Windows Setup Files

Avast Cleanup
1

When running Cleanup it is asking if I want to delete my Windows Setup Files. Is it safe to delete these files?

2

Hi,

if you are not certain you can always use our built-in tooltips to find out more information about a particular category and decide later.
Here is a tooltip for Windows setup files.

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=222783.0;attach=203779

As you can see there if you don’t plan to reinstall or modify your windows installation it is safe to delete these files and thus save some space.

Regards.

3

Hi Stellarman,

Perhaps you could clarify that for me? What exactly does “modify your windows installation” mean here?
I’m afraid it’s a bit too vague for me. Modify like how? By installing the next update or upgrading?

Thanks!
Pinghels

4

I’m no expert here, but I am having a bad experience after having deleted the Setup files. I believe that under “modify” one can expect that updating is within that category. Why? Well, I did delete the Setup files on Windows 10 v. 1803 and now can no longer add updates. The updates are downloaded, but after 93% of the update was installed, the installation process was automatically stopped and rolled back. See my recent thread trying to get back to the point where I will be able to install updates (https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=225408.0)

5

Hi guys,

in this particular category our product just calls certain Windows API to free up the old updates or servicepacks to release the occupied disk space so if something goes wrong after deleting the “Windows setup files” category it is most likely Windows fault.

As a troubleshoot you could try to use this Windows support link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10164/fix-windows-update-errors or use a bootable media to recover your Windows installation.

I can think of adding a warning dialog into our product when you select this category to inform user about the potential risk when deleting such category.

Regards.

6

Didn’t think to use a specific MS trouble shooter. However, I did get to successfully reload Windows 10 Home 64-bit v.1803 using this tutorial:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9230-download-windows-10-iso-file.html#option3

7

Amazing but that link leads you right back to here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
That’s the link for windows 10 v 1809. Which is the current version of Windows 10.

8

Quite true. I was using help from another forum. Their help answered my questions directly and didn’t pose questions that would lead lead to my confusion. Furthermore, I took their suggestion to re-install 1803 as there would be “less of risk” of something going wrong. I actually dl’d both versions and still have a copy of 1809. After my successful install, I asked them if it was now worthwhile to load o 1809…to give me the plus’ and minus’. Which they did by nicely outlining what they thought the differences would be. From their straightforward advice, I decided that here was no dire need to go to 1809.