- this file
>
>
> MowGreen
> ===============
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ===============
>
>
>
> ADG wrote:
>
> > I have an old computer with an 8gb c: drive. I have added a second drive
> > (D, which after moving all files that I can easy move to it has 50GB free.
> > My c: drive after extensive cleaning as 128mb free. Windows download is using
> > a bout 1GB of this (size of the software distribution directory and its
> > subs). How can I change windows to use my d: drive for updates? I have set
> > updating to prompt mode so that I can choose which items I need.
> >
> > In an ideal world I would reformat the hard drive and start again, but I
> > have ten years or more of software, some of whcih the original disks have now
> > "disappeared ".
> >
> > What happendss if I clean out the Software distribution Directory?
> >
>

ADG wrote:

> Many thanks I have my drive space back now, and I am only getting new
> updates. I will keep an eye on this dir. and post again if it starts to groow
> again without clearing down

You're mowst welcome, Tony. I think the following registry subkey is
what flushes the download cache:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\WindowsUpdate\Reporting
"BatchFlushAge"=dword:00008882

Check the subkey on your system to confirm that it's the same.
*Back up* the subkey *prior* to editing the setting, if you choose to do
so. One can manually delete the subfolders located in the Download
folder also. Just make sure the updates have installed and any required
reboots have been done first.


MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============