• home
  •  > 
  • Setting up Windows 10
  •  > 
  • Where is windows old located? Windows Old: what is this folder and can it be deleted

Where is windows old located? Windows Old: what is this folder and can it be deleted

Hello, regular and new guests of my blog! Those of you who have updated software on your computer have probably noticed a new, unfamiliar directory appearing on drive C under named Windows old, what kind of folder is this, I’ll tell you now.

What, why and why

Deleting a folder

If the folder is an eyesore and you don’t want to wait a month, then you can delete it too. In the Start menu, type “cmd” into the search and run the found program as an administrator from the menu that opens with a right-click.

When prompted, allow the program to make changes on the computer. In the list that appears, select “Run as administrator”.

In the window that appears, enter the underlined command as indicated in the image.

It is done! Now all that remains from the folder are memories.

A simple conclusion can be drawn from this situation: to effectively manage your data and productive work You need to know a lot of subtleties and secrets when using a computer.

Personally, the course helped me a lot to increase the productivity of my activities “ Secrets of productive work at the computer ". I recommend that you pay attention to it and spend your time with maximum benefit, having time to have a good rest and be with loved ones.


Well, that's all, friends. I hope that the article is clear, detailed and useful for you. Follow extra rubbish and don’t forget to clean your workspace and computer regularly. And also try not to clutter your head with low-quality information!

Subscribe to my blog updates, follow my VK group and tell your friends about them. Good luck!

After upgrading to Windows 10, users discover a huge directory on the system drive. It is called Windows.old and can take up about 8-16 or even more gigabytes, and when you try to delete it, it displays a warning that the operation cannot be completed.

Here the question arises, how is the Windows old folder deleted in Windows 10, what is stored in it and what information is needed. In these instructions, you will familiarize yourself with the contents of the mentioned directory and learn how to get rid of Windows.old.


What kind of directory is this?

If you still understand, then Windows.old stores the previous edition of the operating system, the one that was used on the computer before installing the update. All files are also placed in it working Windows, if Windows 10 is installed on the disk on which the running OS is located, but without formatting the current system volume.

Besides system files and applications, the directory also contains user ones, located in a folder with its name (including in the My Documents and Desktop directories). If after upgrading your PC you couldn’t find any documents, look for them through the search.

Removing Windows.old using the operating system

When the top ten are quite satisfied and you are sure that you will not roll back to the previous version of the Microsoft OS, then it makes sense to get rid of the Windows.old directory or at least its contents.

Separately, it is worth noting the cases of the appearance of a catalog with old version“tens” after installing updates on it. In such situations, there is no need to rush to delete a folder, because it does not store all the dozens of files, but only those changed during the update. The best option will wait a few weeks to make sure the operating system is working.

To delete a directory with a backup copy of the previous ten, we follow the steps shown in the following instructions.

1. Launch the system disk cleaning tool.

This is done through the appropriate request (Disk Cleanup) in the search bar or by executing the “cleanmgr” command through search or text string command interpreter(called Win+R).


2. We are waiting for the process of analyzing the contents of the partition to complete in order to search for files that can be deleted.


3. Click on the “Clean up system files” icon.

To do this, you must have administrator privileges or work under an account with the appropriate privileges.


4. Check the box “ Previous installations Windows".

5. Click “OK” to delete the Windows.old directory.


6. We are waiting for the completion of the tasks assigned to the program.

As a result, so simple operations Window.old will be erased from system disk, and if the directory remains, it will be empty.

Getting rid of Windows.old using the command line

If the previous option did not work or the directory was not completely cleared, you will have to resort to using a system tool called command line.

1. Call the program with administrator rights.

To do this, click right key Click on the C: drive in the My Computer directory and select “Open a command window as Administrator.” The second way is to use the Start context menu.

2. Enter the command “RD /S /Q C:\windows.old” and press “Enter” to execute it.

R.D.- system command to delete the specified folder with all its subdirectories and files;

S - a key indicating that it is necessary to get rid of all subdirectories;

Q - attribute allows you to deactivate the request for confirmation of command execution.


How to clean Windows.old through Task Scheduler

1. Call the Task Scheduler.

The easiest way to run it is through search bar.

2. In the scheduler library, expand the “Microsoft” branch.

3. Open the “Windows” folder.

4. In the “Setup” directory, find the “SetupCleanupTask” task and double-click on it.

It is responsible for deleting the folder after 30 days from the date of update, but in the “Options” tab you can change the task completion date to a closer one to speed up the process.

