Deleting Windows.old System Folder – Instructions

If you have upgraded to Windows 10 or the Windows 10 Creators Update on your PC, then you may find a folder on your main hard disk named "Windows.old". This folder can consume up to 12 GB of memory and will not be useful if you do not want to switch back to the old Windows version.

If this is not the case, then you can simply delete the Windows.old folder. However, this is easier said than done and that's why we explain here how to delete the update backup "Windows.old" in Windows 10 and free up space.

To do this, first open the file explorer and right-click on it to select the hard disk on which Windows 10 is installed. Usually this is the hard disk "C:" In the context menu, please select "Properties".

Next it goes to "clean up" and right back to "clean up system files". Windows now calculates all files that can be deleted or removed. This includes the files in the "Windows.old" folder. If the calculation is over, then please put a check mark in the displayed window at "Previous Windows Installation".

This means that the Windows.old folder is deleted or cleaned up. Attention! You will not be able to return to your old Windows configuration afterwards!

Tap "Ok" to start Disk Cleanup. This will take a moment. Subsequently, the folder "Windows.old" on your Windows 10 computer will no longer appear on the hard disk.

You should now have the previously occupied storage space, just under 12GB, at your own disposal. You now know how to easily delete the folder "Windows.old" in Windows 10 without leaving any residue.

About the Author

Manuel Solvemix Team small

Manuel has been involved with technology for more than 15 years, especially with mobile phones, smartphones and PC systems and shares his passion here in this blog. If he can help someone with a technical problem, he is especially happy about it.