Windows Update Cache Cleaner

Microsoft sometimes has trouble downloading a particular Windows Update. This can be easily noticed when you can't seem to get rid of the "Downloading update, please wait.." message on the screen when starting up or shutting down the operating system. Fortunately, this kind of error can be usually fixed by clearing the cache responsible for Windows Updates.

If you don't want to risk damaging the computer by exploring the hard drive for the cache files and accidentally deleting something you shouldn't have, you can use Windows Update Cache Cleaner. With a self-explanatory name and user-friendly graphical interface, the utility promises to swiftly empty the download cache in charge with Windows Updates.

Since there is no installation involved, you can keep the tool saved in your collection of portable software and fire it up whenever you're experiencing problems when attempting to download and install system updates. It's actually wrapped in a lightweight package and has a wizard-based interface.

The developer recommends restarting the computer in order to release any Windows Update files that the operating system might be currently working on without your knowledge. Then you can simply launch the tool, press the "Clean" button and wait for the operation to be over. Apart from the confirmation message at the end, there is no way to keep track of Windows Update Cache Cleaner's activity. On the other hand, you will receive a notification window if any errors occurred.

Because Microsoft has made no changes to the way Windows creates its download cache for system updates since Windows XP, it works on both older and newer OS editions. It had minimal impact on the computer's performance in our tests and worked smoothly.