Unable to get Windows updates due to lack of space.

[nob]

What is the E drive? If it were me I would make the c drive just one partition.

[keith]

This is really frustrating. On this PC there is a Troubleshooting link between Backup and Recovery but on the Lenovo there is not. Maybe because it is only version 1607?
I started EricGould1's solution:
answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/insufficient-disk-space-to-update-windows-10/ce66de91-311d-476c-93b0-c7ef5ea0ea84
and got as far as deleting the contents of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download after placing the Lenovo in Airplane Mode. The next step was to run the Fall Creators app at C:\Windows10Upgrade\Windows10UpgraderApp.exe then switch Airplane Mode back on. Except of course there is no such exe file. The problem here may be that this solution was writen in April 2018 and by September of that year it was no more.
Solution anyone.

[keith]

The E: drive is the USB.

[nob]

Unplug everything and make C one partition and delete the windows 7 backup.

[keith]

There is no Window 7 backup file though there is a Windows.old folder. I will try a few of the other "solutions" but I think they are all too old, even 18 months is too old. Failing that I may remove Windows and replace with Linux.
The problem is that if I delete the updates I have enough space but the moment I do the updates start downloading again. If I could download the updates to a USB it would solve the problem.

[banjo]

Is the <Windows.old> directory empty? If not, delete it (or copy it somewhere else first if you must.) As I said previously, I renamed it to circumvent auto deletion, but I checked mine and it's 45 Gb FFS! It's got to go on my PC!

e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Another shot in the dark (yes, I know it's from 2016):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbb9sP_Gndo

[keith]

Solved:
A problem I came across was how the change the boot drive. Pressing various f buttons did not work. Accessing the EUFI system (https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/ht500216) works. I used this method to boot from the USB.
This time after trying to install from the USB created by the Media Creation Tool I got a message I had not seen before to restart and click on the setup.exe on the USB. This got me as far as the dreaded message "Windows Needs Space to update". After deleting a game, Ccleaner and Skype amongst others I decided to rid the machine of the Windows pending updates but first pause them (via Settings- Windows Updates) Pause For 7 More days. Then Control Panel,
Then within the Control Panel. Click on Programs.
Then click on View Installed Updates highlight and delete them. Still not enough. Ran the Disk Clean-up (File Explorer-Right click OS(C:)-click Disk Clean-up-click Clean up system files) in the hope of deleting the Windows.old file which it could not do. After trying a solution via a cmd command and a script hat did not work I came across another "solution" using in Linux. This involved starting Linux via another USB and navigating to the folder with Windows.old in. Hitting the delete button worked. When runing the setup.exe a second time it did not ask for more space on the C: drive.
Un pause the Pause for 7 Days(see above).
It took five hours to upload to 2% so I left it over night and hey presto the updates have been installed and initially still only 4gb but deleting the old Windows files gave me 14gb which should be enough to enable me to get the next Windows update.

Thanks for all your help and to those of you struggling with a problem, persevere. The solution may take time. It may help to remember that your editon of Windows may not be the same as those offering advice on Windws updates. They will not see what you see.

[banjo]

Windows.old eh? Who'd a thunk it.

Well done for persevering. Everyone likes a "result".

e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Well done, glad to hear you got it sorted.

I never thought of using Linux to tackle it (I haven't so far), but that seems to be the only way sometimes.

Sorry my suggestions weren't that much help.

Best of luck anyway.

[nob]

Result well done.