What is the Windows.old folder in Windows 10?

The Windows.old folder is a folder that is created when you upgrade from an earlier version of Windows to Windows 10. It contains a copy of the previous Windows installation, including the Windows system files, program files, and user data. The folder is used in case you need to go back to the earlier version of Windows.

What are the reasons for deleting the Windows.old folder?

To free up disk space: Windows.old folder can take up a lot of disk space, especially after a major update or upgrade. Deleting the folder can help you reclaim this disk space. To improve system performance: The Windows.old folder contains old files and settings which can slow down your system. Removing the folder can help improve system performance. To improve security: The Windows.old folder contains old files and settings which may not be secure. Removing the folder can help improve security by eliminating any potential vulnerabilities. To avoid confusion: The Windows.old folder can be confusing for users, as it contains files and settings from the previous version of Windows. Removing the folder can help avoid confusion and make it easier for users to find what they need.

How much disk space does the Windows.old folder occupy?

The amount of disk space occupied by the Windows.old folder can vary significantly depending on the size of the previous installation and the number of files stored in the folder. Generally speaking, the Windows.old folder can occupy anywhere from several gigabytes to over 20 gigabytes of disk space.

Is it safe to delete the Windows.old folder?

Yes, it is safe to delete the Windows.old folder. This folder is created when you upgrade to a new version of Windows and contains files from your previous installation. Once you have verified that your new version of Windows is working correctly, you can delete the Windows.old folder to free up space on your hard drive.

What are the steps to delete the Windows.old folder using the Disk Cleanup tool?

Open the Start menu and type “Disk Cleanup” into the search bar. Select the Disk Cleanup app to launch it. Select the drive you want to clean up and click OK. Select the “Clean up system files” option. Check the box next to “Previous Windows installation(s)” and click OK. Click Delete Files to confirm the deletion of the Windows.old folder.

Delete Windows.old in Windows 10: Easy Steps

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 7.05.2024 16:32

Learn how to clear the folder Windows.old in Windows 10 with ease in this comprehensive guide. Whether you’ve recently upgraded your operating system or looking to reclaim disk space, this tutorial covers everything you need to know. Dive deep into step-by-step instructions and essential tips for safely removing the Windows.old folder.

Delete Windows.old in Windows 10: Easy Steps

Contents

How to Delete the Folder Windows.old in Windows 10

After updating an operating system from Windows 7, 8.1 to Windows 10, the folder Windows.old is created in the root directory of drive (C:), and it contains entirely the installed operating system you had before. This folder exists for the case if you don’t like Windows 10 and want to return to Windows 8.1 again. If you delete the folder Windows.old, it will not be possible to recover Windows 8.1.

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How to Clean The System Drive in a Computer or Laptop With Windows 10, 8 or 7 🔥💻⛏️

Note: In the same way, more folders are created in the root directory of drive (C:), such as: $Windows.~BT и $Windows.~WS containing installation images of Windows 10 32 / 64 Bit in the format .esd, and you can use them to create ISO installation system images.

As you can roll back the update during the firt thirty days only, I strongly recommend not to do anything to the folder Windows.old for these 30 days – what if you change your mind and decide to return to Win 8.1 on the 29th day?

It all sounds so right, and waiting could be an option, but this folder often takes up over 20 Gb of space in drive (C:). For owners of smaller (120 Gb) SSD drives, who are the majority, it becomes an unallowable luxury.

Personally, I don’t see any problem here, because you can create a backup copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 before updating to Windows 10, then perform your update, and delete the folder Windows.old immediately. Having this backup copy, you can use it to roll back to Win 8.1 even after 30 days (and even after a year).

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How To Roll Back to The Previous Build After Creators Update, or Delete Updates in Windows 10 ⚕️💻💽

Judging from the questions we have received, many readers don’t even think about returning to their previous OS, are intent to work in Windows 10 and strongly interested how to delete the folder Windows.old from the system. It is very easy, I can assure you, and here are two ways of doing it. Together with the folder Windows.old we also delete such folders as $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS.

Left-click on Windows Search and enter Disk Cleanup. Then the utility for cleaning up the disk from unnecessary files appears (it is built into the operating system); left-click on it.

Windows 10 disk cleanup window appears. Select drive (C:) and click OK.

The utility starts analyzing drive (C:) looking for files that can be deleted to free the disk space.

Click on Clean up system files.

Check the box Previous Windows installation(s) and read description of this line (it deals with our folder, Windows.old), then go several lines down.

Disk Cleanup. Check the box Previous Windows installation(s)

Check the box Temporary Windows installation files and click on OK/Delete files.

We are warned once more that deleting the folder Windows.old will make it impossible to roll back to the previously installed operating system. Click «Yes».

When the process is complete, go to drive (C:) to find that the folder Windows.old is gone.

Another Way to Delete the Folder Windows.old

Launch the Command prompt as Administrator and type in the command
rd /s /q c:\windows.old
When this command is performed, the folder will be deleted.

Using the same command, you can delete such folders as $Windows.~BT and $Windows.~WS, if they are not deleted with the disk cleanup utility:

rd /s /q c:\$Windows.~WS
rd /s /q c:\$Windows.~BT

How to Recover Individual Files From the Folder Windows.old

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How to Recover Data After Resetting Windows 10, Resetting a Laptop to Factory Settings 📁🔥⚕️

If you need to recover individual files from the older installation of Windows, you can do it from the folder Windows.old. For this purpose, just open the folder Windows.old in file explorer: C:\Windows.old. Your personal files will be located in the folder C:\Windows.old\Users\UserName.

But bear in mind that even the official Microsoft website says you can restore all files or (attention please!) some of them from the folder Windows.old, if you want. In order to prevent loss of data, Microsoft strongly recommends creating a backup copy of files and settings in an external drive before recovering, resetting, updating or reinstalling Windows.

In other words, there is a certain risk of losing data when updating Windows and/or rolling back from Windows 10 to a previously installed operating system. What is more, Microsoft does not provide for recovering the data lost in such circumstances with standard Windows tools.

Partition Recovery™ 4.9

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

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In this case, your only data recovery option can be third-party software. If any data or files, whatever their type or file extension are, have been lost when updating or recovering Windows, scan the drive C: with Hetman Partition Recovery and restore them to any location you like or to a media storage.