What Is Windows.old Folder In Windows 10

Every time you switch to a new version of Windows – be it one of Windows 10'south feature updates or a whole new OS – Microsoft keeps a tape of the previous version. This includes information on all your installed programs and settings, stored within a binder known simply every bit 'Windows.old'.

This can be found in File Explorer, merely y'all can't delete it similar whatsoever regular folder. Microsoft blocks the usual right-click or drag and drop methods, presumably to cease people from removing it accidentally.

Windows.old can take up many gigabytes of organisation storage, especially if y'all've moved to a brand-new version of Windows. But is it safe to delete, and how should you go about it? Hither'southward everything y'all demand to know.

Should you delete the Windows.former folder?

Provided you accept no intention of always going back to the previous version, it'south totally safe to remove the Windows.old binder. Information technology'll have no effect on either your current Windows 10 experience or any future updates.

However, to make sure there are no unintended consequences, meeting the post-obit criteria is also recommended:

It's been more 10 days since you lot've installed the current version, so the option to 'get back to the previous version' in Settings is no longer bachelor
You lot already perform a total backup of Windows regularly, then can install earlier versions in an emergency anyway
All your personal documents and settings were correctly carried over when you lot installed Windows 10

How to remove the Windows.erstwhile binder in Settings

Provided yous're running version 1903 (May 2019) of Windows ten or later on, the easiest method is via Settings:

Head to Settings > System and choose 'Storage' from the left pane
Turn on the 'Storage Sense' toggle if you haven't already, then choose 'Configure Storage Sense or run it now'
Scroll downwardly to the 'Gratis up space now' sub-heading and click 'Clean now'
After a few seconds, this volition remove any files that your device isn't using (including Windows.old)

Provided Storage Sense remains turned on, the Windows.old folder will be deleted shortly afterward any new version is installed.

How to remove the Windows.former binder from File Explorer

Storage Sense should exist your first port of phone call, but File Explorer offers a way to specifically target files from previous installations:

Open File Explorer
Locate Local Disk (C:) drive (where Windows is usually installed). Right-click information technology and choose 'Backdrop'
From the window that appears, click 'Disk Make clean-up' from the 'General' tab
Click 'Make clean upward system files' and look for a few seconds
You'll now come across a vertical scrolling list of the files that can exist deleted. All these files can be uninstalled, but those under 'Windows Update Clean-up' or 'Previous Windows installation (south)' refer to the Windows.old folder
Select those you lot'd like to uninstall and click 'OK'
From the pop-up window, click 'Delete Files' to confirm removal
After a few seconds, the files will be permanently deleted

It'south worth following these steps presently later on installing a new update if you want to minimise the amount of space they take upwardly. Merely make certain the update is stable and bug-free first. For most people, setting up Storage Sense to run regularly in the background will be sufficient.

Claiming dorsum storage is especially important for anyone considering updating their device to Windows eleven. Microsoft volition begin rolling out the free upgrades for Windows ten users with eligible hardware from five Oct, but it'll crave at least 64GB of storage to install. If y'all take a 128GB or 256GB SSD, removing the Windows.quondam binder could make all the departure.

A version of this article was originally published in German on our sister site, PC-Welt.