The method does not always work, but it’s worth familiarizing yourself with it for greater variety.

The most reliable way

1. While holding “Shift”, click “Reboot”.

2. In the action selection window, click “Diagnostics”.


After restarting the PC, the command prompt will appear.

4. In it, execute “diskpart”, then “list volume” to determine the label of the system partition.

5. Exit the program by executing “exit”.

6. Enter RD /S /Q “C:\windows.old” and press “Enter”, where C: is the disk label.


7. Close the window and click “Continue”.

These instructions are sufficient for any user.

Almost every ordinary user has had experience of reinstalling the operating system on their personal computer. Not everyone formats the system disk and, having successfully installed new Windows, are perplexed when they discover a mysterious folder. It's actually quite simple!


After such a discovery, a lot of questions arise that are perplexing. Let's find out everything about Windows Old what is this folder and how to delete it in the OS. Below you can find answers and several step-by-step instructions written to make it easier for a novice PC user to solve the problem.

In fact, without a preliminary formatting procedure or when updating, this folder is a straw that gives you the opportunity to return to the old version of your OS if you don’t like the current one or don’t like it at all. The system creates the directory automatically and will not allow you to simply erase it without the necessary rights. Usually, the folder turns out to be quite large and can take up more than ten gigabytes, which causes dissatisfaction among those whose computer is already full or does not initially have a large hard drive.


If you are not embarrassed by the size, but still have doubts about the new OS, do not rush to erase Windows Old. Since deciding to return to previous version, but once the directory is deleted, it will be impossible to restore old data. It should also be noted that restoring or transferring user data to clean Windows may have an unpredictable outcome, so everything is done at your own risk.

Transferring data from Windows Old

Prepare installation distribution with OS. Set the computer to reboot and go into the BIOS, then select boot from the DVD drive.

1) Checking the available space.

The first and completely logical action would be to double-check free space on the system disk of your PC. To do this you need to go to context menu. This operation required to understand whether the transferred data will fit into new system. Don't skip this step, otherwise nothing will work.


2) Recovery environment.

By selecting " System Recovery Options", enable the "command line" item.

3) Replacement system folders.

A service window will open in which you will need to enter 8 commands. Next, the algorithm of action is as follows:

  • We indicate the system hard drive.
  • We are creating a new catalogue.
  • Move folders and copy with autocorrect.


One of the important points is the correct and consistent writing of commands, after each of which confirmation is pressed using Enter.

  • Transfer the data to the “User” folder.
  • We change the file attributes.
  • We transfer the data to “Program Data”.
  • Delete the “Document and Settings” directory.

4) Move to the root directory.

Windows 7 will most likely decide to be capricious and will not agree to simply install old user data into its directories. Therefore, we point out to her move command and copy it to these folders:

  • Windows.
  • Program Files.
  • ProgramData.
  • Users.
  • Documents and Settings.


We write the following command:

D:\boot\bootsect /nt60 c:

Having done this, you should press Enter and enter exit. Congratulations on completing the user data recovery process!

How to remove Windows Old on Windows 10, 8, 7?

As you can already see, if you click on Windows Old and select removal, the system will answer that this is impossible. That is, it will not allow you to delete the directory just like that, and you will have to work a little hard through a series of manipulations. The following options will help you sort it out and free up occupied space.


  • Go to the Start menu.
  • Next select “All programs”.
  • Go to the “Standard” section and then to “Service”.
  • Click Disk Cleanup.

Also more quick method can be reached by pressing the combination Win keys+ R and writing cleanmrg.


In the window that opens, select the system drive and confirm. After analyzing the directories and files, the system will offer a list containing the item “Previous Windows installations" Mark it and click "OK". The folder will be deleted.

Command line

  • Click “Start” and launch the “Reboot” mode by holding the Shift button.
  • Next, select “Diagnostics”.
  • Go to the “Extras” menu. Options" and there is the item "Command Line".
  • After rebooting, the system will display a text window.
  • Write diskpart command and list volume. This will help you get information on which volume the OS was installed on if for some reason you didn’t know.
  • Type exit.
  • Next, for Windows 8 and 10, type RD C:\windows.old /S /Q, where C will indicate your system hard drive, so enter your letter. If you are using version 7, then you will have to write a little more: takeown /F C:Windows.old* /R /A. We are waiting for processing and write: cacls C:Windows.old*.* /T /grant administrators:F. After: rmdir /S /Q C:Windows.old.
  • Quit the command prompt and continue to reboot.

