# Windows question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201 "2008-10-16T14:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/1 "2008-10-16T14:07:14Z")
Where are updates that have been downloaded but not yet installed kept? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/2 "2008-10-16T17:36:13Z")
Not knowing what version of windows you have…Go to Control Panel\>Windows Updates, from there there should be something that says View Available Updates (or something along those lines). ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/3 "2008-10-16T17:58:19Z")
Sorry. I have XP SP3. There’s an icon in CP titled Automatic Updates but it won’t let me delete the update for IE7, which hasn’t been installed. I’d like to delete it from whatever folder it’s hiding in. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/4 "2008-10-17T08:22:35Z")
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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/5 "2008-10-17T10:34:59Z")
[meager attempt at helping]If you see the name of the update, could you search on it?[/maah] ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/6 "2008-10-17T14:30:04Z")
The best I can think off off the top of my head is to uncheck it, and then tell windows not to ask about that update again. Though it would still be on your system, just hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/7 "2008-10-17T14:31:25Z")
How about this… Delete the Previously Downloaded Windows Updates Open My Computer Double-click on Drive C (or whatever drive Windows is installed on) Double-click on the Windows folder Double-click on the SoftwareDistribution folder Double-click on the Download folder Click on Edit on the menu bar Click on Select All Click on File on the menu bar Click on Delete and delete everything in the download folder Return to the SoftwareDistribution folder by clicking on the green up arrow on the toolbar Double-click on the EventCache folder Click on Edit on the menu bar Click on Select All Click on File on the menu bar Click on Delect and delete everything in the eventcache folder [From Here](http://www.pchell.com/support/windows_updates_download_but_wont_install.shtml) ETA, upon reading this, you may want to be careful with that “Select All” command, and just attempt to locate the IE7 download. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/8 "2008-10-18T13:53:06Z")
Thanks **Joey P** , but there is no Software Distribution Folder on my machine. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/9 "2008-10-18T20:49:57Z")
> [@Joe\_Mahma](#): > > Thanks **Joey P** , but there is no Software Distribution Folder on my machine. There almost certainly is. But it’s hidden by default. make sure you have the folder options set so you can see the hidden & system folders. Also make sure you’re logged on as an admin (“owner”) to be able to do any deletions. ---
**Author:** ![Mumio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@Mumio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mumio)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-question/468201/10 "2008-10-18T22:18:23Z")
How about just doing a system restore?