c:\windows\installer folder is 270GB's ...

[thecomputerguy]

Client is out of storage I log in and see this:



Tried

Disk Cleanup
CCleaner

The files appear to be manually delete able, but I am hesitant to do that. Researching the internet just turns up a bunch of tech support stuff with people asking the same question and other people telling them to not ever delete something in the Windows folder.

A few people have mentioned this tool: https://www.homedev.com.au/Free/PatchCleaner

But PatchCleaner also seems pretty sketchy.... any thoughts? The computer is barely operational with this little storage available.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I explained all this to the client and said to run the tool (PatchCleaner) and if the computer crashed or wouldn't boot then he's prepared to replace it since it's 4 years old and all of his stuff is in OneDrive.

I explained that this entirely a gamble on his end and I have no opinion other than this might fix it, and I am not responsible for it. He agreed and said dump it ... So I made him click the button.

Badabing badaboom ... all the storage returned.

So I guess the tool works.

 

[JoelM]

I've use the patch cleaner tool a couple of times when I could find no other solution and did not have any negative side effects.

 

[GTP]

Whenever I encounter this nonsense in Windoze I reach for Bleachbit.
Works like a charm and doesn't promote rust!

 

[Philippe]

Last week, I recovered 30Gb from a 128Gb drive, by emptying c:\users\xxxx\appdata\local\temp...
(Checking C:\Windows\Temp doesn't hurt either).

 

[Markverhyden]

Last week, I recovered 30Gb from a 128Gb drive, by emptying c:\users\xxxx\appdata\local\temp...
(Checking C:\Windows\Temp doesn't hurt either).

That's always my starting points. Have a customer who has a W7 VM running on iMacs. All they are using it for is TurboCad. Even that can generate multiple gigs of temp files over several months.

 

[britechguy]

Also, at least under Windows 11, this is why it's always good to have Storage Sense (under Settings, System, Storage) turned on:


and you may want to set the cleanup schedule to a regular cycle (daily, weekly, monthly) rather than using the default:

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

We have a remediation script that runs on all assets we manage when the drive hits 85% full...our RMM runs a script that runs a version of CCleaner that cleanses all user profiles of temp files and the usual stuff.

Also have a script when can run manually to do the native Windows disk cleanup with all advanced options.