Unable to remove files from Windows update

Hi Brandon.
I'm Sumit, here to answer your query at the Microsoft Community.

Apologies for any inconvenience you are experiencing. We are happy to help you.

This is a known issue.

Via https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/10/10/window...

Windows 11 24H2 ships with the checkpoint updates feature, but this change has caused an issue where a large, undeletable 8.63GB update cache appears.

This happens because components from the current checkpoint update, like September’s KB5043080, are flagged as necessary for future updates, so they cannot be removed during cleanup.

We do not recommend removing these components because they could break future Windows updates. It’s also worth noting that the 8.63GB cache shown in the update cleanup doesn’t look like it’s actually consuming that full amount of space on your PC.

It’s likely less than 8.63GB, and the numbers you’re seeing in Disk Cleanup are inflated.


Hope that helps, and rely on us for any further inquiries. All the best.

Disclaimer:
The link included is a non-Microsoft website that would provide accurate and safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that are frequently classified as PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). There is no need to buy paid products to fix your computers as they sometimes do more harm than good.