Bork Tuesday, Any Problems Yet?

Is that for the LCU folder? @Osaban mentioned that the LCU folder was not present on his Windows 11 system, but was present on Windows 10, so this is why I figured MS finally fixed it.

It also might be that since this folder is related to the last cumulative update, it might only appear after someone has installed the October feature update of Windows 11 and does not exist for a fresh clean install of Windows 11. But I am just guessing here.

 

You could be right Raza, My computer is new and therefore chances are that in the near future the LCU folder might be created, MS always provides a rollback alternative to new stuff. On Windows 10 MS Disk Cleanup is quite effective about cleaning up this backup folder.

 

I thought it was not present either. File Explorer told me that path did not exist. However when I opened WizTree to look at the file system it appeared there. Interestingly when I disabled the Scheduled Task for it (Provisioning, the one labeled Logon) It suddenly started to appear in File Explorer. They have not fixed this. They just went to great lengths to hide it.

 

Wow, yeah I could see Microsoft trying to pull that off. Weird, though, I have no LCU anywhere, even having installed WizTree and running WinDirStat to see if it's there. The relevant Provisioning task is all disabled, even the Cellular. Didn't look extensively though. I don't miss it anyway.

Running Windows 11 drive now to get KB 5022910 (Insider Preview) and an update to the Antimalware Platform (KB 4052623). All installed fine, but there was the usual garbage to clean up.

 

I didn't know if the cellular mattered as is it has never run. The others were disabled anyway except the logon one which I disabled. I found it very odd that disabling it allowed me to immediately see the folders that previously "did not exist". It has to be doing something in the background to refuse access to those folders. I'm sure it's for security reasons but Windows 11 seem to block access to a lot of things that you could get to in previous versions.

 

I believe we are talking about different folders. You are referring to the "Provisioning task" folder located at "Windows\System32....\Local\" that has a bunch of empty tmp folders in it. While I was referring to the LCU folder located at "Windows\servicing\LCU\" related to the windows update temp files that don't get cleared when you use the windows update cleanup. Apparently this LCU folder does not exist in Windows 11, so I figured that MS finally fixed it.

 

I don't even know at this point as there are 2 issues being discussed but the folder does exist on Windows 11. You just have to use the right tools to find it. File Explorer and the command prompt will tell you the path does not exist.

 

Windows\servicing\LCU\ certainly does exist.

 

Hmm, can't deny that. Wonder why some have it (LCU folder in 11) and some don't? Didn't someone mention "clean installation" versus updating via Settings?

No trace of the LCU folder on my Windows 11 drive, via clean installation.

 

No LCU folder here on my Win11 drive.

 

+1

 

Perhaps it doesn't exist with the 22H2 included? I can also confirm that it isn't there after a clean install of 11 Pro. & 22H2.

 

Aha: I'm 22H2 in Windows 11 also. The snip of cruielsister's is showing 21H2. Perhaps that's key? I don't know actually.

 

No, it's there. You just can't see it. Mine was Windows 11 22H2. Use the right tools, you'll find it eventually. Nothing provided by Microsoft will let you see it.

 

OK. Well clearly it CAN be there but I'm still mystified as to what made it disappear from view for some and not for others, you know?

I'll install my !1 drive over the weekend and see if I can conjure it up. Anyone: is there anything else in Task Scheduler besides the Provisioning that should dis/enabled? What other "tools" should be used? If this hidden folder is there, it's probably bloated and I do note at least 3 GB should be on my drive and it's not.

Edit: I'll run WizTree again, and WinDirStat.

 

I will take your word for it as I do not have Windows 11 and my information was second hand from @Osaban.

One reason for the discrepancy might be that in order for this LCU folder to be created, you need to go through the annual feature update. If you install Win 11 from an ISO that already has the annual feature update baked in, or you buy a PC with Win 11 preinstalled, you will not see this folder.

Another reason might be that you upgraded to Win 11 from Win 10 that already had this folder, but the path is now hidden in Win 11, as this folder is not supposed to exist in Win 11. But if this is true then it is very bad of MS, as this LCU folder actually takes up significant disk space.

These are just my theories. I might be wrong.

 

As cruelsister's image shows, the LCU folder is created when you install your 1st monthly cumulative update after a clean install. Clean install in itself doesn't create that folder. That's how it works for me and since I backup the system before any updates get installed, I delete the \LCU after every cumulative update. Also the Delivery Optimization files via cleanmgr.exe

 

That should work.

 

https://www.partitionwizard.com/resizepartition/empty-lcu-folder-in-windows-11.html

 

I don’t ever delete anything as I have room, power, and memory. I let Windows Disk Cleanup decide what is to be deleted, but I have always an image backup ready to be restored if things look ugly for any reasons.

 

cleanmgr deleted 4gigs here from LCU, but there is one folder left. <900megs
that partition is big enough not to care about such peanuts.

times where XP "xp"loded are gone, drive space is that cheap, cleaning up is futile as ever.
forget ancient times, enter "now".

 

Does anyone manually delete the contents of the Software Distribution/Downloads?

I have not observed cleanmgr or disk cleanup address that area. I can recoup 1GB or more from there following certain updates. Even though it may not be advisable, I do it anyway. Have not really had any issues but that doesn't mean much for any future times.

 

@plat
I always manually delete the content of Software Distribution Download and not noticed any issue even the one mentionned in this article, "WU will take longer to search for update cause of rebuilding database"
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/a...dowssoftwaredistributiondownload-taking-up-to