Windows 10/11 temporary files will not delete

2. Use a third-party software

According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files on Windows 10/11, you might want to try using CCleaner.

If you are not familiar, CCleaner is a simple, yet very useful utility that can help you scan your PC and remove unnecessary files that take up space for no reason.

Thanks to this application, you can easily free up space and remove temporary files. To use CCleaner you need to follow these steps:

1. Type CCleaner in the taskbar and open the application.
2. Select the Custom clean icon and scroll down to the System category.
3. In the list, select Temporary files.
4. Click the Analyze button to run the scanner.
5. Select Run Cleaner and wait for the process to complete.

After doing that, the temporary files should be removed and you’ll free up some space on your system drive.

CCleaner

Delete temporary files and clean your PC with this easy-to-use and safe utility.

3. Use Command Prompt

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According to users, if you can’t delete temporary files, you might be able to do so by using Command Prompt. To do that, you need to follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu.
2. Now choose Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin) from the list.
3. When Command Prompt opens, enter del /q/f/s %TEMP%* and press Enter to run this command.
   

Once the command is executed, all your temporary files should be deleted and the problem will be resolved.

This is a quick and relatively simple solution, and if you don’t want to delete your temporary files manually, be sure to try this solution.

4. Install the latest updates

According to users, sometimes the inability to remove temporary files is caused by a bug on your system.

Bugs can interfere with your system and prevent you from performing certain operations, therefore it’s crucial that you keep your system up to date.

By default, Windows 10 automatically installs the missing updates, but sometimes you might miss an update or two. However, you can always check for updates manually by doing the following:

1. Open the Settings app. You can do that instantly by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. When Settings app opens, go to Update & Security section.
   
3. Now click Check for updates button.
   

Windows 10 will check for available updates. If any updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background. As for the updates, they will be installed as soon as you restart your PC.

Once your PC is up to date, the problem should be resolved and you’ll be able to remove temporary files without any problems.

5. Delete the contents of SoftwareDistribution directory

Several users reported that they are unable to delete temporary files due to the SoftwareDistribution directory. This folder holds Windows Update files, and sometimes it can prevent you from deleting certain files.

However, you can easily solve this issue by deleting the contents of this directory. To do that, just follow these steps:

1. Make sure that Windows Update isn’t downloading any updates. To do that, check for available updates. If no updates are available, you can proceed to the next step.
2. Press Windows Key + R and enter %WINDIR%SoftwareDistributionDownload.
3. Press Enter or click OK
   
4. Select all files inside of the Download directory and delete them.

After doing that, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.

6. Uninstall Skype and Spotify

According to users, sometimes third-party applications such as Skype and Spotify can interfere with your system and cause problems with temporary files.

According to users, the issue started appearing after the update when these two applications were installed automatically.

However, you can fix the problem simply by removing these apps. To do that, just follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app, and go to Apps section.
   
2. List of installed applications will appear. Select Skype on the list and click Uninstall.
   

Now follow the instructions on the screen to remove the application. Repeat the same steps for the Spotify app. This is a strange problem, but several users solved it by removing these two apps, so feel free to try it out.

7. Remove the temporary files from Safe Mode

If you’re having problems with temporary files, you might want to try removing them from Safe Mode. To access Safe Mode, do the following:

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart from the menu.
   
3. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
4. Once your PC restarts, you’ll be presented with a list of options. Select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the corresponding key.

Once you enter Safe Mode, you should be able to remove temporary files without any issues.