Scoop Cleanup & Maintenance

Intermediatev1.0.0

Keep Scoop installations clean and performant — cleanup old versions, reset broken apps, manage cache, and resolve common Windows-specific issues.

Content

Overview

Scoop keeps old versions of apps in its directory structure. Regular cleanup frees disk space, resolves shim issues, and keeps your installation healthy.

Why This Matters

-Disk space — old versions accumulate quickly
-Broken shims — stale shims point to deleted executables
-Cache bloat — downloaded installers remain in cache
-Stability — regular maintenance prevents subtle issues

Maintenance Commands

Cleanup Old Versions

powershell

# Clean specific app (remove old versions)
scoop cleanup nodejs

# Clean all apps
scoop cleanup *

# Clean and remove cache
scoop cleanup * --cache

# Preview what would be cleaned
scoop cleanup * --dry-run

Cache Management

powershell

# Show cache size and contents
scoop cache show

# Remove all cached downloads
scoop cache rm *

# Remove cache for specific app
scoop cache rm nodejs

Reset Broken Apps

powershell

# Reset app to clean state (re-creates shims and shortcuts)
scoop reset nodejs

# Reset all apps
scoop reset *

# Useful after PATH issues or broken shims

Update Everything

powershell

# Update Scoop itself and all buckets
scoop update

# Update specific app
scoop update nodejs

# Update all apps
scoop update *

# Check what's outdated
scoop status

Hold/Unhold Versions

powershell

# Prevent automatic updates
scoop hold nodejs
scoop hold python

# Release hold
scoop unhold nodejs

# Check held packages
scoop list | Select-String "held"

Maintenance Routine

powershell

# Weekly maintenance script
scoop update           # Update Scoop and buckets
scoop status           # Check for outdated apps
scoop update *         # Update all (after review)
scoop cleanup *        # Remove old versions
scoop cache rm *       # Clear download cache

# Monthly
scoop reset *          # Reset all shims
scoop checkup          # Health check

Best Practices

-Run `scoop cleanup *` monthly — old versions waste space
-Clear cache quarterly: scoop cache rm *
-Hold critical versions: scoop hold nodejs for project stability
-Check status before updating: scoop status
-Reset after issues: scoop reset * fixes most shim problems

Common Mistakes

-Never running cleanup (GB of old versions)
-Updating everything without checking status first
-Not holding version-sensitive tools
-Ignoring scoop checkup warnings

FAQ

Discussion

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Maintenance Commands

Cleanup Old Versions

powershell

# Clean specific app (remove old versions)
scoop cleanup nodejs

# Clean all apps
scoop cleanup *

# Clean and remove cache
scoop cleanup * --cache

# Preview what would be cleaned
scoop cleanup * --dry-run

Cache Management

powershell

# Show cache size and contents
scoop cache show

# Remove all cached downloads
scoop cache rm *

# Remove cache for specific app
scoop cache rm nodejs

Reset Broken Apps

powershell

# Reset app to clean state (re-creates shims and shortcuts)
scoop reset nodejs

# Reset all apps
scoop reset *

# Useful after PATH issues or broken shims

Update Everything

powershell

# Update Scoop itself and all buckets
scoop update

# Update specific app
scoop update nodejs

# Update all apps
scoop update *

# Check what's outdated
scoop status

Hold/Unhold Versions

powershell

# Prevent automatic updates
scoop hold nodejs
scoop hold python

# Release hold
scoop unhold nodejs

# Check held packages
scoop list | Select-String "held"

Maintenance Routine

powershell

# Weekly maintenance script
scoop update           # Update Scoop and buckets
scoop status           # Check for outdated apps
scoop update *         # Update all (after review)
scoop cleanup *        # Remove old versions
scoop cache rm *       # Clear download cache

# Monthly
scoop reset *          # Reset all shims
scoop checkup          # Health check