When trying to install or update any application such as the .NET Framework, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and more, you may encounter a message that says The Temp folder is on a drive that is full or is inaccessible, Error 1632 or 0x80070660 . In this post, we are going to talk about this issue and see what you can do to resolve it.
The Temp folder is on a driver that is full or is inaccessible. Free up space on the driver or verify that you have write permission on the Temp folder.
Fix The temp folder is on a drive that is full or is inaccessible
To fix The Temp folder is on a drive that is full or is inaccessible, Error 1632 or 0x80070660, follow the solutions mentioned below:
- Create a new Installer folder
- Make some space in your drive
- Make sure that you have the full control of the Temp folder
- Change the location of the Temp Folder
- Repair the installation
- Get a fresh copy of the program
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Create a new Installer folder
Since we are facing an issue when trying to install an application, there is a possibility that there is some issue with the %windir%/Installer folder, we recommend you rename it and create a new Installer folder inside the same directory. However, since %windir%/Installer is a system folder used by Windows Installer to store important files for applications installed using Windows Installer technology, renaming it is not the same as renaming any other folder. However, you can run the commands mentioned below to rename it.
- Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Now, run the following command to stop the misserver.
net stop msiserver
- Run the command mentioned below to rename the Installer.
ren %windir%\Installer Installer.old
- Create a new directory called Installer.
mkdir %windir%\Installer
- Restart the msiserver.
net start msiserver
Once done, check if the issue is resolved.
If you can’t find the Installer folder, go to C:\Windows, right-click on an empty space, select New > Folder, and name it Installer.
2] Make some space in your drive
Your temp folder is usually located in the C drive. If the drive is full, you will encounter this issue. So, we recommend you use the Disk Cleanup Tool to delete Junk Files. Just invoke the tool by searching Disk Cleanup from the Start Menu, selecting the C drive, and then it will list the files you can delete to make room. Additionally, you use Storage Sense as well to scan and clear out redundant files from your computer.
You can also delete the content of the Temp folder. To do this, open Run by Win + R, type “%temp%”, and then delete all the folder’s content. If you get a message stating that a file is being used, open the Task Manager, kill all the processes, and then delete.
3] Make sure that you have the full control of the Temp folder
You should check if the user trying to install the program has full control of the Temp folder. To do so, right-click on the Temp folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab, and check if the Full Control option for that user is checked. If it is not checked, select the user, click on Edit, and then check the box associated with Full Control.
4] Change the location of the Temp Folder
A Temp (temporary) folder in Windows is a directory used by the operating system and various applications to store temporary files. These files are created to temporarily hold data during the execution of a program or during the installation of software. You do have permission to change the location of the Temp folder by re-assigning the environmental variable. To do this, you can follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open Start Search by Win + S, type “Environmental Variable”, and hit Enter.
- You will be in the Advanced tab, just click on the Environmental Variable option.
- In the Environment Variables window, locate the “TEMP” and “TMP” variables under the “User variables” and “System variables” sections.
- Change the variable values to a folder on a different drive with enough space.
Once done, run the installer again and see if that helps. Hopefully, after changing the path of the Temp folder to a drive with ample space, your program should install nonchalantly.
5] Repair the installation
If you encounter this issue when updating a program, let’s say Microsoft C++ Redistributable, you should try to repair the installed instance of the program. To do this, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Open Windows Settings by Win + I.
- Now, go to Apps > Installed apps.
- Search “C++”, and you will see Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, click on the three dots, and click on Change.
- Now, you need to select Repair when prompted and wait for the program to repair.
Hopefully, this will do the job for you. You can repair a lot of programs such as Visual Studio Code, .NET Framework, and more.
6] Get a fresh copy of the program
The program’s installation media may be corrupted. If all else fails, you should try to get a fresh copy of the program and see if that helps.
We hope that you are able to resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this post.
Read: What are tw tmp folders in System32 folder and Can I delete them?
How do I free up space on my Temp folder?
Cleaning up the Temp folder is pretty simple, open Run (Win + R), type “%temp%”, and once the File Explorer window opens, select everything using Ctrl + A, and click on Delete. If you get a pop stating that any of the files are being used, just close all the programs running on the system except Explorer and do the same again.
Read: Temporary files not deleting in Windows 11/10
Is it safe to delete temp files in c:\windows temp?
Yes, it is generally safe to delete temporary files in the C:\Windows\Temp folder. These files are created by the operating system and applications to store temporary data. Over time, they can accumulate and take up valuable disk space. Deleting these files can help free up space and improve your computer’s performance. However, make sure to close any open applications before deleting temp files, as some files might be in use. If you’re unsure, you can restart your computer and then delete the files. It’s a good practice to clean the temp folder periodically to keep your system running smoothly.
Read: Error writing temporary file, Make sure your temp folder is valid.
