How to delete the Windows.Old folder and free up disk space

After installation or update, the Windows. Old folder will appear in the Windows hard disk partition. It contains the files of the previous system, and you cannot delete it using standard methods. But if you urgently need to free up space, then there are methods that will help you get rid of this folder.

Uninstall on Windows 10

The big April update brought many features to Windows 10, including a convenient way to delete the Windows. Old folder. This is made possible by an enhancement to the Disk Cleanup function, which can now be performed manually.

After deleting the Windows. Old folder, automatic rollback to the previous version of the system will become impossible.

Open the Start menu and go to Settings. You can speed up the transition by pressing the keyboard shortcut Win + I. Go to the "System" section and select "Device memory". In the "Control memory" field, click "Free up space now."

How to remove Windows. Old. Device memory

Find and check the "Previous Windows Installations" item. Scroll up and click "Delete Files". Wait until the deletion of temporary files is completed, including the contents of the Windows. Old folder.

How to remove Windows. Old. Previous Versions

If you did not install the April update of the "ten", then this method will not work. To delete a folder, use the method that worked on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1. It continues to work even after installing the April update, that is, it is universal.

Uninstallation on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1

Press the Win + R key combination on your keyboard to bring up the Run window. Type cleanmgr and press Enter. Select the partition where Windows is installed. You can use another method: open "Computer", right-click on the partition with Windows, open "Properties" and on the "General" tab, click "Clean up disk".

How to remove Windows. Old. Disk properties

Wait until the dialog box is fully loaded and click "Clean up system files".

How to remove Windows. Old. Clean up system files

Check the item "Previous settings" and click "OK". If after such deletion an empty Windows. Old folder remains on the disk, get rid of it via the command line. Run the console as administrator.

How to remove Windows. Old. Command line

Run the command:


rd / s / q c: / windows.old

The letter C in command syntax refers to the drive where the Windows. Old folder is stored. You may have it different: for example, D or G. After executing the command, the empty directory will be removed.

Windows. Old is the system folder. However, there may be other directories on the computer that cannot be removed by standard means. They can be removed on both Windows and macOS, so if you need to free up disk space, it won't be overwhelming.