CCleaner

For those who are completely at odds with the system and are afraid of doing something wrong, an assistant in the difficult task of fighting unnecessary folder will become third party program CCleaner. It is provided in free version and it contains the Russian language, which will greatly facilitate the task, especially for those who do not speak English.


  • After downloading and installing, run it.
  • Click on the "Cleaning" item.
  • There will be a list on the left, uncheck all the boxes except the one opposite “Old Installation Windows”.
  • After that, click “Cleanup”.

Manual cleaning

Remove manually without resorting to the command line and third party utilities, in fact, it is also possible, but you need to have administrator rights.

  • Click on the folder and select “Properties”.
  • Next is “Security” and the “Advanced” item.
  • Then you need to open the “Owner” subsection.
  • Change the current one account, under which you are currently logged in, from user to administrator. After this, deletion is available by the usual click on the “Delete” button.

Conclusion

Summarizing all of the above, it should be clarified that before you permanently delete something, take your time and always think carefully. The remaining files may contain useful digital data both for you personally and for the computer system. We hope that the above step by step instructions will be informative for the user who stumbled upon this article while searching for answers. Using our advice, you will not only solve the existing problem, but also learn something new that will be useful in future work.

Often, PC problems are solved by reinstalling the operating system or updating it. After such actions, a folder with the old version of the OS appears on the hard drive, it is a kind of backup copy and contains all the files of the previous software. The only disadvantage of this folder is that it takes up a lot of space on your hard drive and in case you urgently need to free up space, the best solution will be its removal. However, many users have encountered this situation and know that using standard methods files are not deleted. Today we will figure out what it isWindows.old, how to removeunnecessary folder. Let's look at a few effective methods removal.

As mentioned above, the folder appears immediately after updating to new version operating system or after it complete reinstallation. The first thing that confuses users is the huge weight of the file; some, due to inexperience, even believe that this is a consequence of activity malware or . Especially after standard methods fail to remove Windows.old.

In fact, the object is completely harmless and in some cases may even be useful to the user; from there you can take the necessary data, for example, the user’s profile. Typically, the folder is located in root directory system disk and the only trouble is that it takes up a lot of space (sometimes up to 20 GB of memory). Moreover, if such a folder already exists at the time of updating or reinstallation, then a replacement does not occur, but a new document with individual serial number. In this connection, even more space on the hard drive is consumed.

In general, the mission of the Windows.old folder is to give the user the opportunity to restore some necessary files or completely roll back to the previous OS version if problems started with the current one. That is, this is a complete archive of the previous installation and if you are sure that there will be no need for it (there is no need to restore old files, a new operating system behaves perfectly and pleases with performance, etc.), then it can be removed without harm to the system.

Windows.old, how to remove

So, we figured out what kind of folder this is and how it appears on the PC. If the user is sure that it is no longer needed, then you can safely proceed to deletion. Attempts to free up space using conventional methods lead to failure, since such a procedure requires special rights. Next we will look at what methods allow you to get rid ofWindows.old, how to remove unnecessary files, read on.

Recommendations for Windows 7

First, let's look at the removal instructions desired folder for version 7 of the operating system. There is nothing complicated here, just follow the step-by-step algorithm described below.


It is worth noting that these actions are not always enough. Often, after such manipulations, the contents of the Windows.old folders simply disappear, while the folder itself remains in place and is displayed in Explorer. To completely remove empty objects, just call command line and write a task to be executed in it: rd /s /q c:\windows.old. Then press Enter and wait for the command to complete, this takes a few seconds and then you won't see anything elseWindows.old, how to removeshe will also stop bothering you.

Removal for OS version 10

IN this section we will look at the possibilities for the 1803 April Update, which introduced convenient additions, allowing you to quickly solve the problem. We will also offer standard method, suitable for 10 as well as 8 versions of the operating system.

Windows 10 1803 April Update

This OS version adds the long-awaited automatic cleaning disk and at the same time retaining the ability manual organization process. So, to solve the deletion issue, follow the described algorithm.


All that remains is to wait for the process to complete and make sure that the object we need is deleted from hard drive and no longer takes up space on it. This method is much more convenient than that available in previous versions OS, it does not ask for administrator rights and uninstalls without any hassle.

