Won't even need to stop the service, as long as you don't plan on removing those updates, then there is no harm in deleting the SoftwareUpdates folder.

Go through the following solutions to fix the 0x8024001D Windows Update or Microsoft Store error. Rename the Software Distribution folder Reset the Windows Update ...

When you try to install an Update on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, the update installation may fail with the error code 0x8024B102. If this scenario applies ...