Cannot delete files via Disk clean-up from fresh win10 install

gabgab · 06 May 2021

hi there

noticed something interesting, so after a few days the language files to be cleaned are still there... well look what i found in event viewer AFTER you run the cleaner:

Cannot delete files via Disk clean-up from fresh win10 install-image.png

and in the detail i have, for each of those:

Cannot uninstall language pack for nl-NL because it's not installed.
Cannot uninstall language pack for fr-FR because it's not installed.
Cannot uninstall language pack for de-DE because it's not installed.
Cannot uninstall language pack for nl-NL because it's not installed.
Cannot uninstall language pack for fr-FR because it's not installed.
Cannot uninstall language pack for de-DE because it's not installed.

and that's correct, i never installed them, shall i run the PS command on those and it will "do" something and clean those 900 mb? that's super weird.

cheers,
Gabrio

Ivan Petrov · 06 May 2021

This is really weird! How can you uninstall something if you have never installed it? BTW, do you have any programs which have required /and later installed by you/ language packs? For example: installation of LibreOffice goes through dialog boxes for different language packs, maybe some other programs too...

gabgab · 07 May 2021

Ivan Petrov said:

This is really weird! How can you uninstall something if you have never installed it? BTW, do you have any programs which have required /and later installed by you/ language packs? For example: installation of LibreOffice goes through dialog boxes for different language packs, maybe some other programs too...

...right? i really don't get it, if anyone has any idea please let me know, thank you!

gabgab · 09 May 2021

hi there,

i did a test - so i have installed those language packs that are actually reported in the error log, so dutch, french and german and guess what, have a look:

then it eventually goes to 0 like i have on my other laptop....

now as soon as i delete them again, it starts creeping up again! this is a bug:

- dutch

- french

- german

and in addition when you click remove they go in a millisecond

annoying - i think there's a bug or something

Steve C · 13 May 2021

Bree said:

Usually that indicates that one or more Flash Player updates are still installed. Although the 'Update to remove Flash Plaver' will have been installed by now, it only removes the player from use, it doesn't remove earlier updates. You can uninstall them manually from the Control Panel.

Windows Update Cleanup - post #3

Good tip which worked for me. I had two security updates for Flash. The first one uninstalled and removed the 55MB showing in Disk Cleanup but there is no option to uninstall the second Flash security update shown below.

Bree · 13 May 2021

Steve C said:

Good tip which worked for me. I had two security updates for Flash. The first one uninstalled and removed the 55MB showing in Disk Cleanup but there is no option to uninstall the second Flash security update.....

Wisewiz asked me the same question on a similar thread. As I replied there, my System One below had several Flash updates, one of which was uninstallable.

That was a couple of month ago. When I looked again yesterday before replying it no longer appeared in the list of installed updates. Whether a subsequent CU had removed it, or it was my routine use of disk clean-up to clean up system files, I cannot say. I only know it has gone (at last).

As you found, removing the Flash update(s) that can be uninstalled is sufficient to get rid of the few MB shown in Disk Clean-up.

gabgab · 13 May 2021

Bree said:

Wisewiz asked me the same question on a similar thread. As I replied there, my System One below had several Flash updates, one of which was uninstallable.

That was a couple of month ago. When I looked again yesterday before replying it no longer appeared in the list of installed updates. Whether a subsequent CU had removed it, or it was my routine use of disk clean-up to clean up system files, I cannot say. I only know it has gone (at last).

As you found, removing the Flash update(s) that can be uninstalled is sufficient to get rid of the few MB shown in Disk Clean-up.

true but not the dreaded language files....

Paul Black · 13 May 2021

Hello @gabgab,

Just a suggestion. If you could find the EXACT location of the files, you could create a System Image and then Boot into a Live USB like Linux Mint for example and try Deleting / Removing them?

I hope this helps.

gabgab · 13 May 2021

Paul Black said:

Hello @gabgab,

Just a suggestion. If you could find the EXACT location of the files, you could create a System Image and then Boot into a Live USB like Linux Mint for example and try Deleting / Removing them?

I hope this helps.

well the question is where are they? I actually created a feedback report in Feedback Hub and had a windows technician also telling me that it's a bug.

If i never installed them how it's possible that there are files to clean to begin with? it's a catch 22.

Paul Black · 13 May 2021

Hello @gabgab,

gabgab said:

well the question is where are they? I actually created a feedback report in Feedback Hub and had a windows technician also telling me that it's a bug.

If I never installed them how it's possible that there are files to clean to begin with? it's a catch 22.

It depends on what sort of Windows Technician he was. The only other thing that I can think of why they are there, is that they were on the Installation ISO when you installed!