Deleting unneeded Windows Updates

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Guest

If you inadvertently download an update you don't need, for example Office
2003 update when you have Office 2000 installed, how do you delete the
pending update? There must be a pending update file somewhere. Can someone
tell me where it is, please.

Scott
 
Did you download it yourself from the download page to install manually or
did Windows/Microsoft/Office Update offer it to you?
 
I clicked on "Custom" and it was one of the updates available. I didn't
realize at the time that it would not work on Office 2000. Now it's
downloaded and on my taskbar and whenever I try to install it, it fails.
That's why I want to delete it.

Scott
 
X-post to OfficeUpdate.

Are you using Microsoft Update or Office Update, please?

What is the update, and what happens when you try to install it?
 
It Office XP Service Pack 3. It asks me to load a CD for Microsoft Word 2002
which I don't have. It gives me the message that the update was not
installed then the little yellow update shield with the exclamation point
stays on my task bar.

I know I cannot install this update. I want to delete it. How do I do that?
This is a generic question. It should not matter which update it is or
where it came from (Microsoft or Office). The problem deleting the file.

Scott
 
From main Windows Start menu, select RUN, type in
CMD <Enter-key>

type in
net stop wuauserv <Enter-key>

Go to Windows Explorer.
Look on your system drive (usually C ) and look at the Windows folder name. Like Windows or WINNT.
Modify following as appropriate.
If your Windows folder is C:\Windows. Look at this folder
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

If you find files in there, delete them. That folder is where files are stored from W U downloads.

Go back to Command prompt window.
type in
net start wuauserv <Enter-key>

EXIT <Enter-key>
 
Maurice said:
From main Windows Start menu, select RUN, type in
CMD <Enter-key>

type in
net stop wuauserv <Enter-key>

Go to Windows Explorer.
Look on your system drive (usually C ) and look at the Windows folder name. Like Windows or WINNT.
Modify following as appropriate.
If your Windows folder is C:\Windows. Look at this folder
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

If you find files in there, delete them. That folder is where files are stored from W U downloads.

Go back to Command prompt window.
type in
net start wuauserv <Enter-key>

EXIT <Enter-key>
Click to expand...
Hi,

And if the "Automatic updates" icon still is nagging you even if you
have deleted the Download folder, you might need to delete the
SoftwareDistribution\DataStore folder as well (stop the wuauserv
service first with "net.exe stop wuauserv").

Note that a side effect of renaming or deleting the
SoftwareDistribution folder is that you lose your Windows Update/
Automatic Updates history listing (not critical).
 
Torgeir said:
Hi,

And if the "Automatic updates" icon still is nagging you even if you
have deleted the Download folder, you might need to delete the
SoftwareDistribution\DataStore folder as well (stop the wuauserv
service first with "net.exe stop wuauserv").

Note that a side effect of renaming or deleting the
SoftwareDistribution folder is that you lose your Windows Update/
Automatic Updates history listing (not critical).
Click to expand...

I meant to say that deleting the DataStore folder will also
delete the WU/AU history listing.
 
I have followed all of your instructions to the letter, but the Update Icon
(Shield) is still on my Taskbar. When I open it, the Office XP Service Pack
3 is still there, even though I have deleted the folders you named after
stopping the update with the CMD prompt. Any other suggestions?
 
Scott said:
I have followed all of your instructions to the letter, but the Update Icon
(Shield) is still on my Taskbar. When I open it, the Office XP Service Pack
3 is still there, even though I have deleted the folders you named after
stopping the update with the CMD prompt. Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Hi,

Then what you need to do is to hide the update:

Double click on the AU icon in the notification area and select
"Custom Install", unselect the update in question, and when later on
asked, select to never show the update again.
 
Hopefully to finish this thread: Before I saw your response, I turned off
Automatic
Updates, then turned them back on. When I turned them off, the shield icon
disappeared from my Task Bar. When I turned it back on, it did not come
back. Just to make sure, I rebooted and the icon did not come back. I think
and hope that it has finished haunting me. Thanks for your help.

Scott
 
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