Clearing FileRepository folder in DriverStore

When cleaning the disk in Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7, you may notice (for example, using programs for analyzing the disk space used) that the folder C: \ Windows \ System32 \ DriverStore \ FileRepository occupies gigabytes of free space. At the same time, standard cleaning methods do not clear the contents of this folder.

In this manual, step by step about what is contained in the DriverStore \ FileRepository folder in Windows, is it possible to delete the contents of this folder and how to clean it safely for the system. It can also be useful: how to clear the C disk from unnecessary files, how to know what is occupied on the disk.

FileRepository content in Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7

FILEREPOSITORY folder contains copies of device drivers ready to install. In Microsoft Terminology - Staged Drivers, which, while in the DriverStore Storage, can be installed without administrator rights.

At the same time, for the most part, these are not the drivers that work at the moment of time, but they may need: for example, if you once connected a certain device that is now disabled and downloaded the driver for it, after which the device turned off and removed The driver, the next time you connect the driver can be set from the DriverStore.

When updating the equipment driver or manually drivers, the old versions of the drivers remain in the specified folder, can serve to roll back the driver and, at the same time, cause an increase in the number of disk space that is required for storage that cannot be cleaned by the methods described in the manual: how to remove old Windows drivers.

Clearing DRIVERSTORE \ FILEREPOSITORY folder

Theoretically, you can delete all the contents of FileRepository in Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7, but it is still not quite safe, can cause problems and, moreover, not required for cleaning the disk. Just in case, create a backup copy of Windows drivers.

In most cases, gigabytes and dozens of gigabytes occupied by the DriveStore folder - the result of multiple updates of the NVIDIA and AMD video cards drivers, RealTek sound cards, and less commonly, additional regularly updated peripheral drivers. Removing the old versions of these drivers from FileRepository (even if these are only video card drivers), you can shorten the folder volume at times.

How to Clean the DriverStore folder, remove unnecessary drivers from it:

1. Run the command line on behalf of the administrator (start typing "Command Line" when you need the desired item, click on it with the right mouse button and select the Context menu item "Start on behalf of the administrator".
2. In the command prompt, enter the PNPutil.exe / E> C: \ Drivers.txt command and press ENTER.

   

3. A command from paragraph 2 will create a DRIVERS.TXT file on a C disk with the transfer of those drivers that are stored in FileRepository.

   

4. Now you can delete all unnecessary drivers using the PNPutil.exe / D OEMNN.INF commands (where Nn is the driver file number, as specified in the Drivers.txt file, for example OEM10.INF). If the driver is used, you will see a file deletion error message.

   

I recommend first to remove the old video card drivers. You can see the current version of the drivers and their date in Windows Device Manager.

More oldly can be safely deleted, and upon completion, check the size of the DriverStore folder is likely to come to normal. You can also delete old drivers of other peripheral devices (but I do not recommend deleting drivers unknown to you Intel, AMD system devices and the like). The screenshot below is an example of resizing a folder after removing 4-old NVIDIA drivers.

Perform the task described above in a more convenient form will help the Driver Store Explorer utility (RAPR) available on the site github.com/lostindark/driverstoreexplorer

After starting the utility (Run on behalf of the administrator), click "Enumerate".

Then, in the list of detected drive packages, select unnecessary and remove them using the "Delete Package" button (the drivers used will not be removed, if not to mark "Force Deletion"). You can also automatically select old drivers by clicking the "Select Old Drivers" button.

How to delete the contents of the folder manually

Attention: This method is not necessary if you are not ready for problems with Windows work that may occur.

There is also a way to simply delete folders from FileRepository manually, although it is better not to do (it is unsafe):

1. Go to the C: \ Windows \ System32 \ DriverStore folder, right-click on the FileRepository folder and click "Properties".
2. On the Safety tab, click "Advanced".
3. In the "Owner" field, click "Change".
4. Enter your username (or click "Advanced" - "Search" and select your username in the list). And click "OK".
5. Mark the items "Replace the owner of subspeters and objects" and "replace all records of the permissions of the subsidiary." Click "OK" and answer "Yes" to a warning of unsuccessfulness of such an operation.
6. You will return to the Safety tab. Click "Edit" under the list of users.
7. Click "Add", add your account, and then install "full access". Click OK and confirm the change in permissions. After completion, click "OK" in the FileRepository properties window.
8. Now the contents of the folder can be deleted manually (only the individual files used at the present time in Windows cannot be deleted, it will be enough to click "Skip".

   

On this all on the topic of cleaning unused drivers. If questions remain or have something to add - this can be done in the comments.