Microsoft’s latest annual update for Windows 11, known as the 24H2 update, has proven to be a source of frustration for many users. While it introduced several enhancements and features, a series of unexpected issues have overshadowed these improvements.
Emerging Issues with the Update
Among the most notable problems are blue screen crashes, particularly affecting gamers and those using Intel drivers, alongside disappearing mouse cursors. However, one of the most concerning aspects of the update is the creation of an unusually large cache folder during installation, which has been reported to reach a staggering 8.63GB. This size can consume a significant portion of storage on all but the largest drives.
It is important to note that the creation of a cache during updates is standard practice for Windows, serving as a temporary repository for installation files. What raises eyebrows is the inability to delete this cache once the update has been successfully applied.
According to reports from Windows Latest, attempts to remove the cache via the Control Panel have proven futile. Users have found that while they can initiate the deletion process, the cache stubbornly remains intact. Various alternative methods to eliminate the Windows update cache have also failed, with the only solution being a complete reinstallation of Windows.
Feedback from users in the Feedback Hub indicates that this issue is widespread:
“Same problem here. Tried the cleanup several times, even tried SFC Scannow but did nothing. I presume it’s a bug that will get fixed.”
“Same issue. It’s leaving 8.63 GB of stuff behind.”
“I used Disk Cleanup to delete Windows Update Cleanup files as they take up almost 9GB of space. Even after using Disk Cleanup Utility, it still shows that they haven’t been cleaned.”
In response to these concerns, Microsoft is actively working on a patch to address the cache issue, which is expected to be included in an upcoming update. Until that solution is available, users are advised to refrain from attempting to delete the Windows Update cache, as the hassle of reinstalling Windows is not worth the effort.
Further reading: How to undo a problematic Windows update
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