Previous Windows versions 10 and 8

If you updated the operating system and did not launch it, then you will definitely find Windows.old among the system folders. IN in this case you need to act as follows.


As a result, all contents of Windows.old will be deleted; to completely clean up the disk and delete an empty folder, just use the method described for version 7 of the OS and run the command rd /s /q c:\windows.old.

A novice user who is faced with the question of reinstalling the operating system for the first time usually skips the step of formatting the computer’s system drive.


As a result, after the process of reinstalling the operating system has been successfully completed, the user may find an incomprehensible directory on his computer called Windows OLD. What is this folder and can it be deleted? Why is it needed, and why does it take up so much space on your hard drive? In general, there are too many questions related to the purpose of this folder. Let's try to figure out this problem. This information will be useful for both beginners and experienced users PC.

Everything new is well forgotten old

No matter how strange it may be, this statement in context is quite fair. Many users find it difficult to answer the question of what the Windows OLD folder is. This directory is a file container that contains user information from the preinstalled operating system. The data contained in this folder can be given new life, i.e. restore them and use them in the future.

Using the Windows OLD folder for its intended purpose

Before we begin the analysis detailed instructions regarding data recovery, let’s make one very clear important point. Migrating user information to a new operating system is a very unpredictable process. Perhaps everything can end with incorrect installation of data on a clean operating system.

Transferring data from the Windows OLD folder

This action is very simple to perform. First, prepare an installation distribution with the operating system. After this, restart your computer and check the BIOS to “Boot from DVD/CD drive.” Before you transfer old information, think carefully again - is it worth it? This may not be particularly necessary, although the system will still need to be reinstalled.

First stage: freeing up space

Before you begin the process of copying information, make sure that there is enough space on your system disk. You can see how much space Windows OLD takes up using the context menu. Knowing original size folder, you can determine whether the new operating system can accommodate this directory on the system partition.

Second stage: Recovery

To begin, select the “SystemRecoveryOptions” option. After that, activate the “Command Prompt” option.

Third stage: Replacing system folders

In the system window that appears, you will need to enter eight commands sequentially. More detailed information can be obtained from official sources Microsoft. The command execution algorithm is presented below:

— indication of the system disk;
— formation of a new catalogue;
— moving folders and files;
— copying data with autocorrect.

Make sure all commands are spelled correctly. Don't forget to press the "Enter" button after each command. All data must be moved to the user directory “User”. After this, we subject the file attributes to the process of changing and move the data to “Program Data”. After that, uninstall “Documents and Settings”.

Fourth stage: Windows transfer OLD

Most likely, the new operating system will refuse to place folders and files with old user information in its directory. Therefore, you will need to give the command to move: “Move”.

Fifth stage: restoring the boot sector

Recovery boot sector you need to perform the following sequence of actions:

- enter the command D:\boot\bootsect/nt60 c:
- press “Enter” and write in new line"Exit" command. This command and will be the action that completes the process of information recovery.

Comfortable operating system Windows 8

For a new version of the operating system Windows data can be restored as in manual mode, and using automatic transfer of saved information. But there is one important point: if you do not use the old data for four weeks, the folder will automatically be replaced by the new operating system with the corresponding file container.

Liberation free space on disk

Many users have the following problem: they cannot delete the Windows OLD folder in the traditional way. If you are faced with a similar situation, then you are in for a surprise. The method below will help you easily get back your disk space in just a couple of steps. To do this, open the Start menu and activate the All Programs option.

From the drop-down list, select “Standard”. Next, go to the “Service” section. After that, activate the “Disk Cleanup” option. In the even box, install the C drive and click on “Ok”. As a result, the operating system will perform an analysis, as a result of which the user will be asked to select files for subsequent deletion. Here you need to check “Previous Windows installations”. Now click “Ok”, thereby confirming the operation. The Windows Old folder will be permanently deleted from your PC as a result.

Conclusion

Before deleting old user information, it is better to analyze the contents of the Windows Old folder. Perhaps there are files and folders valuable information, which you may need in the future. You can start the deletion process only if you are absolutely sure that the WindowsOld folder does not contain any information that is valuable to you. By the way, there is another very effective method deleting old user information. To use it, just enter cmd in the “Start” search bar and write the following command in the window that appears:

Rd/s/q%systemdrive%\Windows.old. After you press “Enter”, the folder will be deleted from your computer and free space will appear on your hard drive.