Resolved: Unable to Delete Windows.old Folder in Windows 11/10

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Updated by

Tracy King 

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Linda 

Updated on: April 22, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Windows.old Folder

Before we proceed with removing the Windows.Old folder from your computer, we'd like to give you some background information about it.

What is Windows.old?

When you upgrade from one version of Windows to another, the operating system creates the Windows.old folder. The Windows.old folder isn't a new feature of Windows 10 – it's been around since Windows Vista.

The Windows.old folder contains all the files and data from your previous version of Windows, including system files, user account settings, user profiles, and user folders.

If you don't like the upgrade, you can use it to roll back to your previous version of Windows. You can also delve into the Windows.Old folder to find a specific file that didn't copy over properly to the new Windows installation.

Where is the Windows.old folder?

So, you may wonder where the Windows.old folder is located on your PC and how to delete it, right? Generally, after upgrading the Windows system, the Windows.old folder will be saved in the Windows folder on the C drive, as shown below:

It's about as big as your C: drive was before you upgraded, which is why so many people find their C: drive filling up after a Windows update.

Can I safely delete the Windows.old folder?

Can I safely delete the Windows.old folder? Yes. If you've decided to keep the new Windows installation, and all your files are safe on the new operating system, you can remove it from your PC to free up disk space.

Why can't I delete the Windows.old folder?

According to Microsoft's Windows forums and various tech forums, users are complaining that they cannot delete the Windows.Old folder because Windows reports that it can't find the file or that the target is not a valid file or directory.

Why is that? Here are two main reasons why you can't simply delete the Windows.Old folder from the C drive:

1. The Windows.old folder was removed by the Windows operating system.

To save disk space, Windows is designed to automatically delete the Windows.old folder after an upgrade.

- On Windows 10, the Windows.Old folder is automatically deleted after 10 days. - On Windows 8.1 or 8, it's deleted after 28 days. - On Windows 7 and earlier, Windows.Old is removed after 30 days.

2. Deleting Windows.old requires administrator privileges.

While you can access the Windows.Old folder to check and view the saved files, you need administrative permissions to make any changes to this folder. Therefore, if you don't have the permission, you cannot directly delete Windows.Old from the C: drive.

How to Delete the Windows.Old Folder – 3 Ways

Applicability: This article provides three effective methods to resolve the issue of inability to delete the Windows.old folder without losing data.

Before we begin - Setting the stage

#1. Create a backup of the Windows.Old folder

Before you delete the Windows.old folder, create a backup of Windows.old in case you need to perform a system restore or retrieve individual files from the folder.

You can copy the Windows.old folder to an external hard drive, or use a free backup software tool and these three simple steps to back up the Windows.old folder:

• Launch the Todo Backup Free tool, and then select “File Backup”. • Choose the important files/data or system, and then select a destination for backup. • Click on “Start” to initiate the backup process.

#2. Obtain root access

Another important thing to make sure you can successfully delete the Windows.old folder is to check that you're signed in to Windows with an administrator account.

If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, log in with an Administrator account instead.

Step 1. Click the Windows logo, then click your username at the top.

Step 2: Select “Admin” from the list, then click to switch to that account.

Third, enter the password for the administrator account to log in.

Method 1: Remove the Windows.old Folder in Windows 11/10 Using "Disk Cleanup"

You can't directly remove the Windows.old folder by pressing the DELETE key. However, you can try using the Disk Cleanup tool in Windows to delete it from your computer:

Press Windows + E, then click "This PC". Right-click the drive that has Windows installed, then select "Properties". Click "Disk Cleanup", then choose "Clean up system files". Check "Previous Windows installation(s)" to delete the Windows.old folder. You can also check other installation files, such as Windows upgrade log files and temporary Windows installation files. Click "OK", then confirm the deletion by selecting "Delete Files" in the pop-up. Click "Yes".

Delete Windows.old via Disk Cleanup

Method 2: Delete the Windows.old Folder in Windows 10 Using a Temporary File

Another method you can try is to use the Windows temporary files settings to delete the Windows.old folder from your computer. Here's how:

1. Type Settings in the search bar, then click on it to open Settings.

Step 2. Go to Settings > System > Storage > This PC, and then scroll down the list and select Temporary files.

Step 3: Under the “Temporary files” section, check the box next to “Previous Windows installation(s),” and then click “Delete Files.”

Then, the Windows.old folder will be deleted hassle-free in Windows 10.

