Microsoft says the undeletable 8.63GB cache in Windows 11 24H2 is “a reporting error” — space is freed by Disk Cleanup

The Windows 11 24H2 has a peculiar issue where users cannot delete an 8.63GB update cache using any conventional method. Microsoft is aware of this problem and has noted on the Windows 11 Release Health page that it’s a reporting error instead of a folder that can never be deleted. The company says that the files have already been removed but that the Windows Disk Cleanup app still incorrectly displays the amount of storage space that can be freed under the ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ category.

That means users do not have to worry about some cache files or folders taking up space unnecessarily in their PCs. This is important, especially for smaller capacities, as 8.63GB is still a good chunk of storage. So, Microsoft says that when you run Windows Disk Cleanup for the first time with ‘Windows Update Cleanup’ selected, Windows 11 deletes and frees up the space it occupies. However, Disk Cleanup will still report the space as occupied even after cleaning it up, making users think the files were left behind in their PC’s storage.

The 8.63GB cache is created by the new ‘checkpoint cumulative updates’ feature in Windows 11 24H2. These checkpoint updates let users receive security and feature updates in smaller, incremental chunks, allowing systems to stay updated without needing a massive download. However, this folder should be temporary and will eventually be deleted by Windows Cleanup.

At the moment, Microsoft says that it’s working on a resolution to the issue, and hopefully, the company will have fixed it with its next update. Thankfully, even though the issue is widespread, it’s not as drastic as other issues that Windows 11 24H2 faced, like crashing apps and BSODs, that forced the company to hold updates on affected PCs.

Windows 11 22H2 reached its end of life on October 8, and Windows 10 reached the same a week later. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11. So, Microsoft should find a way to resolve these issues; otherwise, users could simply not update their systems, leading to vulnerabilities.

Nevertheless, despite these issues and the end of WordPad, 24H2 has a few new features. This includes ReFS and Block Cloning, which lets your computer copy files up to 94% faster, and a bevy of new AI features, like the controversial Recall AI app.