Resolved Unable to delete the $WINDOWS,~BT file

The windows file $WINDOWS,~BT file just keeps getting bigger it is over 12GB at the moment usually I can delete the file using windows cleanup but I can no longer delete it that way because using disk cleanup including system files does not appear to remove the folder like it used to. can anybody please give me a simple way to remove this file please as it seems to take more and more space every week. I backup my C: drive on a regular basis so do not need to keep the file

 

Instead of using Disk Cleanup try using Storage Sense instead. To do this do the following from www.windowscentral.com ;

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Storage.
4. Under "Storage sense," click the Free up space now option.
   1. Select the temporary files you want to delete.
      
      Warning: Do not check the Downloads option, because you can accidentally delete important files.
      
      
   2. Click the Remove files button.

 

Have tried this it says I have 20gb of temp files but does not give me the option to delete them just a few Mb of files and it still leaves the $WINDOWS,~BT file intact it is now over 20 Gb in size

 

Have finally deleted the folder through windows cleanup / system files but I have only got 10Gb back in space on checking in settings/system/storage/ it says I have 10.1 Gb of temporary files but when I click on it it only shows a list of files with a few hundred Mbs of data not anything remotely close to 10.1GB it does say Updates 9.8Gb at the bottom of the page but when I click there it just takes me to the update page settings

 

Those files, likely all of them, are your recently updated files. Windows should delete them itself in 30 days or so. How much TOTAL space do you have remaining on your hard drive? This is what you should be looking at to begin with, not how much you can remove.

 

141GB of 250GB It just seems recently that a big chunk of the SSD space seems to have disappeared I normally have approx. 151GB on drive C: Surely windows updates should not need 10GB of space if so I will need to replace the C: in a year or so, my laptop only has a 125GB hard drive and I have 80GB left on that

 

Check to see which recent Windows Updates you have installed. When did this sudden increase in size of this file happen? You say you always have 151 GB free space on the hard drive, so you never install anything except Windows Updates? . Your Hardware also may have recent updates which also show on your Updates page in settings.
Your Drive is not half full. I see by your info that you have Kaspersky Internet Security 2017 installed. That would have lots of updates for sure. Malwarebytes' has updates
What is your exact Windows Version? To find out type winver in the run box. You will then receive a page that shows your exact Windows 10 version.

You mentioned your laptop and its hard drive size and space used, you absolutely cannot compare computers. Each one is different. Each one has different hard ware for one thing. Obviously different hard drives. There is no comparison and it really shouldn't be done.

 

I have Ver 1909 ( Os Build 18363.959 ) installed, I have not installed the latest update yet to ver 2004 as I believe it can cause a problem with SSD,s and I also fail to see why I have to keep updating win10 to include many extra facilities that I do not need and that just keeps taking up more hard drive space.

 

You are one update behind, not the upgrade to version 2004, which is optional and has caused problems for many, not just those with SSD's. There was an update released August 11, 2020 which brings the version up to Version 1909 Build 18363.1016. This IS recommended as it is a Security Update.
That is the version I have and even though I do not have an SSD drive I have not installed the 2004 Upgrade. As long as it is optional I will leave it alone.
I honestly don't see a major problem with your drive space. Maybe others will have more suggestions.

Can I ask why you are using Kaspersky? The built in AV and Firewall in Windows 10 is Excellent and highly recommended.

 

Hi alboy, I gathered a few bits of info which you may want to read:
How much space does Windows 10 take with updates?
The upgrade may require up to twice as much storage space on your PC. According to a Microsoft advisory, the new version of Windows 10 — version 1903 — will require 32 GB or more of space to be installed.Apr 28, 2019
How much space does Windows 10 take on a SSD?
16 GB
According to the specifications and requirements of Windows 10, in order to install the operating system on a computer, users need to have 16 GB of free space on SSD for the 32-bit version. But, if users are going to opt 64-bit version then, 20 GB of free SSD space is necessitated.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would begin using ~7GB of user hard drive space for the application of future updates.Apr 29, 2019
Why does my SSD show less space?
Your drive shows up smaller than advertised because storage drive capacity is calculated and reported slightly differently than other capacities in computing. ... This is why a 480GB SSD will be correctly reported by a Windows computer as 447GB. The larger the numbers are, the larger the discrepancies will be.
Why Does My SSD Show Up As Smaller Than Advertised? | Crucial ...
Are there problems with Windows 10 version 2004?
Microsoft has also found a compatibility issue with some games using GameInput Redistributable and Windows 10 2004 that prevents mouse input on affected games. And there's a problem with apps or drivers using certain versions of aksfridge. ... The affected drivers are any version lower than 358.00," Microsoft notes.May 28, 2020
Windows 10 2004: We're already looking into these 10 issues, says MS.
Can not update Windows 10 version 2004?
If you are unable to update your display drivers, you will need to turn Memory integrity off to be able to update to Windows 10, version 2004. Go to the Core isolation page in Windows Security. Turn the Memory integrity setting Off. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.Jul 22, 2020
(Updating to Windows 10, version 2004 on devices with Hypervisor)
Use Disk Cleanup to Delete Temp Files. Temp files could also occupy lots of SSD space. Using Disk Cleanup to delete various temporary files, which are no longer needed is a good idea.Jun 17, 2020
[2020 Update] How to Free Up Space on SSD in Windows 10/8/7 ..

 

Have just updated my pc and it is showing ver 1909 ( Build 18363 959 ) and is saying I am up to date
With regards to using Kaspersky I have been using it for several years going back to when windows antivirus was rubbish , on all reviews it rates Kaspersky better than windows AV. My pc does everything I want it to do why do I need to keep updating it other than security and problem fixes

 

Defender with W10 is the AV developed by MS. Who better than MS to protect their system?
Kaspersky (Russian) would be the last AV I would want to install.
I have used Defender since its inception and never had any problems with my comps.
I have all my comps and 2 laptops on Auto Update and so far I have not experienced the so called problems that others are enduring.

 

Would probably consider switching to MS Windows defender when the subscription expires on my Kaspersky Av

 

Best move you can make and free up some more drive space.

 

Don't know what has happened but the space on drive C: has just jumped to 154GB form 144GB

 

As I said before; Those files, likely all of them, are your recently updated files. Windows should delete them itself in 30 days or so.

 

Many thanks to all who replied stay safe and keep well.