Method 3: Remove the Windows.old Folder with Storage Sense in Windows 10 In Windows 10, you can use the "Storage Sense" feature to automatically clean up unnecessary files, including the Windows.old folder. Here's how: 1. Press `Win + I` to open "Settings." 2. Click on "System" (System). 3. In the left menu, select "Storage" (Storage). 4. On the right side, locate and click the "Clean Now" button. 5. In the "Temporary Files" (Temporary files) window, check the box for "Previous versions of Windows." 6. Click the "Remove Files" button to confirm your selection. Please note that this process might take some time, especially if your Windows.old folder is large. Once finished, the system will automatically delete the Windows.old folder, freeing up disk space.

The Storage Sense setting in Windows 10 can also help you remove the Windows.old folder from your PC. Here's how to do it right away:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon and select “Settings.”

Step 2: Go to the System page, click on Storage, and then under Storage Sense, click on Change how we free up space automatically.

Step 3: Check “Remove previous versions of Windows,” and click “Clean now.”

Delete Windows.old with Storage Sense:

After you complete these steps, the Windows.old folder will no longer be available.

Here's a quick fix for the 'Can't delete Windows.old' error in Windows 10. Scroll down for the full solution with detailed instructions.

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Video source: YouTube; created by Sele Training.

Two More Tips: Extend System Drive After Removing Windows.Old

Aside from the three methods above to remove the Windows.Old folder, you can also try other ways to free up space on your System C drive. If you want to do so, try these two quick tips to instantly free up space and expand your C drive:

#1. Extend C drive space with free partition manager

With the help of free partition manager software, you can effectively extend system C drive with its Resize/Move feature.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Free up unallocated space on Drive C.

If there is no unallocated space on the system disk, you need to enter the Disk Management, right-click on the partition next to C drive, and select "Resize/Move Volume".
Drag the left boundary of the partition to shrink it and leave unallocated space behind the system C drive. Then click "OK".

Step 2: Increase the size of the C drive.

1. Right-click on the C drive and select "Resize/Move".

2. Drag the end of the system partition to the unallocated space to add space to the C drive, and then click “OK”.

Step 3: Click Apply to save all changes and extend the C: drive.

Click “Run the Task” and then “Apply” to save all changes and extend your system C drive.

#2. Clean up large files on your system drive

Step 1: Download and install the Partition Master Suite tool.

Step 2: Click on "PC Cleanup" to install the CleanGenius tool. Then, click "Clean" and select "Scan" to begin the system cleanup and restore your PC to its original condition.

Step 3: The software will scan your computer for idle data files that are taking up a lot of disk space. Select the unnecessary big files, system junk files, and invalid Windows entries you want to get rid of, then click “Clean” to start the cleaning process.

4. After the scan is finished, click “Finish” to get rid of the system junk files.

If this article has helped you resolve the issue with deleting the Windows.old folder in Windows 11/10, please feel free to share it to assist more people in need!

Conclusion and Windows.old FAQ

On this page, we explain what the Windows.old folder is, what you can do with the Windows.old folder, its default location, and provide three practical methods to help you fix the "Can't Delete Windows.old Folder" issue on Windows 10.

These methods also apply to deleting this folder on other older versions of Windows, such as Windows 8.1/8/7, and so on. Here, we've also gathered some frequently asked questions with brief answers to help you solve your problems. If you have the same queries, check them out and find your answers:

1. How can I manually delete the Windows.old folder?

According to the method outlined on this page, you need to log in to your computer as an administrator first.

Then, you can manually delete the Windows.old folder from your computer using the Windows Temporary Files settings, the Windows Disk Cleanup utility, or the Windows Storage Sense settings. For detailed guides, follow the steps in Methods 1, 2, and 3.

2. How do I revert from Windows.old?

To restore from the Windows.old folder, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Then click Get started under Go back to Windows 7 or Go back to Windows 8.1, depending on your previous OS.

Please note that this option will only be available for 10 days or 1 month after you upgrade.

3. How do I recover files from Windows.old?

There are three ways to get back the Windows.old folder. You can manually or automatically restore the Windows.old folder. Or, use a three-step file recovery software to retrieve files from the Windows.old folder.

For a detailed guide, follow How to recover files from the Windows.Old folder.

4. Will deleting Windows.old cause problems?

In most cases, removing the Windows.old folder or files from your computer won't cause any damage.

But if a Windows update didn't keep all your files, or you lost files after updating Windows, you might be able to get them back by rolling back to a previous version of Windows.