How to delete windows.old folder?

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SpartacusSystem

Level 7
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Well-known
Aug 6, 2015
306
Right click on it and then press delete? It should then skip the Recycle Bin and then permanently delete (could take a while).
 
I

illumination

  1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start menu,all apps, windows administrator...
  2. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, on the Disk Cleanup tab, click Clean up system files. ...
  3. Select the Previous Windows installation(s) check box, and any other check boxes for the files you want to delete, and then click OK.
 
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kiric96

Level 19
Verified
Well-known
Jul 10, 2014
917
being honest i dont recommend deleting this folder as windows some times uses some of the data that is stored there, for my personal experience one time with windows 7 i decided to erase that folder... then after restart i found that some stuff was missing... with windows 8 was even worse after delete... some apps were not working the way it has to... for some reason windows doesnt let you erase that folder via right click, so my advice is to make a clean install
 

Alzie

Level 1
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Well-known
May 3, 2014
40
deleted old folder on 3 pc with no problems after gives you more space if needed just make sure you need nothing from them used method as advised by illumination
 

jamescv7

Level 85
Verified
Honorary Member
Mar 15, 2011
13,070
Well by simply delete through right click or add to custom list with your favorite cleaning tool beside on built in Disk Cleaner for Windows.

But better remove after revert to Windows option expire within 30 days.
 

vishwa

Level 1
Verified
Aug 18, 2015
22
You can use Windows inbuilt clean up tool or you can use third party tools like ccleaner.
 

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit - Unable to remove Windows.old folder.

The first time I upgraded from 8.1 to 10, the Windows.old folder removed successfully with Disk Cleanup. After a clean (post-upgrade) installation, the folder cannot be deleted with either Disk Cleanup or CCleaner.

Right-click delete, message:
upload_2015-9-14_15-31-26.png


Folders under Windows.old
Code:
C:\Windows.old\Program Files\Windows Defender
MpClient.dll
MpRtp.dll
MpSvc.dll
MsMpEng.exe

C:\Windows.old\WINDOWS\Fonts (with 7 items)

C:\Windows.old\WINDOWS\System32 (with 361 items)

C:\Windows.old\WINDOWS\SysWOW64 (with 41 items)

C:\Windows.old\WINDOWS\WinSxS (with 460 items)
amd64_microsoft-windows-...
wow64_microsoft-windows-...
x86_microsoft.windows....

Update:

Windows 10 is broken.

upload_2015-9-14_15-31-42.png


upload_2015-9-14_15-31-59.png
 

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Use CCleaner, u just have to tick the option.
It identified only the "C:\Windows.old\Program Files\Windows Defender", but nothing is removed. See update. :) Windows is broken.
 
I

illumination

It identified only the "C:\Windows.old\Program Files\Windows Defender", but nothing is removed. See update. :) Windows is broken.
Just the upgrade and not a clean install, I had the same issue, it broke windows 10 doing the upgrade, certain built in windows features would not work, like sfc scans ect. So I did a clean install now everything is working as should.
 

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Just the upgrade and not a clean install, I had the same issue, it broke windows 10 doing the upgrade, certain built in windows features would not work, like sfc scans ect. So I did a clean install now everything is working as should.
This was a clean install, and I used the Media Creation Tool.

Just 5 hours ago: Running Windows 10 Home
Now: Running Windows 8 Core
 
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